StL3b: Latin translation, musical notation; superiority of St. Louis Edition?

       This continues from Part 3a (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series on the St. Louis Edition (StL) of Luther's complete writings in English. — In this installment, we get the inside story of this edition on the quality of its Latin translation.  Also an explanation of the update of music notation.

(From Der Lutheraner, vol. 41 p. 105-107 (No. 14, July 15, 1885)[EN] (all underlining and bolding follows Walther's emphasis): 

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[Review by C. F. W. Walther; continued from Part 3a]

Dr. Martin Luther's

Complete Writings,

Tenth volume.

Containing Luther's Catechetical Writings.

Just in this volume there is a not insignificant number of such writings (not less than 25), which Luther originally wrote in Latin and which Walch already gave in German translation, but had them done by men who were not quite up to this task, so that their translation in many places partly missed Luther's meaning, partly turned out so dark and incomprehensible that the reader can hardly guess the meaning.  

Thus, Candidate Bayer, who possesses a rare thorough knowledge of the old church Latin, has provided new translations of the individual writings originally written in Latin. And since in several of these and other writings originally written in German, words, names, theological terms, historical facts and the like occur not infrequently, without whose exact understanding Luther's assertions cannot be fully understood, Mr. Bayer has come to the aid of the reader with extremely valuable explanatory notes, some brief, some more detailed. 

If Walch had omitted the notes for the liturgical altar and choir chant from Luther's “Von der Ordnung des Gottesdienstes in der Gemeinde” (Concerning the Order of Worship in the Congregation [AE 53, pp. 7-14]) of 1523, probably because the publisher lacked the ancient musical notation, they have been included again in our edition. However, since only a few readers could make use of this old musical notation without instructions, Mr. Bayer, who is also quite at home in this field, has included in the notes both the key and a short instruction on correct notation. The text is given in its original version. 

As far as the condition of the text is concerned, it has been carefully compared and revised with the editions taken from the original prints, also the erroneous time determinations occurring in Walch's edition have been corrected and, where Walch for some reason had provided letters and concerns only in excerpts and only incompletely, these have been completed from the original text.  

In short, the reader receives with the new volume the old Walch's tenth volume, but in a new dress, where stains were found – cleaned, where gaps appeared – completed, and where it was necessary for understanding a clarification or hint, provided with the necessary instructive notes. The great and laborious work that it cost to produce this highly important volume in the perfection that it has, was then also the cause that the appearance of the same has been delayed so long. 

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      The matter of the quality of Latin translation is important in answering objections from those that may say that translating into English from the German of the St. Louis Edition instead of the original Latin from the Weimar Edition is inferior.  While this may be true, it could also be true that producing English from an already translated German may actually be superior to that of today's Latin translators who may not be as proficient with Luther's "old church Latin" as from these Old Missouri Latin translators.  Hmmmm… could it be true that the St. Louis Edition is actually superior in this matter to the CPH/Fortress American Edition, even its New Series? — In the next Part 3c…