Early German music in Philadelphia — Inside the Classic

A Foreword That Frames the Evidence

Drummond's foreword is unusually candid about his research strategy. He writes that he found it necessary to treat religious music in detail for the first period, even though his primary interest is secular. This admission signals that the book's structure is driven by the available evidence, not by a predetermined narrative. He also notes that the last period has been more thoroughly investigated, so he goes into less detail there. Readers should expect the first two periods to contain more granular information about specific performances and musicians, while the later sections may be more selective.

The foreword also establishes the book's place in the Americana Germanica series, which focused on German-American cultural relations. This context explains why Drummond emphasizes German contributions specifically, rather than offering a general history of Philadelphia music.

Hopkinson's Manuscripts as a Window into Taste

The excerpts devote considerable space to Francis Hopkinson's music books. Drummond quotes from Sonneck's work to list the contents of a 1755 manuscript: Italian, French, and English pieces arranged for harpsichord, including works by Händel. A 1759 book contains pieces by Händel, Palma, Vinci, Arne, Pepusch, Boyce, Pergolesi, and Purcell. A third volume, undated, includes Scarlatti, Abel, Stamitz, Vivaldi, and others.

Drummond uses these lists to argue that Hopkinson was familiar with many of the best composers of the world, and that he was especially fond of Händel. He also notes that the presence of German composers like Abel, Stamitz, and Schmidt suggests that German music reached Philadelphia through English channels. The evidence is circumstantial but carefully assembled.

The Role of Music Masters in Transmitting German Music

Drummond traces the professional music masters active in Philadelphia: John Beals, then John Palma in 1757, and James Bremner in 1763. He notes that Hopkinson may have studied with any or all of them, but that Bremner is known to have been his teacher. The implication is that these masters, mostly from London, brought with them a repertoire that included German composers.

Drummond speculates that if the music was brought by these masters, then other pupils would have become acquainted with standard composers as well. He singles out Händel, who was almost idolized in England during the 18th century, as having impressed these English-American teachers. The logic is that German music entered Philadelphia indirectly, through the filter of English taste.

The Challenge of Secular vs. Religious Repertoire

Throughout the excerpts, Drummond grapples with the relative scarcity of secular music in early Philadelphia. He acknowledges that religious music was more important in the first half-century, and that his focus on secular music requires him to work with fragmentary evidence. The Hopkinson manuscripts are valuable precisely because they include secular pieces—songs, duets, and instrumental works—alongside sacred ones.

Drummond's method is to let the manuscripts speak for themselves. He does not claim that the pieces listed were performed publicly; only that they were known and studied. This cautious approach reflects the limitations of the historical record. Readers should note that the book's conclusions about musical taste are based on what was owned and copied, not necessarily what was heard in concert.

Drummond's study is best read as a careful reconstruction of musical life from surviving documents. The excerpts show a scholar who is transparent about his sources and his reasoning. Readers interested in the mechanics of cultural transmission—how German music reached America through English intermediaries—will find the detailed manuscript lists and biographical sketches invaluable. The book does not offer a sweeping narrative, but rather a series of well-supported observations about what was played, taught, and valued in 18th-century Philadelphia.

That rainy afternoon, Drummond's careful tracing of Händel through Philadelphia's parlors felt like eavesdropping on quiet lives. The shift from church choirs to secular gatherings lingered, and I found myself wondering how those same melodies crossed oceans of time. Then, almost by chance, I opened How Music Developed A Critical and Explanatory Account of the Growth of Modern Music — Key Ideas to Explore, and the rain outside seemed to slow, as if the whole story had simply been waiting to continue.