The Moravian Music Tradition in Germany: Continuity and Change from 1865 to 1907

Abstract

Abstract in 1865 a manual was published for organists and worship leaders in the German Moravian Church, with later editions and additions until 1907. These editions give us insight into the development of Moravian choral music in Germany in the second half of the 19th century. The author argues that whereas the 1865 edition was an attempt to codify the Moravian music tradition in a time of change, the 1891 edition was the attempt to break free from the constraints of the past and to open up the tradition for all the new musical developments that were taking place within and outside of the Moravian Church.