Trnka—who? Mistaken attributions and their effects
Monday, August 6, 2018
It is not surprising that music bibliographers find it difficult enough to distinguish between composers with common names, but that this also happens with somewhat rarer names is something we are going to illustrate today using an example from the RISM A/I series (works by a single composer printed to 1800).
RISM A/I number T 1262 (RISM ID no. 992002574) is a volume of twelve three-part canons by the composer and doctor Wenzel Trnka von Krzowitz (1739-1791). This man is not unknown to musicology because he created, among other things, the musical model for Mozart’s notorious canon KV 233 (382d) (see Wolfgang Plath’s essay on the subject, cited in RISM as PlathT 1991, or Trnka’s article on Wikipedia). In the supplement volume to A/I, another twelve four-voice canons (TT 1262a; RISM ID no. 991004429) are by the same Trnka.
The Rondoletta for piano four-hands, also attributed to Wenzel Trnka in the supplement volume, does not seem to fit the mold, though (TT 1262b; RISM ID no. 991011408). One thing that jumps out right away is the opus number 29, which makes you automatically wonder where the other 28 are. The answer is relatively simple. This is a different Trnka, with the similar first and middle names Johann Wenzel (1782-after 1849). Not much is known about this Trnka, however, as you can tell by looking at the old article in MGG 1. He actually should not even be a case for RISM A/I, given how late his year of birth is. Plath also noted the potential for confusion and states that “there are no scholarly publications about Trnka —neither this one nor the other Trnka— that one could have built upon” (p. 252).
A bit of searching in the publisher’s catalogs by Alexander Weinmann, the Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog (KVK), the Hofmeister Monatsberichten, the Wiener Zeitung, etc. quickly results in a filled-out list that also goes beyond opus 29. Trnka research is hereby open! Additions are always welcome.
Wenzel Johann Trnka (1782 - after 1849)
| Without opus number | Title | Publisher | Year | Source found / Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | 12 Danses Villageoises, pf 4hands, [1me Livraison?] | Diabelli (PN ?) | 1821 | WeinmannC 1983; MGG1 |
| - | 12 Danses Villageoises, pf 4hands, 2me Livraison | Diabelli (PN 851) | 1821/22 | WeinmannC 1983 (A-Wgm); MGG1 |
| - | 12 Böhmische National-Ländler mit Trios, pf | Cappi & Diabelli (PN 1189) | 1823 (WZ: 26.2.1824) | WeinmannC 1983 (A-Wgm); MGG1; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| - | Grande Polonaise, pf | Diabelli | MGG1 | |
| - | 8 Allemandes | Pennauer | 1827 | MGG1; WeinmannP 1981 |
| - | Elegante Walzer | Weigl | WZ: 19.2.1829 | Possibly op. 19 / 20 |
| (part of 16?) | Marsch des löbl Inf.Rgt. Gr. Giulay, pf 4hands | Sauer & Leidesdorf (PN?) | 1825 | WeinmannS 1972 |
| 17? | 12 Walzer, Czakan | Leidesdorf (PN?) | 1830 | WeinmannS 1972 |
| - | Galopp, Pfte | Leidesdorf (PN?) | 1835 | WeinmannS 1972 |
| - | Soirée-Galop mit Trio, pf | Weigl (PN 2902) | 1830 | HofmeisterMB; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| - | Pickenick-Galopp sammt Trio, pf 4hands? | Weigl (PN 2816) | WZ: 19.2.1829 | WeinmannW 1982; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| - | Sicheres Geleite, Gedicht v. Adolph Berger, V, pf, arp/guit | Lyra (Wien) Jg. 1, 1839, Nr 30. | 1839 | A-Wn |
| - | Des Hauses letzte Stunde, V, pf | B & H | 1840? | US-LOs |
| - | Die nächtliche Heerschau | B & H | 1839? | US-LOs |
| - | Galoppe (Klänge des Frohsinns Heft 7) | Berka & Comp. | WZ: 7.2.1835 | |
| Opus | ||||
| 1-9 | ? | |||
| 10 | Seconde Polonaise brillant | Pennauer | 1826 | A-Wst; WeinmannP 1981 |
| 11 | 12 Walzer, pf | Sauer & Leidesdorf (PN 859) | 1826 | MGG1; WeinmannS 1972 (A-Wgm) |
| 12 | Marche funebre a l’occacion de la mort S.M. Alexandre I, Empereur de Russie, pf 4hands | Weigl (PN 2507) | 1825? | WeinmannW 1982; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 13 | 6 Polonaises, pf | Weigl (PN 2510) | WZ: 22.8.1826 | PL-Tu; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 14 | Jubel-Marsch zur Feyer der Wiedergenesung des Landesvaters im März 1826, pf 4hands | Weigl (PN 2511) | 1826 | WeinmannW 1982; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 15 | 6 charakteristische Ländler, pf | Weigl (PN 2515) | 1826 | WeinmannW 1982; A-Wst; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 16 | 3 große Märsche d. löbl Inf.Rgt.60, pf 4hands | Sauer & Leidesdorf (PN 929) | WZ: 21.9.1826 | WeinmannS 1972; D-Dl |
| 17 | 12 Walzer für Czakan und Pianoforte | ? Bei Haslinger z.h. | WZ: 27.2.1827 | Not in Weinmann Hasl.! |
| 18 | Die Hirtenschalmei, 6 Ländler, pf | Weigl (PN ?) | 1827 | WeinmannW 1982 |
| 19 | 6 Walzer samt Trio, pf | Weigl (PN ? ) | 1827 | WeinmannW 1982 |
| 20 | 12 Walzer, pf | Weigl (PN ?) | 1827 | WeinmannW 1982 |
| 21 | Großer Parademarsch d. löbl. Inf.Rgt.60, pf 4hands | Leidesdorf (PN 956) | WZ: 25.6.1827 | WeinmannS 1972; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 22 | 6 Gedichte (Um Mitternacht, Rheinweinlied, Geisternähe, Petrarchische Bettler-Ode, Vergißmeinnicht, Der Traum) V, pf | Weigl (PN ?) | WZ: 27.4.1827 | WeinmannW 1982 |
| 23 | 12 Walzer, pf, Csakan | Leidesdorf (PN ?) | 1827 | WeinmannS 1972 |
| 24 | 6 Ländler mit Trios, Czakan, pf | Leidesdorf | 1828 | WeinmannS 1972 |
| 25 | 12 Walzer, pf | Leidesdorf (PN ?) | 1828 | WeinmannS 1972 |
| 26 | 3 militärische Märsche, pf 4hands | Weigl (PN 2786|2787|2788) | 1828? | D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 27 | Rondino (G), pf 4hands | Weigl (PN 2862) | 1829 | HofmeisterMB; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 28 | Walses brilliantes et caracteristique av. Trios, pf | Weigl (PN 2700) | 1828? | D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 29 | Rondoletta/o, pf 4hands | Leidesdorf (PN 1120 oder 1119) | 1829 | WeinmannS 1972 (A-Wgm); RISM TT 1262b; Hofmeister MB; D-Dl |
| 30 | Walses elegantes, pf | Weigl (PN 2847) | 1829 | WeinmannW 1982; Hofmeister MB; D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 31 | ? | |||
| 32 | ? | |||
| 33 | Sentimentale Ländler, pf | Mollo (PN 1971) | 1829 | MGG1; WeinmannM 1964 (A-Wgm) |
| 34 | ? | |||
| 35 | Rondino, pf 4hands | Leidesdorf (PN 1183) | 1829 | MGG1; WeinmannS 1972; A-Wn |
| 36 | 12 Allemandes, pf | Leidesdorf (PN ?) | 1830 | WeinmannS 1972; HofmeisterMB |
| 37 | 6 Danses Villageoises, pf 4hd | Weigl | 1830 | Hofmeister MB |
| 38 | Valses plaisantes, pf | Leidesdorf (PN 1211) | 1830 | WeinmannS 1972; A-Wn |
| 39 | ? | |||
| 40 | 3 Defilir-Märsche d. löbl. k.k. Inf.Reg.Pr. Gustav v. Wasa, pf | Leidesdorf (PN 1273) | 1832 | D-B (Imagekat I) |
| 41 | Großer Festmarsch (E), pf | Witzendorf | ? | Rottensteiner2013 |
| 42 | Valses plaisentes | Witzendorf | ? | Rottensteiner2013 |
Abbreviations:
D-B (Imagekat I): Alphabetischer Imagekatalog I der Musikabteilung
HofmeisterMB: Hofmeister Monatsberichte online
MGG1: Hilde Hellmann-Stojan, “Trnka, Johann Wenzel,” Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. by Friedrich Blume, vol. 13, clmn. 716
Rottensteiner 2013: Birgit Rottensteiner, “Die Anfänge des vierhändigen Klavierspiels in Wien,” thesis, Universität Wien, 2013
WeinmannX 19XX: Complete publisher’s catalog (of any given publisher. Abbreviations are as they are in RISM).
WZ: Wiener Zeitung, searchable online through ANNO
Category: New at RISM
