MELODfES ASSOCIATE W CPDRALE TEXTS
BY MW!!! LLWHER
AS FGUND SN
DAS BASS? Gflï¬ï¬‚GBWi (3.545):
A STUDY OF thAm mason muss
FOR commnom, cm, my ORGAN
1523 - 1969
A Thesis Sumtemwtm to Ema Organ W
. for the ï¬egree of Ph. D.
MECWGAN STATE UMVERSQTY
BOWL!) ARTHUR BUSAW
1973
LIBRARY
WHMWEWR Michiganm
1932 0901747 University
This is to certify that the
thesis entitled ‘
MELODIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHORALE TEXTS
BY MARTIN LUTHER AS FOUND IN
DAS BABST GESANGBUCH (151.5):
A STUDY 6F REPRESENTKTIVE MUSICAL SETTINGS
FOR CONGREGATION, CHOIR, AND ORGAN (1523-1969)
presented by
Donald Arthur Busarow
has been accepted towards fulï¬llment
of the requirements for
Date July 17, 1973
0-7639
APR192004
[0424 04
ABSTRACT
MELOOIES ASSOCIATED wITH CRORALE TEXTS
BY MARTIN LUTHER
AS FOUND IN
OAS BABST GESANGBUCH (15h5):
A STUDY OF REPRESENTATIVE MUSICAL SETTINGS
FOR CONGREGATION, CHOIR, AND ORGAN
1523 - 1969
By
Donald Arthur Busarow
The Babst Gesangbggh_was printed in lSLS, one
year before Luther's death. ‘It is the last publication
of hymns to appear under his supervision, and it contains
all of the known hymn texts written by the reformer.
In this study attention is given to the Eggtg of
Luther and the tunes associated with them. Frequently
heard comments concerning "Luther's chorales" are often
misleading. The term "Chorale" is generally accepted
and understood today as being the hymn tunes of the Ger-
man Protestant Church. Luther's contribution in this
musical area is somewhat uncertain.
The purposes of this study are threefold: first,
to trace some sources of Lutheran hymnody, in particular,
the texts of Luther and the tunes associated with them;
second, to place Luther into a proper perspective as an
Donald Arthur Busarow
author of hymn texts and as a musically sensitive indi-
vidual, one who is not to be remembered as a great com-
poser of hymn tunes, but rather as one who was aware of
the musical needs of the Church of his day, and one who
knew how to provide for that need with the assistance
of contemporary musicians; and third, to conduct re-
search by a survey of musical settings and treatments
which the Chorale has received over the past four and
one-half centuries. In this third area an attempt is
made to trace the stylistic changes which have occurred
as Chorale treatment progressed through various musical
periods by comparing settings of representative Chorale
melodies.
This thesis is supplementary to three public
organ recitals given on June 22, 1969; March 9, 1970;
and.May 17, 1971, in which the following cmmpositions
were performed: J. S. Bach, Herr Jesu Christ, dich g2,
uns wend (BWV 655), my Spirit Be Joyful (for organ and
two trumpets), Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor (BWV
582), and Prelude and Fugue in B Minor (Bwv 51.1.);
William Blitheman, Gloria tibi Trinitas (Malliggg_§gg§,
1555); Dietrich Buxtehude, Sonata in D Majgr for‘yiglin,
Cello and Organ, Op. 2, No. 2; Antonio de Cabezon, 2i§;,
erencias Cavallero; Louis Daquin, N031 sur les Flï¬tes;
Donald Arthur Busarow.
Hugo Distler, Orgelpartita on "wachet aufI ruft uns die
Stimme"; Marcel Dupré, Carts 9 at Litanie; CéSar Franck,
Chorale No. l in E Major; Girolamo Frescobaldi, Capric-
cio soura la Spugnoletta; Johann Jakob Froberger, Egg;
cata in D Minor; Nicolas de Grigny, Dialogue in F, Euugg
lin a, and Dialogue (Livre d'Orgue); José'Lidon, §222£2
de I° tono_para organo con trompeta real; Franz Liszt,
Fantasia and Fugue on B-A-C-H; OlivieriMessiaen,'qu;
EB£$2£.(M°859 de la Penteeate); waiter Piston, nggz,
matic Study_9n the Name of EACH; Roger-Ducasse, gauge;
gulg; Harald Rohlig, Concertina for Or an and Orchestra;
Roger Sessions, Chorale No. l; and John Stanley, Euguu;
tary VII (Book II).
MELODIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHORALE TEXTS
BY MARTIN LUTHER
AS FOUND IN
DAS BABST GESANGBUCH (lShS):
A STUDY OF REPRESENTATIVE MUSICAL SETTINGS
FOR CONGREGATION, CHOIR, AND ORGAN
1523 ~ 1969
BY
Donald Arthur Busarow
A THESIS SUPPLEMENTARY
TO THREE ORGAN RECITALS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Department of Music
1973
This study is dedicated to my dear friend and mentor,
Frederick L. Schwass,
whose love for the Lutheran Chorale
is exceeded only by that for his God
and his family.
11
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I extend my sincerest appreciation to the fol-
lowing, without whose help this study could not have
been completed: to Mr. Frederick L. Schwass, for his
encouragement to pursue this work and for his gracious-
ness in offering the use of many valuable resources
from his own personal library; to my thesis advisor,
Dr. Corliss Arnold, for the many hours spent in care-
fully evaluating my work and for his countless sugges-
tions toward improving this study; to Dr. Paul Harder,
for helpful solutions to problems encountered in the
harmonic analyses of the Chorale settings; to the re-
maining members of my doctoral committee, Dr. Russell
Friedewald and Mr. Richard Klausli, for their guiding
comments pertaining to this study; and finally, to my
dear wife, Peggy, and our five children, for their un-
derstanding and patience, for their sacrifice of times
of tOgetherness over the past several years, and for
expressions of confidence and support in order that
this project become a reality.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
I. LUTHER AND THE CHORALE BOOKS OF HIS TIME
Luther, Poet and musician .
Hymnbooks . . . . . . . . .
O
O
O
0
Preface by Dr. Martin Luther
THE CHORALES WITH HISTORICAL DATA ON
TEXTS AND MELODIES . . . . . . . . . . .
Savior Of The Nations, Come . . . . .
Now Praise We Christ, The Holy One.
All Praise, Lord Jesus Christ, To Thee
From Heaven Above To Earth I Come . .
To Shepherds, As They Watched By Night
Why, Herod, Unrelenting Foe . . . . .
In Peace And Joy I Now De art . . . .
Christ Jesus Lay In Death 3 Strong
Bands...............
Jesus Christ, Our Savior True . . .
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest . .
Come, Holy Ghost, God And Lord . . .
we Now Implore Our God The Holy Ghost
God The Father, Be Our Stay . . .
That Man A Godly Life Might Live
Wilt Thou, 0 Man, Live Happily .
We All Believe In One True God .
Our Father, Thou In Heaven Above
To Jordan Came Our Lord The Christ
Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior .
O Lord, We Praise Thee . . . . . .
Look Down, 0 Lord, From Heaven Behold
The Mouth Of Fools Doth God Confess
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God . . . .
May God Bestow On Us His Grace . . .
If God Had Not Been On Our Side . .
Happy The Man Who Feareth God . . .
Out Of The Depths I Cry To Thee . .
Isaiah, Mighty Seer In Days Of Old .
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Thy Werd
Grant Peace In Mercy, Lord, we Pray
iv
Dear Christians, One And All, Rejoice
Dear Is To Me Thy Holy Maid . . . .
Though In Midst Of Life We Be . .
TH Hel Of God I Fain WCuld Tbll
ou 0 Art Three In Unity . . .
III. MUSICAL TREATMENT OF THE CHORALE'
“LCD IE3 O O O O O O O O O O O ‘ O O O
From Polyphony to Homophony . . . .
Chorale Treatment in the Seventeenth
and Eighteenth Centuries . . . . .
The Change from Chorale Melodies in
Irregular Rhythms to Melodies in
Even Values . . . . ... . . .
J. S. Bach and the Chorales of Luther
The Chorale in the Nineteenth Century
The Chorale and the Nineteenth-Century
O
composer O O O O O O O O O O O O O
The Chorale in the Twentieth Century
SWRY O C O O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O
BIBLIOGRAPHY O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
105
105
117
125
153
165
176
182
20k
210
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Tabulation of Style Comparison and
Alterations on Settings of Vom Himmel hoch . 208
2. Tabulation of Style Comparison and
Alterations on Settings of a Modal Tune,
Aus tiefer Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
vi
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
Example _ Page
1. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Walter) . . 107
2. Aus tiefer Not (welter) . . . . . . . . . 109
3. Ana tiefer Not (de Bruck) . . . . . . . . 112
A. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Osiander) . 115
5. Vom Himmel hoch (Osiander) . . . . . . . 116
6. Aus tiefer Not (Hassler) . . . . . . . . 120
'7. Von Himmel hoch (Hassler) . . . . . . . . V 122
8. Vom Himmel hoch (Eccard) . . . . . . . . 12A
9. Aus tiefer Not (Decker) . . . . . . . .6. 129
10. Vom Himmel hoch (Vulpius) . . . . . . . . 131
ll. Vom Himmel hoch (M. Praetorius) . . . . . 135
12. Vom Himmel hoch (M; Praetorius) . . . . . 136
13. Vom Himmel hoch (J. Praetorius) . . . . . 138
1A. Aus tiefer Not (Schï¬tz) . . . . . . . . . 1A1
15. Vom Himmel hoch (Schein) . . . . . . . . 1A3
16. Hex Christa, factor omnium (Schein) . . . 1A5
17. Vom Himmel hoch (Scheidt) . . . . . . . . .151
18. Aus tiefer Not (Scheidt) . . . . . . . . 152
19. Van Himmel hoch (J. S. Bach) . . . . . . 159
20. Aus tiefer Not (J. S. Bach) . . . . . . . 161
21. Erhalt uns, Herr . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
vii
22.
23.1
2h.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
3#.
Von Himmel hoch (Layriz) . . . . . . .
Aus tiefer Not (Layriz) . . . . . . .
Vom Himmel hoch (The Chorale Book For
England)eeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Aus tiefer Not (The Chorale Book For
England ) O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
Vom Himmel hoch (The Church Book) .
Aus tiefer Not (Mendelssohn) . . . . .
Aus tiefer Not (The Lutheran Hymnary)
Vom Himmel hoch (The Lutheran Hymnal)
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Wership
Supplement) . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aus tiefer Not (Choralbuch, 1950) .
Aus tiefer Not (Choralbuch, 1953) .
Vom Himmel hoch (Posaunenchoralbuch)
Aus tiefer Not (Posaunenchoralbuch)
viii
169
170
172
173
175
180
18A
187
189
192
193
195
197
CHAPTER I
LUTHER AND THE CHORALE BOOKS OF HIS TIME
Luther, Poet and Musician
For four hundred and fifty years the song of the
Lutheran Church has been the Chorale. Current trends,
such as the increase of the appearances of these cho-
rales in contemporary hymnals and a growing abundance
of choral and organ literature based upon them, indicate
that the Chorale continues to be a vital element in
Lutheran church music. Church musicians of denomina-
tions other than the Lutheran Church are presenting to-
day in their services a considerable amount of music
based upon the Chorale. Luther probably did not realize
what a tremendous impact those early songs of 1523 and
152A would have upon the development of church music.
From that small collection of hymns, written within the
last twenty-five years of Luther's life, grew an immense
supply of materials for composers to use for centuries.
The first collection contained eight hymns;1 less than
two hundred years later the Leipzig hymnbook appeared,
1Das Achtliederbuch, NUrnber l 2 2 , ublished
in a photographic reproductIon by onra me n Kassel:
Barenreiter-Verlag, 1957).
1
an eight-volume work containing over five thousand cho-
rales.1
The Chorale plays so fundamental a part in Lu-
theran worship that it is clearly a dominant ingredient
in Luther's own faith. He conceived his liturgical
structure with the Chorale as one Of the most important
pillars. He realized that congregational song can be
one of the greatest assets of a religious movement.
With this awareness he provided the opportunity for the
voice Of the congregation to be heard in song, a voice
which had been relatively silent for a millennium. Amid
the heavy responsibilities facing him in those difficult
years, Luther took the time and effort to produce these
worship materials, with the assistance of musical asso-
ciates, and thereby gave the Lutheran Church the founda-1
tion for one of its dearest treasures, its hymnOdy.
Luther as a composer is a subject which has been
discussed in numerous writings by such authorities aS‘
Albert Schweitzer, Charles Sanford Terry, Philipp.Wacker-
nagel, and Johannes Zahn. The wide range of opinion ex-
ists from attributing all melodies of the Chorales to
Luther (except pre-Reformation Latin and German hymn
tunes) to the opposite extreme of crediting him.with none
g%%§§)(The pzogf r tua grggIlgcgiogggag inezï¬gtper-
EOHEI'library of J. S. Bach.
of the tunes. Wilhelm Nelle, a prominent hymnologist,
claimed that not a single tune had been composed by Lu-
ther.1 The majority of writers on the subject seems‘to
think that in all cases where one melody exists, it was
composed by Luther; where there are two tunes for the
same text, e.g., Nun freut euch,2 the possibility of
another cemposer is probable. Recent studies strongly
suggest that most of these tunes were the result of
combined efforts.3 TWO musical collaborators closely
associated with Luther were Johann Walter (walther)
(1A96-1570) and Conrad Rupff (d.1525), the former be-
ing of greater assistance. Kbstlin, a German historian
h
and theologian, in his essay, pictures the three men
at work:
While walther and Rupff sat at the table, bend-
ing over the music sheets with pen in hand, Father
Luther walked up and down the room, trying on the
lWilhelm Nelle, Geschichte des deutschen evan-
elischen Kirchenliedes (LEIpz 1g und HamBurg: Gustav
SCRIoessmanns VerIagsEuchhandlung, 1928).
2Nos. 32 and 33 in the Babst Gesangbuch.
3Three recent studies include: Ulrich S. Leu-
old, ed., Luther's Werks, LIII (Philadelphia: Fortress
ress, 1965); Eden LIemohn, The Chorale: Throu h Four
Hundred Years of Musical Dave 0 ment as a Con re at onal
H n (PEIIadeIpEIa: MERIenSerg Press, 1953); and Johannes
1 eel TheS Lutheran Chorale: Its Basic Traditions
(Minneapo ugs urg 3 ng ouse, .
“Lu:her als der Vater des evan elischen Kirchen-
esan es (Luther as the'Father o? tï¬e Evan eIIcaI CHurcï¬'s
Son (I;
g ipz g: re t op un rte , .
l.
fife the tunes that poured from his memory and his
imagination to ally themselves with the poems he
had discovered, until he had made the verse-melody
a rhythmically finished, well-rounded, strong and
campact whole.1
Luther and his co-workers were totally uncon-
cerned with the rights and pride of musical authorship.
To these men it was not a question of who created the
melody or where its origin lay, but rather the purpose
which it was to serve.
That Luther was a man intensely interested in
music is an undisputed fact. That his background and
training equipped him with the ability to compose hymn
tunes is likewise common knowledge. He had been taught
the elements of the theory of music as a member of the'
school choir at Eisenach. MHchael Praetorius (1571-
1621), in his monumental work Syutagua Musicum (1615-
1618), included the musical memoirs of Johann Halter
which Walter wrote about 1566.2 In this excerpt Wal-
ter gives a personal account of the esteem in which he
held Luther as a musician:
1ne¥§§3CE°e§§“§.§?-§§a £2§§y1§°€£§e2§§e3§fiï¬ide§1
municated this wISh to tï¬e Prince Elector of Sax-
ony and to the late Duke Johann. He urged His
1Albert Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, trans. by
Ernest Newman (2 vols.; Boston: Bruce Humphries, re-
printed in 1962), I, p. 15.
2Michael Praetorius, Syutagua Musicum, I
(Wittenberg, 1615).
Electoral Highness to bring the old singing mas-
ter, the worthy Konrad Rupsch (Rupff), and me to
Wittenberg. At that time he discussed with us
the Gregorian chants and the nature of the eight
modes, and finally he himself applied the eighth
mode to the Epistle and the sixth mode to the Gos-
pel, saying: "Christ is a kind Lord, and His WOrds
are sweet; therefore we want to take the sixth
mode for the Gospel; and because Paul is a serious
apostle we want to arrange the eighth mode for the
Epistle." Luther himself wrote the music for the
lessons and the words of the Institution of the
true body and blood of Christ, sang them to me,
and wanted to hear my opinion of it. He ke t me
for three weeks to note down properly the-c ants
of the Gospels and the Epistles, until the first
Mass was sung in Wittenberg. I had to attend it
and to take a copy of this first Mass with me to
Torgau. And one sees, hears, and understands at
once how the Holy Ghost has been active not only
in the authors who composed the Latin hymns and
set them to music, but in Herr Luther himself,
who now has invented most of the poetry and mel-
ody of the German chants. And it can be seen
from the German Sanctus how he arranged all the
notes to the text with the right accent and con-
cent in masterly fashion. I, at the time, was
tempted to ask His Reverence from where he had
these pieces and his knowledge; whereupon the
dear old man laughed at my simplicity. He told
me that the poet Virgil had taught him such, he,
who is able so artistically to fit his meter and
words to the story which he is narrating. All
music should be so arranged that its notes are
in harmony with the text.
Luther was thoroughly familiar with the music
of the Renaissance. His many references to the music
of Josquin des Prez (c.1450-1521) indicate a musical
1Paul Nettl, Luther and Music, trans. by Frida
Best and Ralph Wood (PhIladelphia:Muhlenberg Press,
1948), pp. 75-76. In this quotation the term accent
(accentus) refers to the simpler chant form, the psalm
tone; concent (concentus) refers to the more ornate
and melismatic style within the chant. Originally
accentus denoted the chant of the priest and concentus
that of the choir.
awareness far beyond that of the non-musician. "What
is law does not succeed; what is gospel succeeds. That
God preaches the Gospel through music is proved by Joe-
quin, whose compositions flow along happily, easily,
spontaneously, gently, and, like the song of the finches,
are not forced or strained by rules."1 Again, "He (Jos-
quin) is a unique master of the notes. They must do as
he wills, whereas other masters are forced to do as the
notes will."2
The Swiss-born composer, Ludwig Senfl,3 was
among Luther's friends. Senfl was a highly gifted and
versatile composer of the period who had a great respect
for Luther. In the famous letter to Senfl in 1530 Lu-
ther makes the following request:
Do you happen to have a copy of the song Iu
ace in idipsum? If so, will you send it to me?
e meIody of this song has been a Joy to me from
my youth up, and that Joy is intensified now that
I am capable of understanding the full meaning of
the text. I do not know whether there exists a
part-setting of this antiphon. I will not burden
you with requests to compose the song as I be-
lieve you have already done so. . . .L
In his request for a setting of the text Iu,
pace in idipsum ("I will both lay me down in peace
lIbid., p. 19.
21bid., p. 20.
3Ludwig Senfl was born in Zurich, c.1h92, and
died in Munich, 1555.
#Eva Mary Grew, "Martin Luther and Music,"
Music & Letters, XIX, No. 1 (January, 1938), p. 78.
and sleep"), Luther was experiencing one of his melan-
choly moods. In the same letter he mentioned that he
hoped the end of his life was at hand and that the Good
Shepherd would take his soul. Senfl complied with the
request; however, his composition was not on the In pace
but rather on another of Luther's favorite verses, "I
shall not die, but live and declare the works of the
Lord." Non moriar sed vivam became Luther's motto as
a result of this incident. It is interesting to note
that it is this text, Psalm 118:17, which Luther used
to try his skill at writing a polyphonic composition
based upon the eighth psalm tone with the florid can-
tus firmus in the tenor. The motet is brief, yet it
clearly illustrates a musical ability as a composer
which cannot be denied.1
The intent of including the foregoing para-
graphs is not to emulate Luther as a composer, nor to
attempt to credit him with a large number of original
hymn tunes; rather, it is merely to emphasize the fact
that it took a man with considerable musical knowledge,
along with an abundant appreciation for the art, to
create an avenue for deep personal self-expression on
the part of the worshiper.
1The complete title of this motet is Non moriar
sed vivam D. Martin Lutheri IIII vocum aus seinem
SCRUnen Confitemini} An edition can be Tound In‘Leu-
pold, Luther'sTWOrks, LIII, pp. 339-3h1.
In earlier studies Luther's position as a com-
poser of hymn tunes was perhaps rated too high and
Walter's too low. As will be seen in Chapter II, the
number of chorale melodies which can, with some degree
of certainty, be attributed to Luther is actually very
small. The absolute proof for his authorship of a hymn
tune exists for only one, the German Sanctus.1 As a
result, welter's reputation as a composer has neces-
sarily increased.
The combination of Luther and Whlter marked the
beginning of a new era in the history of church music:
Luther, the reformer, poet, theologian, and amateur mu-
sician, with Welter, the highly skilled craftsman in
melodic invention and counterpoint. Together they ex-
erted a tremendous force on German sacred music.
Hymnbooks
The Chorales became known to the people through
various publications during Luther's life, and through
hymnbooks in various editions published by associates
after Luther's death. The center of interest in this
study lies in those publications disseminated while he
was alive, particularly in these collections over which
he exercised some supervision.
lugsaiaLdem Propheten, das geschah, No. 29 in
the Babst GesangbuCH.
9
The first example of the circulation of the
Chorales through printing took the form of the broad-
sheet (Einzeldrflcke), individual leaflets which were
posted in various public places and distributed among
the people by peddlers. In 1523 four of the hymns
from Luther's pen appeared in this fashion. These in-
clude Ein neues Lied wir heben an ("By Help of God I
Fain WOuld Tell"), Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
("From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee"), Es wollt uns
Gott genfldiggsein ("May God Bestow on Us His Grace"),
and Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gfmein ("Dear -
Christians, One and All, Rejoice").1 Hymns by co-
workers were also introduced in individual leaflet
form, the most notable of which is Es ist das Hail uns
kommen her ("Salvation Unto Us Has Come") by Paul Spe-
ratus (148A-155L), a Lutheran preacher in Bavaria. The
tune for this hymn was used for three of Luther's four
hymns when they appeared as broadsheets in 1523.
In the early part of 1524, JobSt Gutknecht, a
printer in NUrnberg, had compiled eight of these broad-
sheets into a hymnal known simply as the Achtliederbuch
lThese hymns appear in the Babst Gesangbuch and
in this thesis as Nos. 39. 28, 25, and—32, respectively.
The English translations are not literal translations;
they are English versions of the Chorales as found in
Chapter II. Also, all spellings of German titles are
those used in the Babst Gesangbuch, which may vary oc-
casionally from contemporary speIIings. '
10
(Book of Eight Hyuns),1 four of which were the hymns
by Luther whose titles are given above. Two more col-
lections appeared in 152A, both of which were called
the Erfurt Enchiridion (Handbook), one printed by Tru-
tebulsch at his press Ferbefass (The Dyeing Tub),2 and
the other at Matthaeus Maler's Schwarzen Horn (The
Black Horn).3 Each of these editions contained twenty-
five hymns with slight differences in the melodies as-
signed to some of the hymns. Eighteen of the texts in
both collections are by Luther. The Achtliederbuch
and the Erfurt Enchiridia were intended primarily for
home use. One of the latter editions contains this
description on its title page: "A little handbook use-
ful for a Christian at the present time for the prac-
tice of sacred songs."
The amount of Luther's supervision, if any, of
the printing of these two collections is not known.
They might have been compiled without Luther's authori-
zation. ’
A very important hymn collection published un-
der Luther's direct auspices is one by Johann Welter,
lSée pe‘lo
ZA reprint of the Trutebulsch collection was
published by Friedrich Zelle, Das alteste lutherische
Haus-Gesangbuch (GUttingen, 1903). -
3The only copy of the Maler edition was de-
stroyed by fire in 1870; however, according to
Schweitzer, a facsimile edition was prepared in 18A8.
11
the Geistliche Gesangbflchlein (Little Spiritual Song
Book),1 published in 1521. in Wittenberg. This is a
collection of thirty-eight polyphonic motets by Welter
for three, four, and five voices. Most of the motets
appear in the traditional style of the Renaissance mo-
tet, with the cantus firmus in the tenor. This publi-
cation is properly called a choir book rather than a
hymnal for the congregation. Luther is represented by
twenty-four chorale texts, a fact which indicates that
two-thirds of all his hymns were already written by
152A. Luther also contributed his first hymnbook Pref-
ace for this collection, thereby indicating his per-
sonal interest in the work and its purpose.2
Between 1525 and 15A5 literally scores of dif-
ferent hymnbooks were published. The names of four
hymnbooks which were closely associated with Luther
are listed below. The Joseph Klug hymnal was published
in Wittenberg in 1529 under the title Geistliche Lieder
auf neu gebessert (Spiritual Songs Recently Revised).
1This choir book did not appear in score; only
the separate voice parts (StimmbUcher) were printed--
Discantus, Altus, Tenor, Vegans, and Bassus. A score
edition is now available from Otto Kade, ed., Gesell-
schaft fUr Musikforschuug, Vol. VII: Wittember IscH
geistlich Gesangbuch (Berlin: T. TrautweIn'sche Buch-
undMusikaIienhandlung, 1878).
2An English translation of this Preface can be
found in Paul Z. Strodach, ed. and trans., Works of
Martin Luther, VI (Philadelphia: Castle Press, 1932),
pp. 283-281..
12
This hymnal, which served as the basis for many of the
following collections, is now lost; however, Luther's
Preface remains.1 A second edition of this book was
published in 15332 and a third in 1535. The Valentin
Schumann hymnal, Geistliche Lieder auffgneu gebessert
und gemehrt (Spiritual Songs Recently Revised and En-
lugggu), appeared in Leipzig in 1539 and is the source
for some of Luther's later hymns. An interesting col-
lection of funeral hymns was published by Klug in 15L2,
Christliehe Ceseng Lateinisch und Deutschl zum Begguu;
u;§’(Christian Songs, Latin and German, For Burial Use).
In 1543 Klug published another Geistliche Lieder which
led directly to the Babst publication in 15A5.
Das Babst Gesangbuch3
This hymnbook, considered by many to be the
finest collection of hymns of the Reformation period,
was published in Leipzig in lSAS by Valentin Babst.
It was the last hymnal to appear under Luther's super-
vision. Luther died the following year. The selec-
tion of hymns corresponds with that of Klug's 1513 col-
lection in content and numerical order. Klug's hymnal
lIbide, pp. 285-2860
2Das Klu Gesan buch 1 was published in a
facsimile e it on by onra e n (Kassel: BArenreiter-
Verlag, 1954).
3Das Babst Gesangbuch: 155% was published in a
facsimile edItiOany onra e n Kassel: Bdrenreiter-
Verlag, 1966).
13
apparently did not meet with Luther's approval because
of its inferior workmanship. Valentin Babst was en-
gaged to publish a new edition, a fortunate change for
Luther and for posterity. The new printer exercised
great skill and craftsmanship to satisfy Luther's ex-
acting specifications.
The book is in two parts. The first contains
Luther's final Prefacel and eighty-nine hymns, fifty-
nine of which may be classified as congregational songs.
The remaining thirty include the Te Deum laudamus, Ger-
man and Latin litanies, the Kyrie_paschali, and psalms
and canticles from the Old and New Testaments. The
second part is a new edition of the forty funeral hymns
published by Klug in 15A2. Luther's third Preface is
re-printed in this section of the book.
The Babst Gesangbuch, in addition to its musi-
cal contribution, represents the beauty of the printer's
art in those days. The earlier hymnbooks were rela-
tively plain, unadorned publications, with an occasional
wood-cut included and an embellished title page. Thir-
teen wood-cuts appeared in the 1533 Klug hymnal, in ad-
dition to the bordered pages. The 1543 edition included
seventeen different wood-cuts.
1An English translation of the Preface by the
author of this paper is found on page 17.
1h
In the hymnal published by Valentin Babst the
relationship of the pictures to the hymns is more mean-
ingful and consistent throughout than with any of its
predecessors. In addition, a scripture passage is in-
cluded for each of the wood-cuts. There are twenty
different wood-cuts in all, one of which is used three
times and five others of which are used twice. All
wood-cuts appear in the first part of the hymnal. Babst
pictured Biblical scenes and events, mostly from the New
Testament. Each picture stands by itself on a page op-
posite the hymn which it complements. In addition to
these pictures, every page of the publication is framed
by a highly decorative border of pillars, scrolls, and
figures, "attaining a style which had seldom been achieved
by printers."1
The title page of the Babst Gesangbuch is here
presented in translation.
lKonrad Ameln, from his Appendix to the Babst
Gesangbuch, p. 7 (translated by this writer).
15
SPIRITUAL HYMNS
With a New Preface by
Dr. Martin Luther
WARNING
Many false masters now hymns indite.
Be on your guard and judge them aright.
Where God establishes His Church and WOrd
There comes the devil with lie and sword.1
Leipzig
1The English translation of this poem is by
Paul 2. Strodach, WOrks of Martin Luther, VI, p. 293.
16
The title page indicates that this is a new
Preface, written expressly for this hymnbook. The
little poem, a warning against plagiarists, first ap-
peared on the title page of the Klug hymnbook of 1513.
Three earlier prefaces had been.written by Lu-
ther: for the Welter GesangbUchlein (152A), the Klug
hymnbook (1529), and the Klug collection of funeral
hymns (15h2).
Luther wrote his fourth and final preface for
the Babst Gesangbuch. This preface was written after
the printing of the book was completed, made evident
by the fact that Luther referred to two errors which
ocCurred in the printing, both of which he corrected.
Luther was obviously highly pleased with the
work of Valentin Babst. He included a commendation of
printers who "diligently print good hymns and make them
attractive to the people with all kinds of ornamenta-
tion, that the people become aroused to such joy in
believing, and enjoy singing. In this pleaSing fashion
this book of Valentin Babst has been prepared."
Luther, in the first of his corrections, at-
tributes a hymn to Johannes Weis. Since there is no-
record of any Johannes Weis as a hymnawriter, it is gen-
erally believed that he was referring to MiChael weisse
(c.1480-153A), the great hymn-writer and hymnbook edi-
tor of the Bohemian Brethren.
1?
Preface by Dr. Martin Luther1
The ninety-sixth Psalm says: "Sing to the Lord
a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth." In the
Old Testament, under the law oanoses, worship was very
difficult and troublesome since the people had to offer
so many and varied sacrifices of all that they had, both
of house and field, a task which the people who were
lazy and greedy did unwillingly, or for some temporal
gain.. As the prOphet Malachi said in chapter one: "Who
is there even among you that would shut the doors for
naught? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for
naught." Where, however, there is such a lazy heart,
nothing can be sung, at least, not well. The heart must
be happy and gay if one is to sing. Therefore God has
rejected such lazy and unwilling worship, as He Himself
further says: "I have no pleasure in you, saith the
Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your
hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the go-
ing down of the same, my name shall be great among the
Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered
unto my name, and apure meat offering; for my name shall
be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts."2
Now the New Testament is a better basis for wor-
ship, of which the psalm says: "Sing to the Lord a new
1English translation by this writer.
ZMalachi 1110,11.
18
song; sing to the Lord, all the earth." For God has
made our hearts and spirits happy through His beloved
Son, whom He has given for us to redeem us from sin,
death, and the devil. Whoever believes this sincerely
cannot help but be happy about it, and sing and speak)
with delight, that others also hear and come. But who-
ever does not want to sing and speak about it, this is
a sign that he does not believe and does not belong in
the joyful New Tbstament.
Therefore the printers do very well to diligently
print good hymns and make them attractive to the people
with all kinds of ornamentation, that the people become
aroused to such joy in believing, and enjoy singing.
In this pleasing fashion this book of Valentin Babst has
been prepared. God grant that with it greater losses
and damage may happen to the Roman Pope, who causes no-
thing but howling, affliction, and suffering in the
whole world through his damnable, miserable, and dis-
agreeable laws. Amen.
I must also, however, warn that the hymn sung
1 bears
at the graveside Nun lasst uns den Leib begraben
my name; however, it is not mine, and my name should
cease from being used with it, not that I condemn the
hymn, because it pleases me very much, and a good poet
1"We Lay This Body In The Grave," No. 80.
19
has written it, Johannes Weis, in which he has erred
slightly in the matter of the Sacrament; but I do not
want to have anyone's work appear as my own.
And concerning the De prorundis,1 it should
thus stand "everyone must fear Thee." It is a mistake,
or it may be deliberate, that it appears in most books
"everyone must be afraid." For it is in a Hebrew style
of speech, as in Matthew 15:9, "In vain they do wor-
ship2 me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men"; in Psalm lhzh and Psalm 53:5, "They have not
called upon God. There were they in great fear, where
no fear was," that is to say, they know much humility,
bending and bowing in their worship, the kind of wor-
ship which I do not want to have. So, also, the mean-
ing is here: since the forgiveness of sins is not to
be found anywhere but by Thee, therefore they must want
to leave all idolatry, and do this willingly, that they
may bend and bow to Thee, crawl to the cross, and hold
Thee alone in honor, take their refuge in Thee, and
serve Thee as those who live by grace and not by their
own righteousness, etc.
lAus tiefer Not ("From Depths Of Woe I Cry To
Thee"), No. 28.
2fear.
CHAPTER II
THE CHORALES WITH HISTORICAL DATA
ON TEXTS AND MELODIES
In the two sections of the Babst Gesanguuuu_
there are 129 musical entries. Of these, thirty-five
Chorales have been selected for this study, only those
which bear the name of Martin Luther as author of the
chorale texts.
In this chapter each of the chorale texts is
presented with the melody assigned to it in the Babst
hymnal. The source of both text and tune is included
insofar as such information is reasonably certain.
Earlier musical sources are presented whenever such
are available and appropriate.
The origins of the chorale melodies can be di-
vided into four basic groups: melodies derived from
medieval Latin hymns; those which come from German
hymns of the Middle Ages; those originally associated
with secular texts (contrafaction); and.melodies writ-
ten expressly for the hymn texts of Martin Luther.
The English translations of the texts were se-
lected from various sources and they are identified in
every case. In each instance that translation which
20
21
most closely follows Luther's original thoughts was
chosen. Occasionally it became necessary to use a
combination of translations (composite).
The tunes presented here are identical to the
original in every respect except for some transposi-
tions into more comfortable ranges. The original key
and first note of each chorale is always indicated.
Occasional slurs are added when necessary to accommo-
date the English text. Finally, contemporary musical
notation is used for greater ease in reading.
22
l. SAVIOR OF THE NATIONS, COME
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
f 13—9—1“?st
T I'
l I
Son, make here Thy home! Mar-val now, 0 heav'n
o I.“
l 1 i l X l A L I
I— ) l
. L f 1‘
{36—4—6}, s—c—d—c a! f 4 it
and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth.
Veni, Redemptor gentiuml
Ve-ni, Re-demp-tor gen- ti- um, ost- e - de
part-um vir- gi - - nis, mi - re-tur om - ne
sae- cu - lum, ta- lis de- cet par- tus De- um.
1Charles Sanford Terry, Bach's Chorals, III
(Cambridge: University Press, 1921), p. 272 (transposed).
3-7 ‘—
2.
3.
23
Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
was the Werd of God made flesh;
WOman's Offspring, pure and fresh.
WOndrous birth! 0 wondrous Child
Of the Virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
Still to be in heaven enthroned.
From the chamber of her womb,
From the royal hall He came.
Very man and God of grace
Forth He comes to run His race.
From the Father forth He came
And returneth to the same,
Captive leading death and hell;
High the song of triumph swell!
Thou, the Father's only Son,
Hast o'er sin the vict'ry won.
Boundless shall Thy kingdom be;
When shall we its glories see?
Brightly doth Thy manger shine,
Glorious is its light divine.
Let not sin o'ercloud this light;
Ever be our faith thus bright.
Praise to God the Father sing,
Praise to God the Son, our King,
Praise to God the Spirit be
Ever and eternally. Amen.
This hymn is Luther's German version of the
Veni Redemptor gentium of St. Ambrose (BAD-397). The
Dorian tune is an adaptation of the original Latin
melody, arranged here by either Luther or Walter. The
hymn first appeared in the Erfurt Enchiridia (152A).
The English translation is by William Reynolds (1860)
2b
as found in The Lutheran Hymnall with the exception
of the fourth verse which Reynolds had omitted. The
fourth verse here is taken from Luther's Werks, LIII,
edited and translated by Ulrich S. Leupold.
1The Lutheran Hymnal (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing‘House, 19411.
25
2. NOW PRAISE WE CHRIST, THE HOLY ONE
Christum wir sollen loben schon
—(1-
L
j
h—n—t)’
fl
1w
v
1. Now praise we Christ the ho - - 1y One,
1 ,1 i -
iii. are. I ,3:
lie—1'," , “f
1
er
.I
The spot- less Vir- gin Mar-y's Son, Far as
. 1 . In
I J I l .
, 1’
the bless- ed sun doth shine, E'en to
the world's re - - mote con- fine.
1
A solis ortus cardine
A so-lis or - tus car - di - ne Ad us - que
ter - rae li - mi-tem, Christ-um can- a - mus
Prin-ci- pem, Na-tum Ma— ri- a Vir-gi-ne.
' lLiber usualis missae et officii ro dominicis
et festis (Rome, TournaI: Typis SocietatIs S. Joannis
Evang., 1921), p. 367.
26,
2. He, who Himself all things did make,
A servant's form vouchsafed to take,
That He as man mankind might win,
And save His creatures from their sin.
3. The grace of God, th'Almighty Lord,
0n the chaste mother was outpoured;
A virgin pure and undefiled
In wondrous wise conceived a child.
A. The holy maid became th'abode
And temple of the living God;
And she, who knew not man, was blest
With God's own Werd made manifest.
5. The noble mother bare a Son,
For so did Gabriel's promise run,
Whom John confessed and leaped with joy,
Ere yet the mother knew her Boy.
6. In a rude manger, stretched on hay,
In poverty content He lay;
With milk was fed the Lord of all,
Who feeds the ravens when they call.
7. Th'angelic choir rejoice, and raise
Their voice to God in songs of praise;
To humble shepherds is proclaimed
The Shepherd who the world hath framed.
8. Honor to Thee, O Christ, be paid,
Pure Offspring of a holy maid,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Till time in time's abyss be lost. Amen.
The Latin hymn, A solis ortus cardine, from
which Luther prepared his German version, is ascribed
to Sedulius (c.h50). The Phrygian tune is based upon
an ancient plainsong and adapted either by Luther or
Welter. This hymn first appeared in the Erfurt Enchi-
ridia (1521). The translation is by Richard Mosaic.1
1Richard Massie, Martin Luther's Spiritual
Songs (London, l85h).
27
3. ALL PRAISE, LORD JESUS CHRIST, T0 THEE
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
1. All praise, Lord Je-sus Christ to Thee,
- 1‘} 4} j1 \r it}
1 4 11 L L a ..L l d H'—
T l V I 1
If I ' r 1
Who con-des-cendest man to be! 0f vir-gin
l t a. is i,
115‘" Y 1' f
7 1’“ +
Moth-er born on earth, The au;gels cel-e-brate
Thy birth. Lord, have merf cy!
2. Th'Eternal Father's only Son
Accepts a manger for His throne;
Arrayed in our poor flesh and blood,
Now comes to us th'Eternal Good.
Lord, have mercy!
3. He who pervades all worlds, all space,
A virgin's arms do now embrace!
In infant form before us lies
He who upholds both earth and skies!
Lord, have mercy!
A. The midnight brings th'Eternal Light,
A newborn glory gilds the night;
It shines the darkness far away,
To make us children of the day.
Lord, have mercy!
28
5. The Father's Son, true God of God,
Now takes the world for His abode,
And in our human life appears,
To lift us from this vale of tears!
Lord, have mercy!
6. In mercy to our fallen race,
In poverty He takes our place,
That heavenly riches we may own,
And dwell as angels round His throne!
Lord, have mercy!
7. All this for us, Thou Lord, has done,
And thus Thy matchless goodness shown;
For this all Christendom now sings,
And thanks eternal to Thee brings.
Lord, have mercy!
The first stanza of this hymn is based upon an
eleventh-century sequence hymn, Grates nunc omnes, as-
cribed to Notker Balbulus of the monastery at St. Gall
in Switzerland. To this Luther added six original
stanzas. This German version first appeared as a broad-
sheet which was most likely distributed for Christmas,
1523. It was then included in the Erfurt Enchiridia
(1521). The origin of the tune is uncertain, and there
is little, if any, similarity to that used for the se-
quence hymn.l The English translation is by Richard
Massie (185h).
lSee Terry, Bach's Chorals, III, p. 169.
29
A. FROM HEAV'N ABOVE TO EARTH I COME
Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her
1. From heav'n a-bove to earth I come,
. T
(7’. I I
41 i ,1
I
To bear good news to ev'-ry home; Glad tidings
of great joy I bring, Where-of I now will say ang
ing.
2. To you, this night, is born a Child
Of Mary, chosen Mother mild;
This tender Child of lowly birth
Shall be the joy of all your earth.
3. 'Tis Christ our God, who far on high
Had heard your sad and bitter cry;
Himself will your salvation be,
Himself from sin will make you free.
A. He brings those blessings long ago
Prepared by God for all below;
That in His heavenly kingdom blest
-You may with us forever rest.
5. These are the tokens ye shall mark,
The swaddling clothes and manger dark;
There ye shall find the young Child laid,
By whom the heavens and earth were made.
6. Now let us all with gladsome cheer
Follow the shepherds and draw near
To see this wondrous Gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.
7.
9.
10.
ll.
12.
13.
1h.
15.
30
Give head, my heart, lift up thine ayes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this Child so young and fair?
The blessed Christ-child lieth there!
welcome to earth, thou noble Guest,
Through whom a'en wicked men are blast!
Thou com'st to share our misery;
What can we render, Lord, to Thee?
Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How hast Thou made Thee weak and small,
That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed
Where humble cattle lately fed?
And were the world ten times as wide,
With gold and jewels beautified,
It would be far too small to be
A little cradle, Lord, for Thea.
Thy silk and velvet are coarse hay,
Thy swaddling bands the mean array,
With which e an Thou, a King so great,
Art clad as with a robe of state.
Thus hath it pleased Thee to make lain
The truth to us, poor fools and vs n,
That this world's honor, wealth, and might
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Here in my poor heart's inmost shrine,
That I may evermore be Thine.
My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep,
I too must sing with joyful tongue,
That sweetest ancient cradle-song:
Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given,
While angels sing with pious mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
31
This hymn is titled: A Children'ngymn on the
Christ Child, For Christmas, Based upon the Secong
Quupter of the Gospel According to St. Luke. Luther
wrote the hymn in 1534. Its opening verse is based
upon a pre-Raformation folk song Ich komm aus fremden
Landen her ("Good News From Far Abroad I Bring"), to
which he added the remaining fourteen verses from the
Christmas story. The Ionian tuna included here is the
second melody associated with the hymn.1 It is by far
the more popular, and it is generally agreed that Lu-
ther is the composer. The hymn first appeared in the
Klug hymnal (1533) with the original folk tune; how-
ever, when it re-appaared in the Schumann hymnal (1539),
it was coupled with Luther's melody. The English trans-
lation is by Catherine Winkworth.2
1In 1547, one year after Luther's death, the
Swiss theorist, Glareanus, in his Dodecachordon, ex—
tended the eight modes to twelve, reCOgnizing as the
Ionian mode (XI) that which corresponds to our major
scale. The mode is used here and in several of the
Chorales which follow.
2Catherine Winkworth, The Chorale Book For
En land, ed. by William Sterndale Bennett and Otto
GoIdscï¬midt (London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts,
and Green, 1865). No. 30.
11H“;
m a
a
I
32
5. TO SHEPHERDS, AS THEY WATCHED BY NIGHT
Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schaar
1. To Shep-herds, as they watched
I .
I l I
I .1!
#r—slizqsae .1
,"1! 1.11. J 0+
by night, Ap-peared a troop of an-gels bright;
L
(Lea
<1-..
I I
J I
v iÃ©ï¬ SAFE
j T II
I 7
Be- hold the ten- der Babe, thgy said, In
yon-der low- ly man - ger laid.
2. At Bethlehem, in David's town,
As Micah did of old make known,
'Tis Jesus Christ, your Lord and King,
Who doth to all salvation bring.
3. Rejoice ye, than, that through His Son
God is with sinners now at one;
Made like yourselves of flesh and blood,
Your Brother is th'eternal Good.
4. What harm can sin and death than do?
The true God now abides with you;
Let hell and Satan chide and chafe,
God is your Brother-~ye are safe.
5. Not one He will nor can forsake,
Who Him his Confidence doth make;
Let all his wiles the tempter try,
You may his utmost powers defy.
6. You must prevail at last, for ye
Are now become God's family;
To God forever give ye praise,
Patient and Cheerful all your days. Amen.
33
This hymn is titled: Another Christmas Hymn
Adapted to the Former Tunp. It appears without any
music of its own, and it is here included with the
tune Vom Himmel hoch as indicated by Luther. Since
the hymn first appeared in Klug's 1543 hymnal, it is
generally agreed that it was one of the last of Lu-
ther's hymns. It is often sung as a substitute for
its considerably longer predecessor. The English
translation is by Richard Massie (1854).
34
6. WHY, HEROD, UNRELENTING FOE
was fuercht'st du, Faind Herodes sehr
V
1. Why, Her-0d, Un - - re- lent - ing foe,
\ I "X
' E J
I 1 \go
I r I
Doth the Lord's com - ing movetthee so?
1
§ 4 a l J
I, P P U I
NIH—C J J â€™ï¬ y g I —c —
T 1 1 /’—
He doth no earth — 1y king - dom seek
Who brings His king- dom to the meek.
2. Led by the star, the wise man find
The Light that lightens all mankind;
The threefold presents which they bring
Declare Him God and Man and King.
3. In Jordan's sacred.waters stood
The meek and heavenly Lamb of God,
And He who did no sin, thereby
Cleansad us from all iniquity!
4. And now a miracle was done:
Six waterpots stood there of stone;
Christ spake the word with power divine,
The water reddened into wine.
5. All honor unto Christ be paid,
Pure Offspring of the holy maid,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Till time in endless time be lost. Amen.
35
This hymn is a German version of the Latin
hymn Hostis Herodes impie by Sedulius (c.450). As in
A solis ortus cardine, this hymn is a portion of a
much longer work on the entire life of Christ. Lu-
ther's version first appeared in 1543 hymnbook of
Klug. No music appeared with this hymn in the REREE.
Gesangbuch; Luther states under the title that it is
to be sung to A solis ortus cardine.l The English
translation is by Richard Massia (1854).
lSee Hymn No. 2.
36
7. IN PEACE AND JOY I NOW DEPART
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
1. In peace and joy I now de- part,
I
i 1‘. 1 ‘r u A 1
W '
t g ‘ A 4, J IE 4; L
At God's dis- pos - - ing; For full of com-
\
’ 3 . I:
g l_ ,9
. - -¢
fort is my heart, Soft re- pos - ing.
& . . IL I? ' .
1| \
So the Lord hath prom- ised me, And death
(‘1‘
V
is but a slum - - bar.
2. 'Tis Christ that wrought this work for me,
The faithful Savior
Whom Thou hast made mine eyes to see
By Thy favor.
In Him I behold my life,
My help in need and dying.
3. Him Thou hast unto all set forth,
Their great salvation,
And to His kingdom called the earth,
Every nation.
By Thy dear health-giving Word,
In every land resounding.
37
4. He is the Health and blessed Light
Of lands benighted;
By Him are they who dwell in night
Fed and lighted.
While His Israel's Hope He is,
Their Joy, Reward, and Glory.
This hymn is Luther's paraphrase of the "Song
of Simeon," the Nunc dimittis, as recorded in Luke 2:
29-32. Its first appearance was in Johann Welter's
Geistliche Gesangbï¬chlein (1524). The composer of the
Dorian tune is unknown, although it has been ascribed
to Luther because of its strong rhythmic characteris-
tic. The English translation is by Catherine Wink-
worth, as found in The Chorale Book For England (1865).
38
8. CHRIST JESUS LAY IN DEATH'S STRONG BANDS
Christ lag in Todesbanden
A Li
W gaffe?
fl
. 1 .
i?,{Christ Je-sus lay in death's strong bands,
' But now at God's right hand He stands
For our of-fens- es giv- en;
‘4’ And brings us life from heav-en;
There-fore
I
.. a. 7i:
. 1 I I l
J ‘ I l v
let us joy- ful be And sing to God right
F T I
H #7 77: 11’ —F— at '1
’ I i I 4 ' 4:!
thank-ful-ly Loud songs of hal- le- lu - jah.
m
Hal- le - lu - jah!
Victimae paschali laudes1
'1. Vic-ti-mae pas-cha-li laud-es im- mo- lent Chris-
ti- a- ni. 2. Ag-nus re- de— mit o- ves: Christ-us
in- no-cens Pa-tri re-con-ci-li- a- vit pec-ca-tor-es.
1Liber usualis, p. 691.
2.
4.
39
No son of man could conquer death,
Such mischief sin had wrought us,
For innocence dwelt not on earth,
And therefore death had brought us
Into thraldom from of old
And ever grew more strong and bold
And kept us in his bondage. Hallelujah!
But Jesus Christ, God's only Son,
To our low state descended,
The cause of death He has undone,
His power forever ended,
Ruined all his right and claim
And left him nothing but the name--
His sting is lost forever. Hallelujah!
It was a strange and dreadful strife
When life and death contended;
The victory remained with life,
The reign of death was ended;
Holy Scripture plainly saith
That death is swallowed up by death,
Is put to scorn in triumph. Hallelujah!
Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,
Whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree,
So strong His love, to save us.
See, His blood doth mark our door;
Faith points to it, death passes o'er,
And Satan cannot harm us. Hallelujah!
So let us keep the festival
Whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the Joy of all,
The Sun that warms and lights us.
By His grace He doth impart
Eternal sunshine to the heart;
The night of sin is ended. Hallelujah!
Then let us feast this Easter Day
On Christ, the Bread of heaven;
The Word of Grace hath purged away
The old and evil leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed,
He is our meat and drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other. Hallelujah!
4O
Luther's great Easter hymn first appeared in
the Erfurt Enchiridia (1524), and is entitled Christ
ist erstanden--gebessert ("Christ Is Arisen--Improved").
The word gebessert is puzzling in that Luther held the
hymn Christ ist erstanden in very high regard. He is
quoted as saying, "After a time one tires of singing
all other hymns, but the Christ ist erstanden one can
always sing again."l Luther was probably referring to
a German folk song of the thirteenth century, the tune
of which is quite different from that of this hymn.
Luther's version has as its basis the original sequence
hymn Victimae paschali laudes, ascribed to Wipo (d.1050).
The similarity to the medieval melody, a portion of
which is here included, is quite apparent. The English
translation is an altered form of that by Richard Massie
(1854) as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).
lJohn Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (New York:
Dover Publications, Inc., 1907), V01: I, p. 225.
41
9. JESUS CHRIST, OUR SAVIOR TRUE
Jesus Christus unser Heiland, der den Tod
1. Je - sus Christ, our Sav - ior true,
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He who death 0 - var-threw, Hath up a- ris- en,
And sin hath put in pri-son. Ky- ri- e-lei - son.
2. Born whom Mary sinless hath,
Bore He for us God's wrath,
Hath reconciled us; 1
Favor God doth now yield us. Kyrieleison.
3. Death and sin, and life and grace,
All in His hands He has.
He can deliver -
All who seek the Life-giver. Kyrieleison.
This shorter Easter hymn appeared first in the
Erfurt Enchiridia (1524) and than in Walter's Wittanberg
hymnbook of the same year. The present tune is found
first in the Klug hymnbook (1533), although it was a1-
tared slightly for the Babst publication. Since Lu-
ther's German text had eight syllables in the first
phrase of each verse, it became necessary to include a
lA contraction for Kyrie eleison (Lord, have
mercy).
#2
slur for the English version. The translation is by
George MacDonald.l
lGeorge MacDonald, Exotics,,A Translation of
the S iritual Songs of Novalis, The Hymnbook of Lutï¬ap,
and OtEer Poems from the German and Italian (London:
Strahan and Co., 1876).
#3
10. COME, HOLY GHOST, CREATOR BLEST
Komm, Gott SchUpfer
Veni Creator Spiritus
Come, Ho-ly Ghost, Cre- a - tor blest,
This.
Vouch-safe with- in our souls to rest; Come with
A l A
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A 1 l J I I I J
V I I I I " 1 l
n 1
. l" A J Y I 1 l V J
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Thy grace and heav'n-1y aid And fill the
f.‘
hearts which Thou hast made.
1
Veni Creator Spiritus
Ve- ni, Cre- a- tor Spir-i- tus, Men-tes
tu- o- rum vis-i- ta: Im-ple su- per- na
gra-ti-a Quae tu cre - a- sti pec-to-ra.
lLiber usualis, p. 768 (transposed).
AA
2. To Thea, the Comforter, we cry,
To Thee, the Gift of God Most High,
The Fount of life, the Fire of love,
The soul's anointing from above.
3. Thy light to every thought impart
And shed Thy love in every heart;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.
4. The sevenfold gifts of grace are Thine, i
0 Finger of the Hand Divine; .11
True promise of the Father Thou, '
Who dost the tongue with speech endow.
1‘
5. Drive far away our wily foe
And Thine abiding peace bestow;
If Thou be our protecting Guide,
No evil can our steps betide.
6. Make Thou to us the Father known,
Teach us th'eternal Son to own
And Thee, whose name we ever bless,
Of both the Spirit, to confess.
7. Praise we the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, with them One;
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow! Amen.
This chorale marks the first of three hymns for
the Festival of Pentecost as found in the Babst hymnal.
The basis for this hymn is the Veni Creator Spiritus,
one of the oldest and most widely-used hymns to come
out of the Middle Ages. Its authorship has been as—
cribed to various writers: Charlemagne, Rhabanus Maurus
(Charlemagne's chancellor), St. Ambrose, and Gregory the
Great. Several German versions had been written prior
to Luther's; however, his is the version which has with-
stood the test of time. This hymn first appeared in the
#5
Eggugt Enchiridia (1524) and Weltar's book of the same
year, and in a slightly altered form for the Klug hymn-
book (1533). The Babst version is identical to that of
Klug. The tune is a rascasting of the original melody
for the Latin hymn, included here for the comparison.
The English translation is an altered form of that by
Edward Caswall (1849) as found in The Lutheran Hymnal
(1941).
1+6
11. COME, HOLY GHOST, GOD AND LORD
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
1
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J) 1. Come, Ho - ly Ghost, God and Lord!
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Be all Thy grac-es now out- poured On each
be- liev - er's mind and heart; Thy fer-vent love
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to them im- part. Lord, by the bright—ness of
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teats \EE‘HS
. H.
Thy light Thou in the faith dost man u- nite
0f ev'-ry land and ev'- ry tongue; This
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to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung.
Hal- le- lu- jah! Hal- le- lu - jah!
L7
2. Thou holy Light, Guide divine,
Oh, cause the Word of Life to shine!
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From every error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord,
With all our might confide.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
3. Thou holy Fire, Comfort true,
Grant us the will Thy work to do
And in Thy service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Thy power prepare each heart
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death
To Thee, our Lord, ascend.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the second of his Pentecost hymns Luther
again turned to existing material, a German medieval
antiphon which, in turn, had its basis in the Latin
hymn Veni sancte Spiritus. The German hymn, sung in
Germany as early as the eleventh century, was highly
prized by Luther, although it consisted of only one
verse. To this Luther added two more stanzas, and the
hymn then appeared in the Erfurt Enchiridia (1524).
The tune is a simplification of the older German hymn,
not in any way related to the melody for the Latin )
hymn. The English translation is a composite as found
in The Lutheran Hymnal (l9h1).
#8
12. WE NOW IMPLORE OUR GOD THE HOLY GHOST
Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist
1. We now im- plore our God the Ho- 1y
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Ghost For the true faith which we need the
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most, That in our last mo- ments He may be-
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friend us And, as home-ward we jour-ney,
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at- tend us. Lord, have mer- cy!
2. Shine in our hearts now, 0 most precious Light,
That we Jesus Christ may know aright,
Clinging to our Savior whose blood hath bought us,
Who again to our homeland hath brought us.
Lord, have mercy! '
3. Thou sacred Love, Thy grace on us bestow,
Set our hearts with heavenly fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Of one mind, in peace with every brother.
Lord, have mercy!
A. Thou highest Comforter in every need,
Grant that neither shame nor death we heed,
That e'en then our courage may never fail us
When the Foe shall accuse and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!
h9
Once again, in this, the third of Luther's
hymns to the Holy Ghost, he used the sequence hymn
Veni sancte Spiritus for the Opening verse, and then
added three verses of his own. The tune is also of
pro-Reformation origin, and its strong pentatonic
character (f,g,a,c,d) suggests an old folk tune.
Luther's version first appeared in Walter's Witten-
berg hymnal (lSZh). The English translation is a
composite as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (191.1).1
1The first phrase of the text has been al-
tered in each verse by this writer to fit the ori-
ginal melody.
50
13. GOD THE FATHER, BE OUR STAY
Gott der Vater wohn uns bei
1. God the Fa-ther, be our Stay, Oh, let
Cleanse us from our sins, we pray, And grant
us per-ish nev - er.
0 us life for- ev - er.
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Keep us from the E- vil One;
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Up-hold our faith most ho - 1y, Grant us to
trust Thee sole - - ly With hum-ble hearts and
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0 low - 1y. Let us put God's ar- mor on: With all
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true Chris-tians run- ning Our heav'n-1y race
and
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shun - - ning The dev- il's wiles and cunning.
w‘Q’
A-men, A- men, this be done, So sing we Hallelu-jah!
2. Jesus Christ, be Thou our Stay, etc.
3. Holy Ghost, be Thou our Stay, etc.
51
This chorale to the Holy Trinity is a revision
by Luther of a medieval hymn of the fifteenth century.
Invocations to various saints were often sung, as in
the hymn Sancte Petrus won uns bey ("St. Peter, Be With
Us"). Luther re-cast the hymn, directing each of the
stanzas to one Person of the Trinity. The tune is as
old as the original hymn. Luther's version appeared
first in Walter's Wittenberg hymnbook (1524). The Eng-
lish translation is an altered form of that by Richard
Massie (1854) as found in The_Lutheran Hymnal (l9hl).
52
lb. THAT MAN A GODLY LIFE MIGHT LIVE
Dies sind die heiligen zehn Gebot
1. That man a God-1y life might live,
4 k ‘ p—f? 71 I.
. 1 .L IL
God did these ten com-mand-ments give By His
true ser-vant, Mo - ses, high Up- on the mount
(5
81- na- i. Have mer- cy, Lord!
2. I am thy God and Lord alone,
No other God besides Me own;
On My great mercy venture thee,
With all thy heart love thou Me.
Have mercy, Lord!
3. By idle word and speech profane,
Take not My holy name in vain;
And praise not aught as good and true
But what God doth say and do.
Have mercy, Lord!
4. Hallow the day which God hath blest,
That thou and all thy house may rest;
Keep hand and heart from labor free,
That God may so work in thee.
Have mercy, Lord!
5. Give to thy parents honor due,
Be dutiful and loving, too;
And help them when their strength decays;
So shalt thou have length of days.
Have mercy, Lord!
7.
9.
10.
ll.
12.
53
Kill thou not out of evil will,
Nor hate, nor render ill for ill;
Be patient and of gentle mood
And to thy foe do thou good.
Have mercy, Lord!
Be faithful to thy marriage vows,
Thy heart give only to thy spouse;
Keep thy life pure, and lest thou sin
Keep thyself with discipline.
Have mercy, Lord!
Steal not; Oppressive acts abhor;
Nor wring their life-blood from the poor;
But open wide thy loving hand
To all the poor in the land.
Have mercy, Lord!
Bear not false witness, nor belie
Thy neighbor by foul calumny;
Defend his innocence from blame,
With charity hide his shame.
Have mercy, Lord!
Thy neighbor's wife desire thou not,
His house, nor aught that he hath got;
But wish that his such good may be
As thy heart doth wish for thee.
Have mercy, Lord!
God these commandments gave therein
To show thee, son of man, thy sin,
And make thee also well perceive
How man for God ought to live.
Have mercy, Lord!
Help us, Lord Jesus Christ, for we
A Mediator have in Thee;
Without Thy help our works so vain
Merit but naught endless pain.
Have mercy, Lord!
Luther's versification of the Ten Commandments
first appeared in the Erfurt Enchiridia (lSZh). It is
the first of the "Catechism Hymns," hymns dealing with
the Six Chief Parts of his two catechisms (1529). These
54
include, in addition to the hymn above: Mensch, willt
du leben seliglich (No. 15, also on the Ten Command-
ments); Wir glauben all an einen Gott (No. 16, on the
Creed); Vater unser im Himmelreich (No. 17, on the
Lord's Prayer); Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam'
(No. 18, on Baptism); Jesus Christus,iunser Heiland
(No. 20, on the Sacrament of the Altar); and Aug
tiefer Not (No. 28, on Confession). These hymns were
written to assist in the teaching of fundamental Chris-
tian doctrine. It was upon these hymns (with the ex-
ception of Mensch, willt du leben seliglich) that Jo-
hann Sebastian Bach wrote his "Catechism" for the or-
gan, the Klavierflbung, Part III.
The tune for Dies sind die heiligen zehn Gebot
was a tune used for a thirteenth-century German hymn
In Gottes Namen fahren wir ("We Journey in the Name of
God"). The English translation given here is by Richard
Massie (185h).
55
15. WILT THOU, O MAN, LIVE HAPPILY
Mensch, willt du leben seliglich
l. Wilt thou, 0 man, live hap- pi- 1y, And
is i . i
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5 # \J/‘é j J} I L
dwell with God e- ter - - nal-ly, The ten
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2‘1; (ff )9 f F ’7
’ 1L , 1 J {‘-
com-mand-ments keep, for thus Our God Him- self
bid-deth uET Lord, have mer- cy!
2. I am the Lord and God! Take heed
No other god doth thee mislead;
Thy heart shall trust alone in Me,
My kingdom then thou shalt be.
Lord, have mercy!
3. Honor My name in.word and deed,
And call on Me in time of need;
Hallow the Sabbath, that I may
Work in thy heart on that day.
Lord, have mercy!
h. Obedient always, next to Me,
To father and to mother be;
Kill no man; even anger dread;
Keep sacred thy marriage-bed.
Lord, have mercy!
5. Steal not, nor do thy neighbor wrong
By bearing witness with false tongue;
Thy neighbor's wife desire thou not,
Nor grudge him aught he hath got.
Lord, have mercy!
56
This chorale, first found in welter's Witten-
berg hymnbook (152A), is entitled: "The Ten Command-
ments--A Shortened Setting." It is among the few hymns
of Luther which have fallen into disuse. Following a
small number of harmonizations during the seventeenth
century, there are no further references to it. This
is readily understandable when one considers the suc-
cess met with the previous hymn on the same theme.
The Phrygian hymn tune is ascribed by some to Luther
on the basis of similarities to other melodies he is
to have written. Leupold1 points to the second phrase
of the melody which closely resembles that of Vom Him-
mel hoch (No. L); however, this latter tune first ap-
peared in 1539, a fact which would probably nullify
this supposition. The third and fourth lines of Mensch,
willt du leben seliglich are reminiscent of phrases from
another of the tunes ascribed to Luther, Aus tiefer Not
(No. 28). Inasmuch as a considerable amount of "borrow-
ing" of existing material was common for the day, this
also becomes a rather weak basis for the ascription of
the tune to Luther.
The English translation given here is by Richard
Massie (l85u).
lLeupold, Luther's Works, LIII, p. 280.
57
16. WE ALL BELIEVE IN ONE TRUE GOD
Wir glauben All' an einen Gott
1. We all be - lieve in one true
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God, Who cre- a-ted earth and heav-en, The Fath-
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er, who to us in love Hath the right of Chile—
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dren giv - en. He both soul and bod - y feed-
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eth, All we need He doth pro- vide us; He
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ng if g :7 1L 9! a TIP—1';
through snares and per-ils lead- eth, Watch - ing
that no harm be- tide us. He car - - - -
eth for us day and night I‘ ,
All things are gov-erned by His might.
53
2. We all believe in Jesus Christ,
His own Son, our Lord, possessing
An equal Godhead, throne, and might,
Source of ev'ry grace and blessing.
Born of Mary, virgin mother,
By the power of the Spirit,
Made true man, our elder Brother,
That the lost might life inherit;
Was crucified for sinful men
And raised by God to life again.
3. We all confess the Holy Ghost,
Who sweet grace and comfort giveth,
And with the Father and the Son
In eternal glory liveth;
Who the Church, His own creation,
Keeps in unity of spirit.
Here forgiveness and salvation
Daily come through Jesus' merit.
All flesh shall rise, and we shall be
In bliss with God eternally. Amen.
This chorale, the second of Luther's Catechism
hymns, is a paraphrase of the Nicene Creed, which first
appeared in Walter's Wittenberg hymnbook (152h). Its
basis is a medieval hymn of one stanza with Latin and
German words in which the entire Creed was summarized.
Luther developed the work into three verses, each of
which conveys the meaning of its corresponding article
of the Creed. In effect, this paraphrase can rightly
be called Luther's own since he used only the first two
lines of the older hymn. The Dorian tune is basically
the same as the original with minor alterations, re-cast
either by Luther or welter. The English translation
is a composite as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).
59
l7. OUR FATHER, THOU IN HEAVEN ABOVE
Vater unser im Himmelreich
1. Our Fath-er, Thou in heav'n a- bove,
A
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Who bid-dest us to dwell in love, As breth-ren
i I Ff i
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of one fam- i- ly, To cry in ev'- ry need
Lin Jr L
terry: i a
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to Thee, Teach us no thought-less words to say,
a
But from our in- most heart to pray.
2. Thy name be hallowed. Help us, Lord,
In purity to keep Thy Word,
That to the glory of Thy name
We walk before Thee free from blame.
Let no false doctrine us pervert;
All poor, deluded souls convert.
3. Thy kingdom come. Thine let it be
In time and in eternity.
Let Thy good Sï¬irit e'er be nigh
Our hearts wit graces to supply.
Break Satan's power, defeat his rage;
Preserve Thy Church from age to age.
h.
50
70
6O
Thy gracious will on earth be done
As 'tis in heav'n before Thy throne;
Obedience in our weal and was
And patience in all grief bestow.
Curb flesh and blood and ev'ry ill
That sets itself against Thy will.
Give us this day our daily bread
And let us all be clothed and fed.
From war and strife be our defense,
From famine and from pestilence,
That we may live in godly peace,
Free from all care and avarice.
Forgive our sins, Lord, we implore,
Remove from us their burden sore,
As we their trespasses forgive
Who by offenses us do grieve.
Thus let us dwell in charity
And serve our brother willingly.
Into temptation lead us not,
When evil foes against us plot
And vex our souls on every hand,
Oh, give us strength that we may stand
Firm in the faith, a well-armed host,
Through comfort of the Holy Ghost.
From evil, Lord, deliver us;
The times and days are perilous.
Redeem us from eternal death,
And.when we yield our dying breath,
Console us, grant us calm release,
And take our souls to Thee in peace.
Amen, that is, So shall it be.
Confirm our faith and hope in Thee
That we may doubt not, but believe
What here we ask we shall receive.
Thus in Thy name and at Thy word
We say: Amen. Oh, hear us, Lord!
Luther's versification of The Lord's Prayer is
considered to be among the finest of his hymns. Other
German versions on this prayer had been prepared ear-
lier; however, Luther's version is significant because
61
each verse begins with almost the exact wording of the
prayer, phrase by phrase. It was first published in
the Valentin Schumann hymnbook (1539). Although Luther
had written another melody for the text, the hymn ap-
peared in Schumann's book coupled with a tune by Michael
Weisse (c.1h80-153h), a hymn-writer and editor of the
1531 hymnal of the Bohemian Brethren. Weisse's tune
and Luther's text have made this chorale one of the
most beautiful of all hymnody. The English transla-
tion, also a masterful work, is an alteration of that
by Catherine Winkworth (1865) as found in The Lutheran
Hymnal (1941).
62
18. TO JORDAN CNME OUR LORD THE CHRIST
Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam
n I
r - i sir—
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1 To Jor-dan came our Lord the Christ,
‘ And there was by St. John bap-tized,
To do God's plea-sure willIing- ly,
All right-eous-ness ful- fill - ing; There
1 i' f i 1‘1
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did He con- se-crate a bath To wash a-
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way trans-gres- - sion, And quench the bit-
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ter-ness of death By His own blood and
pas - - sion; He would a new life give us.
2. So hear ye all, and well perceive
What God doth call baptism,
And.what a Christian should believe
Who error shuns and schism:
That we should water use, the Lord
Declareth it His pleasure;
Not simple water, but the Word
And Spirit without measure;
He is the true Baptizer.
h.
5.
63
To show us this, He hath His word
With signs and symbols given;
On Jordan's banks was plainly heard
The Father's voice from heaven:
"This is My well-beloved Son,
In whom My soul delighteth;
Hear Him". Yea, hear Him every one
Whom He Himself inviteth,
Hear and obey His teaching.
In tender manhood Jesus straight
To holy Jordan wendeth;
The Holy Ghost from heaven's gate
In dove-like shape descendeth;
That thus the truth be not denied,
Nor should our faith e'er waver,
That the Three Persons all preside
At Baptism's holy lever,
And dwell with the believer.
Thus Jesus His disciples sent:
Go, teach ye every nation,
That lost in sin they must repent,
And flee from condemnation:
He that believes and is baptized,
Obtains a mighty blessing;
A new-born man, no more he dies,
Eternal life possessing,
A joyful heir of heaven.
Who in His mercy hath not faith,
Nor aught therein discerneth,
Is yet in sin, condemned to death,
And fire that ever burneth;
His holiness avails him not,
Nor aught which he is doing;
His inborn sin brings all to naught,
And maketh sure his ruin;
Himself he cannot succor.
The eye of sense alone is dim,
And nothing sees but water;
Faith sees Christ Jesus, and in Him
The Lamb ordained for slaughter;
She sees the cleansing fountain red
With the dear blood of Jesus,
Which from the sins inherited
From fallen Adam frees us,
And from our own misdoings.
64
Luther's title placed over this Catechism hymn
is: "A Hymn on our Holy Baptism, wherein we briefly
consider-~What is Baptism?--Who instituted Baptism?--
and What does Baptism benefit us?" The chorale did
not appear in a hymnbook until Klug's 1543 publication;
the chorale, therefore, should be dated among Luther's
last hymns. The Dorian tune is that submitted by Wel-
ter for the earlier hymn Es woll uns Gott genadiggseig
("May God Bestow On Us His Grace," No. 25) in 152A.
The English translation is by Richard Massie (185A).
65
20. JESUS CHRIST, OUR BLESSED SAVIOR
Jesus Christus unser Heiland, der von uns
v V
1. Je- sus Christ, our blessed Sav - ior,
I 4 - i . l i A L
I 4 I I L I _} 1
i§:———ji it iii J c} c} f
V
Turned a- way God's wrath for- ev - - - er;
. . . . i ’“
I l—' j T f
.5 3 g i. :F
V T
By His bit- ter grief and woe He
saved us from the e - - - vil Foe.
2. As His pledge of love undying
He, this precious food supplying,
Gives His body with the bread
And with the wine the blood He shed.
3. Whose to this board repaireth
May take heed how he prepareth;
For if he does not believe,
Then death for life he shall receive.
A. Praise the Father, who from heaven
Unto us such food hath given
And, to mend what we have done,
Gave into death His only Son.
5. Thou shalt hold with faith unshaken
That this food is to be taken
By the sick who are distressed,
By hearts that long for peace and rest.
6. To such grace and mercy turneth
Every soul that truly mourneth;
Art thou well? Avoid this board.
Else thou reapest an ill reward.
1Entry No. 19 is a setting of Psalm 111 to a psalm
tone; hence, it is not included here as one of the chorales.
66
7. Christ says: "Come, all ye that labor,
And receive My grace and favor;
They who feel no want nor 111
Need no physician's help nor skill.
8. Useless were for thee My Passion,
If thy works thy weal could fashion.
This feast is not spread for thee
If thine own savior thou wilt be."
9. If thy heart this truth professes
And thy mouth thy sin confesses,
His dear guest thou here shalt be,
And Christ Himself shall banquet thee.
10. Sweet henceforth shall be thy labor,
Thou shalt truly love thy neighbor.
So shall he both taste and see
What thy Savior hath done in thee.
This chorale appeared as one of the first broad-
sheets (152h), and again in the Erfurt Enchiridig of the
same year. Luther indicated in his title that this is
"The Hymn of St. John Huss--Improved." Huss (1366-lh15)
was the Bohemian forerunner of the Reformation to whom
this hymn has often been ascribed. On the whole, how-
ever, Luther's version has little in common with the '
original Latin hymn. The Dorian tune is also of pre-
Reformation origin, a widely-known tune, which accounts
for the numerous rhythmic and melodic variations found
in subsequent hymnals. The English translation is by
an unknown writer except for verses seven and ten which
are by Richard Massie (1854).
67
21. O LORD, WE PRAISE THEE
Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet
1
ii; if
1 O Lord, we praise Thee, Bless Thee and a-
. ' Thou with Thy bod- y And Thy blood did'
ï¬ll F 4,1}:
dore Thee, In thanks- giv- ing bow be-fore’ Thee.
nour-ish Our weak souls that they may flour-ish:
l
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1_541E_ ï¬-jq it is :é___'___Â¥[:;_
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0 Lord, have mer - - cy! May Thy bod-y, Lord,
Fï¬ i I 'ï¬ ï¬
,. iii and}? r: are:
T ' ' g
born of Mar- y, That our sins and sor - - rows
6‘
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did car- ry, And Thy blood for us plead In all
A A, Q
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tri-al, fear, and need: 0 Lord, have mer - - cy!
Lauda Sion Salvatorem1
‘vï¬ï¬‚J 1% 4% if
. :jL. .1; . v i]! 1% 1L: 1'
Lau- da 81- on Sal- va- tor- em, Lau-da du-cem
et pas- tor - am, In hymb nis et can-ti-cis.
1Liber usualis, p. 792.
68
2. Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us,
May this feast thereof remind us!
0 Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
0 Lord, have mercy!
3. May God bestow on us His grace and favor
To please Him with our behavior
And live as brethren here in love and union
Nor repent this blest Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heavenly-minded He make us;
Give Thy Church, Lord, to see
Days of peace and unity:
O Lord, have mercy!
This post-Communion hymn has its origin in a
medieval processional hymn for the Corpus Christi ob-
servance, to which Luther added the second and third
stanzas. His hymn appeared in the Erfurt Enchiridia
(152h) without music. It is found in the Klug hymnbook
11533) coupled with this tune. The opening lines of
the sequence hymn Lauda Sion Salvatorem are included
here to show the melodic similarity, adapted by either
Walter or Luther. The English translation given here
is a composite as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (l9hl).
e9
22. LOOK DOWN, O LORD, FROM HEAV'N BEHOLD
Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein
T 41 J
I l
u, L Tri—
I
l I '
1,,(100k down. 0 Lord, from heav'n be- held,
How few the flock with- in Thy fold,.
And let Thy pit- y wak - en!
Ne- glect-ed and for- sak - en! Al'm°5t
J 'I h A
, é :3 +1; +,
Thou'll seek for faith in vain, And those who
shqpld
{ 7 A _l[ 4
s ' ' I+ Al" I {L‘? 19::
I ' I
Thy truth main-tain Thy Word from us have tak-en;
2. With frauds which they themselves invent
Thy truth they have confounded;
Their hearts are not with one consent
On Thy pure doctrine grounded;
And, whilst they gleam with outward show,
They lead Thy people to and fro,
In error's maze astounded.
3. God surely will uproot all those
With vain deceits who store us,
With haughty tongue who God oppose,
And say, "Who'll stand before us?
By right or might we will prevail;
What we determine cannot fail,
For who can lord it o'er us?"
A. For this, saith God, I will arise,
These wolves My flock are rending;
I've heard My people's bitter sighs
To heav'n My throne ascending:
Now will I up, and set at rest
Each weary soul by fraud opprest,
The poor with might defending.
7O
5. The silver seven times tried is pure
From all adulteration;
So, through God's Word, shall men endure
Each trial and tribulation:
Its worth gleams brighter through the cross,
And purified from human dross,
It shines through every nation.
6. Thy truth Thou wilt preserve, O Lord,
From this vile generation;
Make us to lean upon Thy Word,
With calm anticipation.
The wicked walk on every side
When, 'mid Thy flock, the vile abide
In power and exaltation.
The title page for this hymn reads: "Now follow
several psalms paraphrased into German spiritual songs
by Dr. Martin Luther." This is the first of seven hymns
in this group; it is a paraphrase of Psalm 12. This
mighty hymn of the Reformation first appeared in the
Achtliederbuch (lSZh); however, it is there coupled
with the tune Es ist das Heil.l In the Erfurt Enchiri-
dia of the same year it appears with this Hypo-phrygian
tune which has been ascribed to Luther.2 The English
translation is by Frances E. Cox.3
1See p. 9.
2Mozart used this tune in Die Zauberfldte for
the song of the "Two Men in Armor", Act II, Finale.
3Frances E. Cox, Sacred Hymns from the German
(London: Pickering, 1841).
71
23. THE MOUTH 0F FOOLS DOTH GOD CONFESS
Es spricht der Unweisen.Mund wohl
J A Li
T Li A
’:]f‘ f 1 i{__
1 ‘{ The mouth of fools doth God con-fess, But
° Their heart is full of wick-ed-ness, And
i i ii i
t 1: Far I
while their lips draw nigh Him
all their deeds de- ny Him. Cor-rupt are they
ï¬ll if" Ti: 1
and ev'-ry one A- bom- in- a— ble deeds hath
done;
2.
3.
A.
There is not one well- do - - er.
The Lord looked down from His high tower
On all mankind below Him,
To see if any owned His power,
And truly sought to know Hhm;
Who all their understanding bent
To search His holy Word, intent
To do His will in earnest.
But none there was who walked with God,
For all aside had slidden,
Delusive paths of folly trod,
And followed lusts forbidden;
Not one there was who practiced good,
And yet they deemed, in haughty mood,
Their deeds must surely please Him.
How long, by folly blindly led,
Will ye oppress the needy,
And eat my people up like bread?
So fierce are ye, and greedy!
In God they put no trust at all,
Nor will on Him in trouble call,
But be their own providers.
72
5. Therefore their heart is never still,
A falling leaf dismays them;
God is with him who doth His will,
Who trusts Him and obeys Him;
But ye the poor man's hope despise,
And laugh at him e'en when he cries,
That God is his sure comfort.
6. Who shall to Israel's outcast race
From Zion bring salvation?
God will at length Himself show grace,
And loose the captive nation;
That will He do by Christ their King;
Let Jacob then be glad and sing,
And Israel be joyful. Amen.
This chorale, a paraphrase of Psalm 1b, was
also among those hymns in the Achtliederbuch (152A),
and the tune Es ist das Heil was also prescribed for
it. However, in welter's hymnbook of the same year
the present tune was used, and most authorities agree
that Welter is the composer. The English translation
is by Richard Massie (l85h).
73
2A. A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
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1 A might-y For- tress is I
' He helps us free from ev'-
i I
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our God, A trust- y Shield and weap - - - n.
ry need That hath us now o'er-tak - '.,' en.
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woe; Deep guile and great might Are His dread
‘5‘
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arms in fight; On earth is not his e - - qual.
2. With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is
Of Sabaoth Lord, And there's none other God;
He holds the field forever.
3. Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no 111,
They shall not overpower us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none,
He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
7h
A. The Werd they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Let these all be gone,
They yet have nothing won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
The first extant publication of this great hymn
is that in Andrew Rauscher's Geistliche Lieder (1531)
in Erfurt, although it is believed to have appeared in
the earlier 1529 edition of the Klug hymnbook which is
now lost. The powerful tune is accredited to Luther.
Scholars have attempted to detect phrases of
pre-Reformation plain chant and folk song. Defenders
of Luther say that by searching through the Roman melo-
dies, and choosing a phrase here and there, equally
good reasons could be found for assigning every old
melody to a Gregorian source. Schweitzer says: "The
melody of Ein feste Burg, that may with certainty be at-
tributed to him(Luther), is woven out of Gregorian
reminiscences. The recOgnition of this fact deprives
the melody of none of its beauty and Luther of none of
the credit for it; it really takes considerable talent
to create an organic unity out of fragments."1
The English translation of this chorale is a
composite as found in The Lutheran Hymnal (l9hl).
lAlbert Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, trans. by
Ernest Newman (2 vols.; Boston: Bruce Humphries, re-
printed in 1962), I, p. 16.
25.
75
MAY GOD BESTOW ON US HIS GRACE
Es wollt uns Gott genadig sein
i . A\
, :1 self—f E:—
1 May God be-stow on us His grace
And may the brightness of His face—
J.
With
bless:ings rich pro - viHE‘—"â€â€â€ us,
life e - ter - nal guide
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That we His sav- ing health may know, His grac-
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ious will and pleas- ure, And al- so to the
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E:
heath-en show Christ's rich- es with- out meas-
ure
2.
And un - to God con- vert them.
Thine over all shall be the praise
And thanks of every nation,
And all the world with joy shall raise
The voice of exultation;
For Thou shalt judge the earth, 0 Lord,
Nor suffer sin to flourish,
Thy people's pasture is Thy Wbrd
Their souls to feed and nourish,
In righteous paths to keep them.
76
3. Oh, let the people praise Thy worth,
In all good works increasing;
The land shall plenteous fruit bring forth,
Thy Word is rich in blessing.
May God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit bless us!
Let all the world praise Him alone,
Let solemn awe possess us.
Now let our hearts say, Amen.
This paraphrase of Psalm 67 appeared as a broad-
sheet in 1523, and was then included in the Achtlieder-
Qggh_the following year. The beautiful Phrygian tune
is an adaptation of an older German hymn.Maria du bist
Gnaden voll ("Mary, Thou Art Full Of Grace"), the com-
poser of which is unknown. The English translation is
an altered form of that by Richard Massie (1851) as
found in The Lutheran Hymnal (19A1).
77
26. IF GOD HAD NOT BEEN ON OUR SIDE
War Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit
. r
I I F
¥§ fGod hidh nit been on our side
e oes wt t a their ow' r and r de
I p pi I
E1‘t_4p; :1F1* ‘ 4i iiiEEF—qf——jl——;t::
And had not come to aid us
WOuld sure-1y have dis-mayed us; For "6’ His
II If t i Ii J
flock, would have to fear The threat of men both
(if ‘1L1iiL ‘Ia‘
’1 fifiij‘r II
far and near Who rise in might a- gaInst us.
'1
2. Their furious wrath, did God permit,
WOuld surely have consumed us,
And as a deep and yawning pit
With life and limb entombed us.
Like men 0' er whom dark waters roll,
Their wrath would have engulfed our soul,
And, like a flood, o'erwhelmed us.
3. Blest be the Lord, who foiled their threat
That they could not devour us;
Our souls, like birds, escaped their net,
They could not overpower us.
The snare is broken-owe are free!
Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee,
Who madest earth and heaven. Amen.
Luther's paraphrase of Psalm 12h was first pub-
lished in Welter's Wittenberg hymnbook (152A). The Do-
rian tune is that which walter prepared for this publi-
cation. The English translation is a composite as found
in The Lutheran Hymnal (l9hl).
27.
78
HAPPY THE MAN WHO FEARETH GOD
Wehl dem der in Gottes Furcht steht
, ‘ .
{ y F ' 1 F—
La—l : I 3 I
l. Hap- py the man who fear-eth God,
Whose
1
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feet His ho- ly ways have trod; ine own good hand
i j’ I _ f‘? .
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shall nourish thee, And well and happy shalt thou be.
3.
Thy wife shall, like a fruitful vine,
Fill all thy house with clusters fine;
Thy children all be fresh and sound,
Like olive plants thy table round.
Lo! to the man these blessings cleave
Who in God's holy fear doth live;
From him the ancient curse hath fled
By Adam's race inherited.
Out of Mount Zion God shall send,
And crown with joy thy latter end;
That thou Jerusalem may'st see,
In favor and prosperity.
He shall be with thee in thy ways,
And give thee health and length of days;
Yea, thou shalt children's children see,
And peace on Israel shall be.
Luther's hymn on Psalm 128 extols the Joys of
marriage, and it is very likely that it was written
for the Epiphany season, specifically, for the Second
79
Sunday after the Epiphany, with its "Wedding at Cana"
Gospel lesson. It was first published in the Erfurt
Enchiridia (152h) and Walter's Wittenberg hymnal of
the same year. The Ionian tune, more commonly known
as We Gott zum Haus,1
appeared in later editions, and
it is believed to be an alteration of Walter's 152b
melody. The English translation is by Richard Massie
(185a).
1W0 Gott zum Haus is ascribed to Johann Kohl-
ross (d.1558?), a pastor at Basel. This chorale ap-
pears in the Babst Gesangbuch, No. 51.
80
28. OUT OF THE DEPTHS I CRY TO THEE
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
333¥F3=t3Hi§;—¢> f ,i §-—1>——F:1~———
1 A
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T I ' If 1 13
1.. ’{ Out of the depths I cry to Thee, Lord,
Bend down Thy grac-ious ear to me, Let
hear me, I im- plore Thee!
my prayer come be- fore Thee!
If Thou re- mem-
‘ J
I i AL
5 {L .r ; f g
ber each mis- deed, If each should have its
V
right-ful meed, Who may a- bide Thy pres- ence?
2. Our pardon is Thy gift; Thy love
And grace alone avail us.
Our works could ne'er our guilt remove,
The strictest life must fail us.
That none may boast himself of aught,
But own in fear Thy grace hath wrought
What in him seemeth righteous.
3. And thus my hope is in the Lord,
And not in mine own.merit:
I rest upon His faithful Word
To them of contrite spirit.
That He is merciful and Just,
Here is my comfort and my trust,
His help I wait with patience.
h. And though it tarry till the night,
And round till morning waken,
My heart shall ne' er mistrust Thy might,
Nor count itself forsaken.
Do thus, 0 ye of Israel's seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
Wait for your God's appearing.
81
5. Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our kind and faithful Shepherd, He,
Who shall at last set Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.
The paraphrase of De profundis clamavi, Psalm
130, is considered to be among the finest of Luther's
hymns. It was written in 1523 and first appeared as
a broadsheet in that year. In the Achtliederbuch of
the following year it was published as the third of the
hymns using Es ist das Heill for the tune. Later that
year it was included in the Erfurt Enchiridia coupled
with the tune Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein.2 Again
in the same year it is found with this present tune in
Walter's Wittenberg hymnal. The Phrygian tune was pos-
sibly cast by Luther. As in the case of Ein feste B253,
where writers have attempted to find the sources of the
chorale tunes by piecing together fragments of existing
liturgical and secular materials, so it is with this
tune for Aus tiefer Not. According to one writer, the
opening phrase is similar to the following: a Marian
song by the minnesinger Frauenlob (d.1318), the bass
part of the Kyrie from Ockeghem's Mi-Mi Mass, and the
1The other chorales using this tune in the Acht-
liederbuch are Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein (No. 52)
and Es spricht der Unweisen‘Mund thI (No. 23).
2See No. 22.
82
tenor of Josquin's Petre tu pastor omnium.l Because
of Luther's high regard for Josquin's music, it is
likely that he was familiar with the piece, and his
opening for Aus tiefer Not could have been influenced
by Joaquin. The similarity between thetwo pieces,
however, ends after the first phrase. The English
translation is by Catherine Winkworth (1865).
lGustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance (New
York: W. W. Norton & Co.,71959), p. 675. The musical
examples cited above are included in this reference.
83
29. ISAIAH, MIGHTY SEER IN DAYS or OLD
Das deutsche Sanctus
Jesaia, dem Pr0pheten, das geschah
ght-y seer in days of old
I- sa—iah,
- rh . I
Tr } I II I I '1‘ 1% IL I II
4 L—J’ at +
The Lord of all in spir-it did be-hold High on a
r‘ 1 L r ’7‘ h, :3": LP
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loft-y throne in splen-dor bright, With flowing
as rain
. I k -
r r I’_ f I ¥ [I J! _ I I
«4 -«i «i- d '
that filled Tem—ple quite. A- bove the throne were
the «a , ‘
, , 1 'L j
L ï¬ if L I i a: I
\ .
Six wings had they, these mes-
X I IE )
r
at ~—
With twain they veiled their faces,
state-1y ser-a-phim,
m
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l X
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I
sen-gers of Him.
6‘
as was meet, With twain in rev'-rent awe they hid
er twain a- loft
their feet, And with the oth-
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77 II 1 ’
they soared, One to the oth- er called and praised
m k L m
'L T } I} E l ‘r
1 1; TE 4 i I;
of Sab - a- oth!
u elf . r
the Lord: "Ho-1y is God, the Lord
8h
I I. I '3
I) L fl 1\ 1
Ho- ly is God, the Lord of Sab- a- oth! o- l
m
is God, the Lord of Sab- a- oth! Be- hold, His
(a
it?
I
l I '
l 1 i
' f I
i -d?
glo-ry fill-eth all the earth%? The beams and
lin- tels trem-bled at the cry, And clouds of
smoke en- wrapped the throne on high.
Luther's well-known German Sanctus was written
for his Deutsche Messe, published in 1526. This hymn
is a paraphrase of Isaiah 6:1-h. The tune is an adap-
tation of a plain chant Sanctus set to the German text
by Luther,1 and it is a masterful setting of text and
music. The English translation is a composite as found
in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).
1Forwalter's comments, see p. 5.
85
30. LORD, KEEP US STEADFAST IN THY WORD
Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wert
‘ i i i i1 i i
"3' ii yify
1. Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word; Curb
If A 1 L T
i i 4‘! L.
!
those who fain by craft and sword Would wrest the
A L ’0‘
r i i I i
@#g d‘ ‘r l
kingdom from Thy Son, And set at naught all He hath done
Hr
2. Lord Jesus Christ, Thy power make known,
For Thou art Lord of lords alone;
Defend Thy Christendom, that we
May evermore sing praise to Thee.
3. O Comforter, of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth,
Support us in our final strife,
And lead us out of death to life.
The full title of this hymn reads: "A Chil-
dren's Song to be sung against the two Arch-enemies of
Christ and His Holy Church, the Pope and the Turks."
.It is among the later hymns of Luther, first appearing
in the Klug hymnbook of 15h3. It is believed to have
been written in lSLl, a most critical period for the
German Empire because of the assaults of the Turks.1
lLuther included a lengthy prayer against the
Turks at the conclusion of Part I of the Babst Gesangg
buch.
86
In lShl a special service of prayers for aid
against the Turkish invasion was prepared by Luther
in which most of the music was sung by the boy choir.
This could possibly explain the sub-title "A Chil-
dren's Song.“
The tune is ascribed to Luther and it appears
to be patterned after the hymn Veni Redemptor gentium
of St. Ambrose.1 The English translation is by
Catherine Winkworth (1865).
lSee Hymn No. l, p. 22.
87
31. GRANT PEACE IN MERCY, LORD, WE PRAY
Verleih uns Frieden gnadiglich
l k
‘4? ï¬rj nr 1} #7 [I'L
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‘ -
Grant peace in mer-cy, Lord, we pray,
J
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géépi 1‘ I! ‘i: 1i;‘
Peace in our time, 0 send us! For there is
iaï¬ï¬
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if 7L
none on earth but Thee, None oth-er to de-
iJ‘B
A '1; {3 J1 Ii
’ i’j: _i
fend us. On- ly Thou, Lord, canst fight for us.
Da pacem Dominel
é: a1 "riï¬l'i’ï¬:Â¥i
#4'%' L as
Da pa-cem, Do— mi- ne, in di- e- bus nos-tris:
qui
qui-a non est a- 1i- us
' l I I, I i I L
' I L
’ I
I
pug-net pro-no - bis, ni-si tu De- us nos-ter.
1Chants of the Church (Chicago: Gregorian In-
stitute of_America, 19627, p. 9h.
88
This hymn is Luther's German version of the
Latin antiphon Da pacem Domine in diebus nostgig
("Give peace, 0 Lord, in these days of ours") of the
tenth century. The melody of the chorale, the first
two phrases in particular, is quite similar to the
plain chant, and it is believed to have been re-cast
by Luther. It first appeared in Klug's 1533 hymnal,
although it may well have been included in the lost
1529 book since the year 1528 marked an earlier era
of assaults by the Turks. This hymn was later fre-
quently included as the fourth stanza to the preced-
ing hymn, Erhalt uns,_Herr. The English translation
is by Ulrich S. Leupold.1
lLeupold, Luther's Works, LIII, p. 287.
89
32. DEAR CHRISTIANS, ONE AND ALL, REJOICE
Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein
L f _l - i f
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claim the won-ders God hath done, How His right
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90
Fast bound in Satan's chains I lay,
Death brooded darkly o'er me,
Sin was my torment night and day,
In sin my mother bore me;
Yea, deep and deeper still I fell,
Life had become a living hell,
So firmly sin possessed me.
My own good works availed me naught,
No merit they attaining;
Free will against God's judgment fought,
Dead to all good remaining.
My fears increased till sheer despair
Left naught but death to be my share;
The pangs of hell I suffered.
But God beheld my wretched state
Before the world's foundation,
And, mindful of His mercies great,
He planned my soul's salvation.
A father's heart He turned to me,
Sought my redemption fervently:
He gave His dearest Treasure.
He spoke to His beloved Son:
'Tis time to have compassion.
Then go, bright Jewel of My crown,
And bring to man salvation;
From sin and sorrow set him free,
Slay bitter death for him that he
May live with Thee forever.
This Son obeyed His Father's will,
Was born of virgin mother,
And God's good pleasure to fulfill,
He came to be my Brother.
No garb of pomp or power He wore,
A servant's form, like mine, He bore,
To lead the devil captive.
To me He spake: Hold fast to Me,
I am thy Rock and Castle;
Thy Ransom I Myself will be,
For thee I strive and wrestle;
For I am with thee, I am thine,
And evermore thou shalt be Mine;
The Foe shall not divide us.
A 91
8. The Foe shall shed My precious blood,
Me of My life bereaving.
All this I suffer for thy good;
Be steadfast and believing.
Life shall from death the victory win,
My innocence shall bear thy sin;
So art thou blest forever.
9. Now to My Father I depart,
The Holy Spirit sending
And, heavenly wisdom to impart,
My help to thee extending.
He shall in trouble comfort thee,
Teach thee to know and follow Me,
And in all truth shall guide thee.
10. What I have done and taught, teach thou,
My ways forsake thou never;
So shall My kingdom flourish now
And God be praised forever.
Take heed lest men with base alloy
The heavenly treasure should destroy;
This counsel I bequeath thee. Amen.
This hymn was written in 1523. Earlier in the
same year Luther wrote the ballad Ein neues Lied wir
heben an ("By Help of God I Fain Would Tell");1 how-
ever, Nun freut such is considered to be the first of
Luther's congregational hymns. It was first published
as a broadsheet and was subsequently included in all
of the Lutheran hymnbooks of the period. Its complete
title reads: "A Hymn of Thanksgiving for the Great
Blessing Which God in Christ Has Bestowed Upon Us."
Three tunes have been associated with the hymn,
two of which are included in the Babst hymnbook. The
second of the tunes included here is considered to be
lHymn No. 39.
92
the proper melody for the hymn, this being used for the
broadsheet and again in the Achtliederbuch. Its charac-
teristic leaping fourths graphically portray the mood
of the text, and Luther is believed to be the composer.
In the Erfurt Enchiridia the hymn is coupled.with the
tune Es ist das Heil. Finally, the first of the tunes
in the Babst book was used in the 1533 Klug hymnal, a
tune now known as Es ist gewisslich an der 22;; ("The
Day Is Surely Drawing Near"). '
The English translation is an altered form of
that by Richard Massie (185L) as found in The Lutheran
31921; (191.1).
93
3h. DEAR IS TO ME THE HOLY MAID
Sie ist mir Lieb, die werthe Magd
Dear is to me the ho - — - - - -
1.
{For glorious things of her
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9h
2. She wears a crown of purest gold,
Twelve shining stars attend her;
Her raiment, glorious to behold,
Surpasses far in splendor
The sun at noon; Upon the moon
She stands, the Bride
Of Him who died:
Sore travail is upon her;
She bringeth forth a noble Son
Whom all the world doth honor;
She bows before His throne.
3. Thereat the Dragon raged, and stood
With open mouth before her;
But vain was his attempt, for God
His buckler broad threw o'er her.
Up to His throne He caught His Son,
But left the Foe
To rage below.
The mother, sore afflicted,
Alone into the desert fled,
There by her God protected,
By her true Father fed.
This song (it is not a typical chorale) repre-
sents the most unusual of Luther's hymns in this col-
lection. Its complete title reads: "A Song of the
Holy Christian Church based upon the 12th Chapter of
the Apocalypse."1 The analOgy of the Church as a
woman is similar to that of the Old Testament's "Song
-of Solomon." Luther is credited with the tune as well
as the text, and the tune represents one of his most
intricate structures, melodically as well as rhythmically,
especially the interchange of duple and triple rhythms.
The song first appeared in Klug's 1535 hymnbook and
1Revelation 12:1-6.
95
again in the 1543 edition, both times without a tune.
In this Babst edition the melody was included for the
first time. The English translation is by Richard
Massie (185h).
96
35. THOUGH IN MIDST OF LIFE WE BE
Mitten wir im Leben sind
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Lest our foes con- found us? 0 ee 3'
lone, our Sav- ior. We mourn our griev-ous sin
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which hath Stirred the fire of Thy fierce wrath.
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97
2. While in midst of death we be,
Hell's grim Jaws o'ertake us;
Who from such distress will free,
Who secure will make us?
Thou only, Lord, canst do it!
It moves Thy tender heart to see
Our great sin and misery.
Holy and gracious God!
Holy and mighty God!
Holy and all-merciful Savior!
Thou eternal God!
Let not hell dismay us
With its deep and burning flood.
Lord, have mercy!
3. Into hell's fierce agony
Sin doth headlong drive us;
Where shall we for succor flee,
Who, 0 who will hide us?
Thou only, blessed Savior.
Thy precious blood was shed to win
Peace and pardon for our sin.
Holy and gracious God!
Holy and mighty God!
Holy and all-merciful Savior!
Let us not, we pray
From the true faith 5 comfort
Fall in our last need away.
Lord, have mercy!
Luther's hymn has as its basis the Latin hymn
Media vita in morte sumus ("In The Midst Of Life We Are
In Death"), ascribed by some to Notker Balbulus (d.912),
the writer of some well-known sequences at the monastery
at St. Call in Switzerland. Included in the hymn is the
refrain "Holy and gracious God!" based upon the 25153;
gion of the Greek liturgy of the fifth century.1
1The Trisagion is the oldest form of the Sanc-
tus in the Greek language. The word is derived from
two Greek words meaning "thrice" and "holy." The text
is also known as the Cherubic H n, set to music by
various Russian composers. The Trisagion is also found
in Hymn No. 29.
98
The Latin hymn consisted of one stanza which
Luther altered and then added two more stanzas to it.
It appears first in the Erfurt Enchiridia (1524) with-
out music. In Walter's Wittenberg hymnbook of the
same year it is found with this Phrygian tune._ The
English translation is by Richard Massie (l85h).
99
BY HELP OF GOD I PAIN WOULD TELL
Ein neues Lied wir heben an
39.
1 By help of God I fain would
’ lAnd sing a mar- vel that be-
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lift - - ed, To show His won-ders by the
aw; a 1L wig—.3.
hands Of two youths, high- ly gift -
With rich and heav- en- ly grac- es.
1Nos. 36, 37, and 38 are omitted in this paper
because they are liturgical pieces, not chorales. They
include the Te Deum laudamus, the German Litany, and
the Latin Litany, respectively.
a.
2.
3.
h.
5.
100
One of these youths was called John,
And Henry was the other;
Rich in the grace of God was one,
And Christian true his brother.
For God's dear WOrd they shed their blood,
And from the world departed
Like bold and pious sons of God;
Faithful and lion-hearted,
They won the crown of martyrs.
The old Arch-fiend did them immure,
To terrify them seeking;
They bade them God's dear Word abjure,
And fain would stop their speaking.
From Louvain many Sephists came,
Deep versed in human learning,
God 5 Spirit foiled them at their game,
Their pride to folly turning.
They could not but be losers.
They spake them fair, they spake them foul,
Their sharp devices trying.
Like rocks stood firm each brave young soul
The Sophists' art defying.
The enemy waxed fierce in hate,
And for their life-blood thirsted;
He fumed and chafed that one so great
Should by two babes be worsted,
And straightway sought to burn them.
Their monkish garb from them they take,
And gown of ordination;
The youths a cheerful Amen spake,
And showed no hesitation.
They thanked their God that by His aid
They now had been denuded
Of Satan's mock and masquerade,
Whereby he had deluded
The world with false pretences.
Thus by the power of grace they were
True priests of God's own making,
Who offered up themselves e'en there,
Christ's holy orders taking;
Dead to the world, they cast aside
Hypocrisy's sour leaven,
That penitent and justified
They might go clean to heaven,
And leave all monkish follies.
...!
9.
10.
11.
101
They then were told that they must read
A note which was dictated;
They straightway wrote their fate and creed,
And not one jot abated.
Now mark their heresy! "we must
In God be firm believers;
In mortal men not put our trust,
For they are all deceivers;"
For this they must be burned!
Two fires were lit; the youths were brought,
But all were seized with wonder
To see them set the flames at naught,
And stood as struck with thunder.
With Joy they came in sight of all,
And sang aloud God's praises;
The Sophists' courage waxed small
Before such wondrous traces
Of God's almighty finger.
The scandal they repent, and would
Right gladly gloss it over;
They dare not boast their deed of blood,
But seek the stain to cover.
They feel the shame within their breasts,
And charge therewith each other;
But now the Spirit cannot rest,
For Abel 'gainst his brother
Doth cry aloud for vengeance.
Their ashes will not rest; world-wide
They fly through every nation.
No cave nor grave, no turn nor tide,
Can hide th'abomination.
The voices which with cruel hands
They put to silence living,
Are heard, though dead, throughout all lands
Their testimony giving,
And loud hosannas singing.
From lies to lies they still proceed,
And feign forthwith a story
To color o'er the murderous deed;
Their conscience pricks them sorely.
These saints of God e'en after death
They slandered, and asserted
The youths had with their latest breath
Confessed and been converted,
Their heresy renouncing.
10.2
12. Then let them still go on and lie,
They cannot win a blessing;
And let us thank God heartily,
His Nerd again possessing.
Summer is even at the door,
The winter now has vanished,
The tender flowerets spring once more,
And He, who winter banished,
Will send a happy summer. Amen.
Upon hearing the news of the deaths of the
Reformation's first two martyrs, Heinrich Voes and
Johann Esch, Luther took the Opportunity to extol the
strong faith of these two young monks in a ballad which
he wrote in the fall of 1523.1 His intent was also to
quell any false rumors which those in authority had be-
gun to circulate concerning the fact that the two men
had recanted at the time of their deaths. He chose a
common form of the period-~the ballad. The song first
appeared as a broadsheet in 1523, and it was then in-
cluded in both the Erfurt Enchiridia and Walter's Wit-
tenberg hymnal of lSZh. Luther is credited with the
tune. This was his first attempt as a writer of songs,
and it led to the production of the great number of
songs to come from his pen within the next year. The
English translation of this ballad is by Richard Mas-
sie (185h).
1The execution took place on July 1, 1523.
103
63. THOU WHO ART THREE IN UNITY
Der du bist Drei in Einigkeit
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Thou who art. T ree in U - ni- ty,
1‘ True God from all e- ter - ni- ty,
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The sun is fad - ing from our sight, Shine
Thou on us with heav - en - - 1y light.
0 lux beata trinitas2
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0 lux be-a- ta, trin - i- tas et prin-
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41 Ergl‘lï¬ j 5“
ne - us in- fun - de lu-men cor - di- bus.
1For an explanation of the numbering of this
hymn, see the accompanying notes at its conclusion.
2This melody is found in the Liber usualis,
p. 776, with the text Tu trinitatis unites, a'hymn at-
tributed to Gregory the Great. Since Luther's version
is based upon the hymn of St. Ambrose, the writer of
this paper has taken the liberty to substitute the Am-
brosian text.
10h
2. we prasie Thee with the dawning day,
To Thee at evening also pray,
With our poor song we worship Thee
Now, ever and eternally.
_3. Let God the Father be adored,
And God the Son, the only Lord,
And equal adoration be,
Eternal Comforter, to Thee. Amen.
This is one of the last, quite possibly the
very last, of Luther's hymns, written in 15h3. It is
a German version of the Ambrosian hymn O lux beata.
trinitas which originally consisted of two stanzas to
which Luther added the third. It did not appear until
the 15h3 hymnal of Klug where it was placed second to
the last of the hymns, completely apart from the other
hymns by Luther. Because of this unusual placement,
it is believed that Luther was writing the hymn while
the book was in the process of being published. Since
the Babst version retains the same order as in the
Klug hymnal, this hymn is included as No. 63 whereas
the section of Luther's hymns concludes with No. 39.
The hymn tune is an adaptation of the Latin hymn, most
likely the work of Luther. The English translation is
‘by Richard Massie (1854).
CHAPTER III
MUSICAL TREATMENT OF THE CHORALE MELODIES
From Polyphony to Homophony
In the study thus far the single melodic lines
of the chorales have been shown as they appear in the
Babst Gesangbuch. Many chorale melodies had been given
contrapuntal settings, notably, the three, four, and
five-part settings by Johann walter in his Geistliche
‘Qgggggbflchlein (1524). Of the thirty-eight chorale
settings in Walter's collection, two have the cantus
firmus in the saprano; the remaining thirty-six have
the cantus firmus in the tenor. These compositions by
'Walter were intended for choir use; the congregation
continued to sing the unaccompanied chorale in unison,
a pattern left relatively unchanged until the latter 9
part of the sixteenth century.1 That Welter's settings
‘were intended for trained choirs is indicated in a para- -
graph from Luther's Preface to the Gesangbflchlein:
And these are arranged in four parts for no
other reason than that I greatly desire the youth,
1For a more complete presentation of the limited
musical role of the congregation during this period, see
Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, Vol. I, p. 31.
105
106
who certainly should and must be trained in music
and other proper and useful arts, to have some-
thing whereby they may be weaned away and freed
from the love ballads and worldly (carnal) songs,
and instead of these learn something wholesome
and beneficial, and take up good things with en-
thusiasm, as is proper for the youth.
There are two distinct styles of writing in
Halter's collection, and the chorales are nearly equally
divided between the two styles. In one group the cho-
rale tune in the tenor proceeds in long notes with the
other voices above and below it. The accompanying
voices are livelier and freer in character. Imitation
is used at the phrase entries, and, in the case of some
five-part settings, a second voice carries the cantus
firmus in canon with the tenor. This is illustrated
in Example 1, an excerpt from Walter's setting of Nun
komm, der Heiden Heiland.2
lStrodach, Works of Martin Luther, VI, p. 28h.
2From the 1524 edition, No. 1.
107
Example 1 Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland . J. Halter
Discantus
Bassus
108
In the other group the voices move in a homo-
phonic style, with little or no imitation. This style
was to have important consequences in the development
of chorale treatment when the cantus firmus was placed
in the soprano line. This move, however, was not to
come for another sixty years.1
An example of this style from the Gesangbï¬ch-
lgig (Example 2) is reproduced below. This setting of
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir2 is for four voices
in a modal harmonization. The last phrase introduces
a more contrapuntal style than occurs elsewhere in the
setting, and it contains one of the two instances of
imitative writing (between the bass and tenor voices--
"wer kan, Herr, fUr"). The other point of imitation
is found immediately following the second ending.
Here the soprano enters on C, the third note of the
phrase, and anticipates the tenor cantus firmus through-
out the line in melodic contour.
1See p. 113.
2From the 152a edition, No. a.
109
Example 2 ' Aus tiefer Not. J. Halter
w kan, Herr, fflr
'F T“
110
Welter's importance to the development of
chorale literature is expressed in the following:
Welter's music is not as skilfully written as
the lieder of his predecessors, and it is some-
what simpler. But its position as forming the
first Lutheran collection, and the powerful in-
fluence exerted by its intimate association with
the Reformer himself, established Welter as an
important figure and gave rise to other collec-
tions written along the same lines and, in part,
based on the same material.1
The popularity of Walter's work is shown by
the fact that the collection passed through five edi-
tions during his lifetime: 152b, 1525, 1537, lShh,
and 1551. The lShh edition was printed by Georg Rhau
(lhBO-lShB), a musician, composer, and predecessor of
J. S. Bach at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Rhau
moved to Wittemberg in 152A and opened a printing
firm there. He was important as a music publisher be-
cause he published in lSAh his Neue deutsche geistliche
Lieder (New German Spiritual Songs),2 a collection of
motets by prominent German and Swiss composers of the
day, such as Resinarius, de Bruck, Senfl, Dietrich.
Mahu, and Agricola. Many of these chorale-based motets
have the cantus firmus moved to the soprano, but retain
the polyphonic style with independent voice parts and
lReese, Music in the Renaissance, p. 678.
2Johannes Wolf, ed., Denkmaler deutscher Ton-
kunst, XXXIV: Georg Rhau, Neue deutsche géistliche
Lieder, 1544 (Wiesbaden: Breitk0pf und_HHrtél, 1958).
111
imitative entries. The following excerpt from Ag;
tiefer Not,1 a four-voice composition by Arnoldus
de Bruck (c.1A70-155h), serves to illustrate one style
from the Rhau collection (Example 3). Although the
cantus firmus is still found in the tenor, the sop-
rano line is given nearly equal status inasmuch as it
also carries the entire cantus firmus. The tenor mel-
ody generally makes use of notes of longer value,
whereas the soprano line is more ornamented, melodi-
cally and rhythmically, particularly in the closing
measures (not shown).
Arnoldus de Bruck was a Roman Catholic who
served as KapellmeiSter to the Habsburgs in Vienna
from 1534 to lSAS.
lIbid., No. LXX, p. lot.
112
3 Aus tiefer Not Arnoldus de Bruck
113
Perhaps the most significant publication of cho-
rale literature to appear in the late sixteenth century
was Lucas Osiander's Fflnfzig geistliche Lieder (1586).l
Osiander (153h-l6OA) was a Lutheran pastor in Esslingen
and later in Wittenberg. His interest in the chorale
is expressed in these words from the Preface:
I know, indeed, that composers otherwise usually
put the chorale in the tenor, but when that is done,
the chorale is not sufficiently recognizable among
the other voices, and the ordinary man cannot fol-
low or join in the singing. I havg, therefore, put
the chorale always in the descent.
This was the first chorale book in which chorales
were set homophonically with the cantus firmus in the sap-
rano; this style is known as the kantional style. The
musical settings in the Osiander collection were intended
for the choir; however, the congregation could now parti-
cipate in the singing of the melody, with the choir pro-
viding the harmonic accompaniment. The fact that Osiander
relied upon the choir and not the organ for the leading
of the congregational singing indicates that the organ did
1The complete title reads: FUnfzig_geistliche
Lieder und Psalmen,flmit vier Stimmen auffkontra unkt-
weise Afu?:die Kirchen und SEhulen im lbblich Fï¬rsten-
tumb Wï¬rtemberg, a]so_ge§etzet, _d.ass eine gantze christ-
liche Gemein durchaus mitsingen kannï¬TFifty sacred songs
and salms for the churches and schools in the worSHip_
fulprinc1palityof Wittenberg, set contrapuntaIIy in
four_pa: ts in such a way that the whole Christian con-
gregation can always—301n in them), (Stuttgart, 1535).
2Eric Blom, ed., Grove's Dictionar of Music
and Musicians, VI (New York: St. Martin's gress, Inc.,
Fifth Edition, 1954), p. #56.
11h
not accompany congregational singing at this time.
This was possibly due to the inadequacy of the organ
of his time to function in this manner. The organ
was used independently in the service, not as an accom-
panying instrument. The chorale tune would be intro-
duced on the organ, and thereafter the congregation
and organ would participate in an alternating fashion.
Two examples of Osiander's harmonizations are
given below (Examples A and 5). One important charac-
teristic of his harmonic style is the use of chords in
root position in nearly all instances. In the first
example (Example A) he used only one chord in first
inversion, the V6 at the close of the third phrase.
Rhythmically and melodically Osiander followed the ver-
sion of the Babst hymnal throughout, except for an F#
instead of an A on the penultimate note.
Example 5, a setting of Vom Himmel hoch, further
illustrates the use of chords in root position in every
case. The simple harmonic vocabulary is slightly en-
larged in this example by the use of two secondary dom-
inant chords, the V of V in each occurrence. The ori-
ginal rhythm of the Babst version is retained; the mel-
ody is altered slightly in the last phrase on the two
eighth notes. Osiander used G and F, whereas an F and
E are used in the original.
115
Nun komm, der Heiden Heilandl Osiander
g: VII 1 V i i 1 VII 1
iv 1 v °6 iv i
lLudwig Schoeberlein, ed., Musica Sacra fï¬r
Kirchenchbre (thtingen: Vandenhoeck und RuprecHt,
, P-
116
Example 5 Vom Himmel hochl Osiander
v/v v I ii
lLuthers Kirchenlieder in Tonsatzen seiner
Zeit, ed. by Konrad AmeIn (Dortmund: Barenreiter-
VerIag, 1933), Vol. I, p. 11.
117
The successors of Osiander who continued the
kantional style were not merely imitating the practice
he had introduced. At that period in music history'
German composers were beginning to break free from the
polyphonic style of the Netherlanders and to be more
and more influenced by the Nuove Musiche of Italy.
:Until the end of the sixteenth century composers con-
ceived musical compositions primarily in a linear style
with the cantus firmus and fragments of it serving as
material for imitative writing, particularly at points
of entry. Chorale settings in polyphonic style were
not meeting the needs of the average man (as stated in
Osiander's Preface), or were too 50phisticated for the
lay listener, especially in worship. Just as the Italian
Opera composer discarded intricate polyphonic texture as
being totally unfit for his purpose, so the German com-
poser turned from polyphony and adopted the homophonic
style by placing the melody in the uppermost part and
by supporting the melody with three or four voices on a
note-for-note basis.
Chorale Treatment in the Seventeenth
and Eighteenth Centuries
At the turn of the seventeenth century a very
productive period of musical composition was introduced
in Germany in church music and music based upon the cho-
rale. Some of the leading composers and the names of their
118
collections of chorale settings are: Johannes Eccard,
Egistliche Lieder auff den Choral (1597); Bartholomï¬us’
Gesius, Geistliche deutsche Lieder (1601); Seth Ca1-
visius, Harmonia Cantionum Ecclesiasticarum (1597);
Melchior Vulpius, Gesangbuch (1609); Hans Leo Hassler,
Kirchengesange (1608); Michael Praetorius, Musae Sioniae
(1605-1610); Heinrich SchUtz, Becker Psalter (1628);
Johann Hermann Schein, Kantional (1627); and Samuel
Scheidt, Tabulaturbuch (1650). Many other composers,
such as Joachim Decker, Jakob Praetorius, and David
Scheidemann, contributed to the abundance of chorale-
based materials.
Examples of harmonic settings from some impor-
tant works have been chosen to show the gradual develop-
ment of harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic treatment the
chorales have received. Two chorale tunes have been
selected which have been harmonized by many composers.
The two melodies are Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
(No. 28) and Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (No. A).
In the following illustrations the introduction of the
kantional style did not eliminate the continuation of
the polyphonic practices of the preceding period.
One of the most prominent composers at the turn
of the seventeenth century was Hans Leo Hassler (156A-
1612). His early training was in Nurnberg, and in 158A
he spent one year in Venice in study with Andrea Gabrieli.
119
The Venetian influence upon Hassler was considerable,
as shown by the warm and subtle harmonies found in his
works after his study there. He wrote much music, both
sacred and secular. Of particular importance to this
study are two collections by Hassler, Psalmen und christ-
liche Gesanngit vier Stimmen auf die Melodien fugweis
componirt (1607), a work which consisted of fifty-two
settings of thirty chorale melodies in the polyphonic
style, and KirchengesangeI Psalmen und geistliche Lieder
auf die gemeinen Melodien mit vier Stimmen simpliciter
gesetzt (1608). The latter work contained seventy set-
tings of chorale melodies in the kantional style.
The first example (Example 6) is a fragment of
his setting of Aus tiefer Not, which is found in the
.1607 collection.1 The cantus firmus is in the soprano;
however, the chorale is not heard in a continuous line
as in de Bruck's polyphonic setting.2 For example,
Hassler chose to repeat the opening phrase of the can-
tus firmus (with rhythmic alterations) in the soprano
in measure 15. In measures 13 and 1h the soprano line
is interrupted with contrapuntal material, and the can-
tus firmus is found in the alto and bass lines.
1Hans Leo Hassler, Psalmen und christliche Ge-
san mit vier Stimmen auf die MElodien—fugweis componirt,
ed. 5y RaIf von SaaIfeId (KasseI: Barenreiter, n.d1).
2See p. 112..
120
6 Aus tiefer Not Hassler
121
The other chorale, Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich
hgr (Example 7),1 shows the newer kantional style. In
this setting Hassler included only three first-inversion
chords and there are no non-harmonic tenes. Rhythmically,
the setting is identical to the Babst version with the
exception of the first note which has been doubled in
length. Melodically, the closing phrase has been al-
tered slightly: the fifth note of this phrase origin-
ally repeated the C, but Hassler chose to move down to
A, and Hassler omitted the passing tone A between the
B-flat and G at the cadence.
lHans Leo Hassler, Kirchengesï¬n Psalmen und
eistliche Lieder (1608), (Augsburg: BErenreIter-VerIag,.
27).
122
F:IiiiIVV16116VI Ivi
F: vi iii IV I
123
Example 8, from a slightly earlier composer,
illustrates a compromise between the two styles of
Hassler. This is a setting of Vom Himmel hoch by
Johann Eccard (1553-1611). Eccard was a student of
Orlando Lasso in Munich for a time before serving the
Duke of Prussia at Kbnigsberg. The last four years
of his life were spent in Berlin. While Eccard was
a member of the Prussian court, he published his
Geistliche Lieder in 1597, from which this example is
taken.1 This setting is in a modified kantional style
(particularly the opening phrase), with the following
differences: Eccard's settings are generally for five
voices, as in this example, whereas the other composers
of this period consistently wrote for four voices when
using the kantional style. Secondly, his harmoniza-
tions are not always on a note-for-note basis. Rhyth-
mic freedom in the supporting voices at times strongly
suggests a polyphonic style. In Example 8, particularly
in the latter half of the setting, Eccard used imitative
entries on the words der guten MHhr, and again in the
closing phrase on the words ggygn ich singin. At the
same time he retained the identical melody and rhythm
in the soprano line to that found in the Babst version.
lJohannes Eccard, Geistliche Lieder nach den
Kdnigsberggr Original-Ausgahen (1597), ed. by G. W.
Teschner (Leipzig: Brditkopf und Hartel, 1898).
12%
8 Vom Himmel hoch
ï¬.l I «5 I -— I!‘ I 1
1L
c: I:
i» 3362 Imxbï¬'91 nl 3516 I
125
The Change from Chorale Melodies in Irregular
Rhythms to Melodies in Even Values
Both of the chorale tunes which are being ex-
amined in this chapter employ the short-note entry for
most of the phrases. Nearly half of the chorale melo-
dies found in the Babst Gesangbuch (sixteen of thirty-
four) use this rhythmic device to some degree. Riedel
makes reference to a theory that "hymns of faith show
a shortened note value at the beginning of each phrase,
while hymns of meditation and hymns of prayer show a
long rhythmic note value at the same place."1 The cho-
rale melodies in the Babst hymnal exhibit that this the-
ory is an over-simplification of the practice. The cho-
rale tunes used in this chapter serve as examples that
this is not always true. Aus tiefer Not is a tune which
is used for prayer and meditation; the original version,
however, uses the short note at the beginning of each of
the phrases except the first. There seems to be no fixed
pattern which the writers of the hymn tunes used. The
inconsistency of this practice is also shown in the three
hymns to the Holy Ghost which the Babst hymnal contains:
Komm, Gott Schbpfer, heiliger Geist, Komm, heiliger GeistJ
Herre Gott, and Nun bitten wir den heiliger Geist (Nos.
10, 11, and 12, respectively). 0f the three, the second
lRiedel, The Lutheran Chorale, p. A7.
126
chorale tune makes use of short-note entries while the
first and third tunes use even notes, even though all
three texts convey basically the same thoughts. The
style of poetry probably had much to do with the rhyth-
mic characteristics of the tune. I
At the beginning of the seventeenth century a
trend toward changing the short-note entries to even
notes appeared. Writers such as Schweitzer, Liemohn,
and Riedel suggest that these rhythmic changes may have
anticipated the Pietistic movement which was to gain a
stronghold in the Church in the latter half of the sevé
enteenth century. Preceding this movement Germany suf-
fered through the Thirty Years War (l6l8-l6u8), during
which time a more subjective type of Christian thinking
developed. This is illustrated in the hymns of the pe-
riod, with the frequent use of the singular personal
pronouns "I," "me," and "my," in contrast to the "we"
and "our" of the earlier Reformation period. Musically
this meant that the rugged, forceful melodies of Luther's
day could not be used for the quiet spirit of subjec-
tivism of the Pietistic movement. The new chorale tunes
of writers such as Johann Cruger (1598-1662) were less
vigorous than those of a century ago. Some well-known
examples of Cruger's hymn tunes are: Nun danket all'
und bringet Ehr, Herzliebster Jesu, Jesu, meine Freude,
and Nun danket alle Cgtt.
127
The rhythmic change to notes of even value also
occurred in harmonizations of existing Reformation tunes.
In the next examples by composers such as Decker, Vulpius,
and Praetorius, the short-note entry gives way to the
even-note style. It is also possible that these com-
posers in the early seventeenth century felt that their
harmonizations for the choirs were more singable than
the earlier rhythmic style permitted, and that more har-'
monic freedom was allowed with the new style, as will be
seen. In this study it will be shown how the trend toward
using a chorale tune in even-value notes prevailed in the
seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, and
how the trend was reversed in editions of chorale liter-
ature in the twentieth century.
A lesser-known composer supplied the next exam-
ple (Example 9), a four-part setting of Aus tiefer Not.l
Joachim Decker (d.16ll) is associated with the North Ger-
man school, among such composers as David Scheidemann,
Hieronymus Praetorius, and Jakob Praetorius, all organ-
ists in Hamburg. These men were responsible for a major
chorale book of the Baroque period, Das Hamburger Melo-
dien-Gesangbuch, 1605. Decker's setting exhibits the
tendency toward writing in even notes. The first note
lHans Albrecht, ed., Vierstimme Chorale aus dem
Melode en-Gesan buch Hamburg: l60h (Lippstadt: Kistner
und Siegel, I952), VoI. , o. 30.
128
of each phrase (except for the first phrase) begins
with a quarter note, whereas the melody in the Babst
version always enters on an eighth note. Yet, in the
phrase denn so du willst das sehen an Decker retained
the rhythmic vitality of the original, by which he
maintained the interest and excitement which otherwise
might have been lost. There is only one slight melodic
change associated with the words Unrecht ist getan.
The Babst version has a slur over notes B-C with the
word igt. Decker omitted this slur and used only the
C. Except for the occasionally ornamented tenor line
in the first three measures and the rhythmic freedom
in the supporting voices at the final cadence, this
harmonization is in the kantional style. Decker intro-
duced more non-harmonic tones than had any other com-
poser up until his time: two passing tones, three
lower auxiliaries, and a four-three suspension. The
final cadence is of particular importance. The half
note A in the bass can be analyzed as a pedal under
the tonic in the upper three voices on the first of the
two sixteenth notes. A double lower auxiliary follows,
resolving on the final tonic in E. Due to the modal
character of the melody, Decker employed key centers
of e, G, C, d, and a in this harmonization.
129
9 Aus tiefer Not Decker
vi 1 the W (..Pea) I
130
Melchior Vulpius (1560-1616) provided another
example of the newer rhythmic style of doubling the
length of the original notes at the beginnings of
phrases to quarter notes. Vulpius was Cantor at weimar
for the last fourteen years of his life, during which
time he prepared two collections of chorales: Kirchen-
gesange und geistliche Lieder D. Lutheri und Anderer
mit vier und fflnf Stimmen (160A), and an enlarged sec-
ond edition Ein schbn geistlich Gesangbuch (1609), from
which the next example (Example 10) is taken.1 Vulpius
is also credited with the composition of several chorale
melodies, two of which are Christus der ist mein Leben
and Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod. Both of these melodies
2
occur in Bach's works and are in common use today.
The harmonizations of Vulpius are quite simple--
principally root-position chords with a slow harmonic
rhythm (seven consecutive tonic chords in root position
within the first two phrases). He used no non-harmonic
tones in this example, only two chords in first inver-
sion, and one secondary dominant chord. The harmoniza-
tion is primarily in C major with modulations into D
minor and G major.
lMelchior Vulpius, Ein schbn geistlich Gesang-
buch (Jena, 1609), p. L6.
2These two tunes are used in Cantatas 159 and
95, respectively.
131
10 Vom Himmel hoch Vulpius
A A A
c: I v vi v I IVvii°6I I I
GIV
132
One of the most prolific composers of the period
was Michael Praetorius (1571-1621). He was Kapellmeis-
ter to the Duke of Brunswick in 1596, and in 1613 to the
Elector of Saxony. Reference has already been made to
his Syntagma Musicum, a projected four-volume musical
treatise which deals with the following categories:
Volume I is a detailed history of church music and a
study of ancient secular music; Volume II (Organographia)
is a discussion of the ancient and modern organ and an-
cient and existing instruments, with wood-cuts of the
more important instruments; Volume III treats the sub-
ject of composition, particularly secular practices in
the early seventeenth century, and all aspects of theory.
Volume IV, which was never completed, was to have cov-
ered the subject of counterpoint.
Probably one of the outstanding publications of
church music (which also included a small number of sec-
ular dances) to come from this period was Praetorius'
Musae Sionae (Muses of Zion).1 This monumental work con-
tains thh settings of chorale melodies in the form of
motets in up to twelve voices, kantional settings, organ
works, and instrumental pieces. Of the twenty-volume
work, Volumes V through VIII treat the German chorale
and contain homOphonic settings of these chorales. The
lFriedrich Blume, ed., Complete Works of Michael
Praetorius (20 vols.; Wolfenbï¬ttel und Berlin: Georg
Kallmeyer Verlag, 1928-1940).
133
example below of Vom Himmel hoch (Example 11)1 illus-
trates the kantional style of Praetorius. Non-harmonic
tones in the form of two suspensions are contained in
this setting in the first and second phrases in the
tenor line, and a dominant seventh chord is included
at the cadence of the second phrase. Praetorius used
the six-four chord on two occasions in this harmoniza-
tion. The first occurs on the second chord of the
chorale. The second is found at the cadence of the
second phrase as an auxiliary six-four chord. It is
unusual that these two six-four chords appear in this
harmonization. Upon examination of thirty other cho-
rale settings of Praetorius the six-four chord was
found in only four harmonizations, and in each of these
cases it was used as a cadential six-four chord.
The melodic line of this Praetorius setting is
slightly altered from that of the Babst version. The
closing phrase of the Praetorius setting is identical
with that in the Hassler example (Example 7) in which
the fifth note of the last phrase drOps to an E instead
of repeating the G; the passing note is omitted between
the F and D. The melody is in the even-note style, and
Praetorius used independence of rhythm in the support-
ing voices on five occasions in the first two phrases.
11bid., Vol. v, No. 68 (1932).
13h
Vom Himmel ho ch Praetorius
??
0 IV V I V Vi 0 vi IV I
135
Another setting by Praetorius of the same cho-
rale (Example 12) illustrates the earlier rhythmic
style, one in which there are no rhythmic or melodic
changes in the chorale melody from the original.1
The second setting is simpler harmonically than the
preceding example, e.g., there are no non-harmonic
tones, and there are only two chords which are not
found in root position: the vii°6 and the v6 of ii.
1Choralbuch zum evangelischen Kirchen esan buch,
ed. by Christhard Mahreï¬holz (Kassel: BErenreiter-VerIag,
1950), No. 206.
136
Example 12 Vom Himmel hoch Praetorius
J.
v/v v I IV vii°6 I
.1
ll .
I [i C. iii /11 ii iii VG:[IV
‘f’
137
The pure kantional style is once more shown in,
the following example by Jakob Praetorius (1586-1651),
of no relation to Michael.1 Jakob Praetorius was the
son of Hieronymus, and both were of the previously-
mentioned North German school in Hamburg and both con-
tributed to the Hambugger Melodeien-Gesangbuch (l60h).
They were influenced by the Venetian school of church
music and often wrote for eight to twelve voices in
several choirs. Jakob was a student of Sweelinck in
Amsterdam, as were Heinrich Scheidemann and Samuel
Scheidt. In 1603 Jakob became organist of the Church
of St. Peter in Hamburg where he enjoyed a great repu-
tation as organist and teacher.
His setting of Vom Himmel hoch (Example 13)2
contains only one chord not in root position, the 16
as the third chord of the second phrase. He used only
one secondary dominant chord and he modulated into A
major for the third phrase of the chorale. Once again
the style of the chorale melody in notes of the same
value is observed with even quarter notes throughout
the entire setting.
lPraetorius (Praetor) is the Latin equivalent
to the German Schulze or Schultheiss, meaning the vil-
lage mayor or magistrate. The surname Praetorius was
adopted by several German families whose original name
was Schultz, Schultze, Schulz, or Schulze.
2Hans Albrecht, ed., Vierstimme Chorale aus dem
Melodeyen-Gesangbuch,_Hamburg, IEOA (3 v618.; Lippstadt:
detner und‘SiegeI, 1952),'Vol. I, No. 2.
138
Example 13 Vom Himmel hoch J. Praetorius
139
A musical highpoint was reached in Germany in
the compositions of Heinrich Schfltz (1585-1672).1 He
studied in Venice with Giovanni Gabrieli from l609-1612.
Shortly thereafter he was employed by the Electoral
Prince at Dresden, although much of his time was spent
in travel, including visits to Copenhagen, Hanover, and
another trip to Italy in 1628. The compositions of
Schfltz spanned two periods, the Renaissance and the
Baroque, and his art linked two cultures, the German
and Italian. The Italian innovations of poly-choral
writing and the combination of voices and instruments,
the stilo rappresentativo, the concertato style, the
independence of the orchestra, all of these elements
were found in Schï¬tz's music in Germany. His works
include Biblical "Histories" such as a Christmas Ora-
torio (Weihnachtshistorie) and Passions according to
each of the Evangelists, dramatic motets, dialogues,
the first German opera, nggg (1627), and his monumen-
tal Symphoniae sacrae.
Perhaps the death of SchUtz's wife in 1625
caused him to turn to the Psalms as a source of in-
spiration. In 1628 he set the rhymed Psalms of Cor-
nelius Becker to simple note-against-note harmoniza-
tions. The following setting of Aus tiefer Not
lHis surname is sometimes found Latinized as
Sagittarius.
lhO
(Example 11,)1 illustrates the style used by Schï¬tz in
harmonizing the German chorale, characterized by pass-
ing tones, two four-three suspensions (the third and
fourth phrases in the tenor), chords in root position
(except for the iv6 at the cadence of the first phrase),
and rhythmic subtleties in the closing three measures.
lTen More Psalms from the "Becker Psalter"
(1628), ed. & trans. by Robert Wunderlich (St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1967), p. 1h.
141
Example ll, Aus tiefer Not Schfltz
1&2
One of the earlier publications for the organ
in its accompanying role was the Cantional (1627) of
Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630). This collection,
by another predecessor of J. S. Bach at Thomaskirche
in Leipzig, added a figured bass to the choral settings
he had written, "for the use of organists, instrumental
players, and lutenists,"l and it was intended to accom-
pany the choir. The Cantional consists of chorale
tunes, both old and new, harmonized in the note-against-
note style. 0f the more than two hundred melodies in
the book, about eighty were composed by Schein.
Although Schein retained the old irregular
rhythm of the tunes for the most part, the following
setting (Example 15) makes use of the melody in notes
of even value.2 One four-three suspension occurs in
the alto at the final cadence as the only non-harmonic
tone; there are also five first-inversion chords and
one secondary dominant used.
lSchweitzer, J. s. Bach, Vol. I, p. 36.
2Allen McHose, The Contrapuntal Harmonic Tech-
nique of the Eighteenth’Century (New York:_Appleton-
Century-Crofts, Iï¬c.,719h7), p. 27.
11.3
15 Vom Himmel hoch Schein
A A
c: I v v6/v v I6 IV vii°6 I I I
.1
IV ii iii V
A
vi iii IV
lhh
While Schein generally retained rhythmic and
melodic patterns of the original versions of the cho-
rales, he is partly responsible for the trend toward
tonal harmonizations which replaced the modal settings.1
Prior to this time composers worked within the frame-
work of modal harmonies, with an occasional secondary
dominant to strengthen the progression, particularly
at cadence points. Examples by Walter, de Bruck, and
Decker give evidence to support this fact. Tonal har-
monizations of modal tunes began to appear more fre-
quently toward the end of the sixteenth century in set-
tings by Hassler, Praetorius, Schï¬tz, and Schein.
Whether or not this is a musical improvement is diffi-
cult to say. Winterfeld refers to the practice as
"having almost entirely lost the feeling for the pe-
culiarities of the old church modes in which these
melodies were written."2 His reference is to Schein,
and, with the expression "having lost," casts a nega-
tive air regarding the practice. To illustrate this
trend, a pre-Reformation Latin hymn, Rex Christe,gfac-
tor omnium (Example 16),3 is included here. The Hypo-
dorian tune, harmonized by Schein, clearly shows the
practice of adding accidentals (C#, G#, F natural) to
. 1The term "tonal" refers to chords derived from
major and minor scales.
2Blom, ed., Grove's Dictionary, Vol. VII, p. #73.
3Schoeberlein, ed., Musica Sacra, No. 30.
1&5
give a D major tonality to the first phrase. The har-
monization moves to A minor midway through the second
phrase, cadences in G major at the end of the third
phrase, and returns to A minor for the close.
16 Rex Christe, factor omnium Schein
A
146
Another significant contribution toward the
emerging independence of the organ was made by Samuel
Scheidt (1587-165h), another pupil of Sweelinck in
Amsterdam. Scheidt served the court church in Halle,
the city in which he spent most of his life. His ear-
liest published work, Cantiones sacrae octo vocum, ap-
peared in Hamburg in 1620. This work contained fif-
teen settings of the Lutheran chorales among other
vocal compositions. In the chorale settings each
verse is treated differently, a composition technique
which was used in cantatas later by composers such as
Buxtehude, Pachelbel, and Bach.
In 162A he published his Tabulatura Nova in
three parts. The significance of this work lies prin-
cipally in the elimination of the organ in the art of
coloriren, "coloring" the chorale melodies by the in-
sertion of passages between the phrases of the melo-
dies. The third part of the Tabulatura was the most
important for the church musician because it provided
material for alternation of verses between organ and
congregation (the Alternatimspraxis). It also included
musical material for the organ's responses to the clergy
in the absence of the choir, not unlike the Flori musi-
cali of Frescobaldi (1635).
1&7
In 1650 Scheidt published his Gbrlitzer Tabula-
turbuch,1 named for the city of Gbrlitz which made pos-
sible the publication of the work. The collection con-
tained 112 settings of one hundred melodies in four-part
harmonizations for the organ. With this work the organ
may have possibly assumed the role as accompanying in-
strument for the congregation's singing of the chorales.
There are opposing views on this matter. Several writers
are quite definite that the work served in an accompany-
ing capacity. Schweitzer says, "In 1650 appears the
Tablature-book of Samuel Scheidt, with a hundred cho-
rale harmonizations intended for the accompaniment of
congregational singing."2 Liemohn adds, "The first sat-
isfactory organ book for accompanying congregational
singing was published in 1650 by Samuel Scheidt."3
Milne writes, "The congregational singing of metrical
hymns was gradually superseding the older liturgical
music, and the organ had more and more to surrender its
independence to accommodate itself to the simple accom-
paniment in four-part harmony of the melodies of these
lSamuel Scheidt, Das GUrlitzer Tabulaturbuch
vom Jahre 1650, ed. by Christhard Mdhrenholz (Leipzig:
C. F. Peters Corporation, 1940).
2Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, Vol. I, p. 35.
3Liemohn, The Chorale, p. 57.
148
hymns. . . Scheidt's last organ work was intended to
meet these requirements."1
In an article on Scheidt's life and work, Buszin
presents the opposite view:
Though it is often stated that the Gbrlitzer
Tabulaturbuch is the first Choralbuch of the Lu-
theran Church, Mahrenholz and others rightly point
to the fact that this volume is not a Choralbuch
at all and that it differs radically from practi-
cally all ChoralbUcher of the Lutheran Church. It
is virtually impossibIe for a congregation to sing
to the accompaniment of many of the harmonizations
of the Gbrlitzer Tabulaturbuch. We are safer in
concluding that it serves its best purpose when
used wigh the Alternatimspraxis of the Lutheran
Church.
Whether or not it is "virtually impossible" for
a congregation to sing to some of these harmonizations
is Open to question. With a strictadherence to the
line of the old melody, and by using a rhythm for the
tune which was familiar to the people at that time, it
seems that it is quite possible to use these settings
as accompaniments. It is also within reason that they
could be used in the Alternatimspraxis, if so desired.
In his collection Scheidt's settings stayed
quite close to the original melody lines, although
Scheidt employed the style of melodies in notes of even
1Blom, ed., Grove's Dictionar , Vol. VII, p. 472.
2Theodore Hoelty-Nickel, ed., The Musical Heri-
tage of the Lutheran Church, V: Walter E. BuszinfzflThe
fife and’Work of Samuel Scheidt" (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959), p. 63.
149
value which gained popularity from the turn of the
seventeenth century. His harmonizations, however,
are the most advanced of any studied thus far in this
paper. They contain many non-harmonic tones in the
form of suspensions, passing tones, and chromatic al-
terations. He included two settings Of Vom Himmel
hggh, one of which is shown here (Example 17). The
harmonization of Aus tiefer Not is also reproduced
here (Example 18). This setting exhibits an even
greater use of chromaticism and non-harmonic tones
than the example of Vom Himmel hoch. Most of the
chromaticism is found in the bass line at the begin-
ning and close of the third phrase, the close of the
fourth phrase, and the beginning and middle of the fifth
phrase; the alto line has a three-note chromatic pass-
age in the middle of the third phrase, and the tenor
line contains chromaticism at the beginning of the fourth
phrase. The second phrase contains a chromatic modula-
tion to D minor. Chromaticism also is partly account-
able for the many chords which are not in root position:
thirty-five chords in first inversion, six chords in
second inversion, and one seventh chord in third inver-
sion. Scheidt also used fourteen seventh chords and six
suspensions. He retained the Old Phrygian tune through-
out and lengthened the first note of each phrase so that
150
the first phrase notes became even half notes along
with the rest of the phrase notes. Harmonically, how-
ever, Scheidt displayed a combination of a modal and
tonal style, and very Often centered in A minor, with
the Phrygian tonic (raised 3rd) which functioned as
the dominant of A.
Scheidt's contribution to the literature for
the organ has led to his being called "the real father
of organ music."1
lSchweitzer, J. S. Bach, Vol. I, p. 35.
151
17 Vom Himmel hoch Scheidt
6
12, I c: 16 IV VII I v7
152
Example 18 Aus tiefer Not Scheidt
1" i
1n, i.‘iiz‘; ii vii-‘3 ‘1 1’" iv‘ v
1:: w 11:21,: 1,112 I m ll‘m‘
153
J. S. Bach and the Chorales of Luther
The Pietistic movement reached its peak in the
first half of the eighteenth century. With it came a
new style of church music, the sacred aria. According
to Lang, "Pietism, with its forced subjectivism and
its excesses offending good taste and even decency, was
entirely contrary to the Lutheran spirit. It recog-
nized and permitted but one form of church music, the
simple spiritual song."l
Einstein expresses his thoughts in these words:
In Lutheran centers like Saxony, Prussia, and
WUrttemberg, the 18th century had found itself
more and more troubled over the musical adorn-
ment of the divine service. On the one side there
was Pietism. Being more spiritual and sensitive
than the Older and more torpid orthodoxy, it frus-
trated any attempt to give musical brilliance to
the celebration of holy worship--and in so dging
encountered a fierce Opponent in J. S. Bach.
It was into this kind of musical and spiritual
atmosphere that Bach moved when he accepted the Leipzig
position. Spitta adds, "Pietism had finished off good
church music so that when Bach came he had little to
work with."3 Bach's interest in the chorale, however,
lPaul Henry Lang, Music in Western Civilization
(New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1941), p. 471.
2Alfred Einstein, Music in the Romantic Era
(New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 19477, p. 158.
3Johann August Spitta, Johann Sebastian Bach
(London: Novello & Co., 1899), V61. II, p. 115.
154
is of great importance, because the chorale remained
alive and vital to worship, even though this was to be
short-lived. Rationalism, in the latter half of the
eighteenth century, included Bach's music, along with
the chorale, in the pronouncement of censure upon this
kind of music for the Church. Einstein continues: "On
the other side there was that malady Of the 18th cen-
tury, Rationalism. Although it did not rule out the
extreme forms of sentimentality, it worked against the
rich cultivation of religious art."1 Yet, as will be
seen, this situation was to be remedied, beginning in
the nineteenth century, and culminating in a complete
renaissance Of the Old chorale style in the twentieth
century.
The chorale prelude for the organ developed to
a great extent in the period between Scheidt and Bach.
Composers such as Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), Jo-
hann Pachelbel (1653-1706), Georg Bbhm (1661-1740),
and Johann Buttstedt (1666-1727) devoted a large amount
of their efforts to this type of organ literature.
These composers used the chorales of the Reformation
and post-Reformation periods as the basic melodies for
many of their works.2
lEinstein, Music in the Romantic Era, p. 158.
2For a detailed study of the organ chorale of
this period see Fritz Dietrich, Geschichte des Deutschen
Orgelchorals im siebzehnten Jahrhundert (Kissel: Baren-
reiter-Verlag, 1932).
155
Although interest in having the congregation
sing the chorales remained, the organ settings for ac-
companying congregational singing had develOped very
little. The congregational singing that was done
was generally unaccompanied. An account of the situa-
tion in Leipzig during Bach's tenure there is given by
Spitta: "The custom which was becoming more and more
general, of accompanying the congregational singing
throughout on the organ, had not yet come into use at
Leipzig. Even on festal and ordinary Sundays, the 'ser-
mon hymn' at least was always sung without accompani-
ment."1 The emphasis upon the spiritual song had per-
meated the Lutheran Church. Bach himself made a contri-
bution in this regard with his settings for the Sghg;
melli Gesangbuch. Georg Christian Schemelli (c.1676-
1762) published his Musikalisches Gesangbuch in 1736
to diminish the influence of Pietism in German hymnody,
even though his collection of 954 songs contained strong
Pietistic leanings. The subjective emphasis is clearly
indicated in the use of the singular, first person pro-
nouns in addition to the categories into which the songs
are placed according to subject, such as: Hymns for the
Denial of the World and Self, Hymns of True and False
Christianity, and Hymns of Christian Patience and Com-
posure. Bach served as musical editor of this collection,
lSpitta, Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol. II, p. 278.
156
for which he composed some Of the melodies and pro-
vided the harmonizations for all. (For the 95k hymns
there were only sixty-nine melodies.) These songs are
not congregational hymns, but rather sacred arias in-
tended to be sung in the home for private devotions,
as indicated in the Preface to the collection. Spitta
adds, "Bach could hardly have intended them as melodies
suitable for worship. They were sacred arias. . . not
more than five of them have been included in any of the
later choral collections."1 This might explain Bach's
willingness to contribute to the collection, a work
which differed radically from the objective chorales
of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries "which he
(Bach) is known to have preferred."2
Perhaps Bach's greatest contribution to chorale
literature did not lie in the settings of the Schemelli
songs, nor in the composition of new melodies. Rather,
it was the nearly four hundred four-part harmonizations
he made of existing chorale melodies which are included
in his cantatas and passions in which the chorale per-
formed a significant function. In addition to these
settings Bach contributed many chorale preludes for the
organ. It is significant that Bach made use of all but
1Ibid., p. 112.
2Walter E. Buszin, in a Foreward to J. S. Bach:
Sacred Songs from Schemelli's Gesangbuch, ed. by Fritz
Oberddrffer (St. Louis: Concordia Pï¬blishing House, 1958).
157
four Of the thirty-five chorales of Luther in a choral
setting, an organ setting, or both.1
Bach's harmonic style is familiar. Two exam-
ples are included here to illustrate the rich harmonic
vocabulary Bach used. The fact that he used melody
notes of the same time value for his four-part settings
is not unusual, since this was the style of the period;
also, it was this style which allowed him to develop
his own harmonic practices. Woodward, in his Preface
to Soggs of Syon, states:
It has been too frequently assumed that Each
was an innovator and a destroyer of the simpli-
city Of the German Choral. Rather he may be said
to have accepted the forms which he found in com-
mon use (degenerate as they Often were), adorning
and beautifying them with the whole powers of his
devout soul, and thg treasures of his marvellous
contrapuntal skill.
A choral setting of Vom Himmel hoch in a homo-
phonic style appears only once in Bach's choral works,
in the Christmas Oratorio. (Bach included a contra-
puntal setting of this chorale in the E-flat version
of the Magnificat.) This chorale is not found in any
of Bach's cantatas, although Bach wrote several organ
1The four chorales not selected for settings
are: Menschigwillt du leben seliglich (No. 15),
Jesaia,gdem Propheten (NO. 297, Sie ist mir Lieb
(No. 347: and'Ein neues Lied (No. 39).
2Songs Of Syon, ed. by G. R. Woodward (London:
Schott & Co., Fourth Edition, 1923).
158
settings of the melody.1 Bach included three differ-
ent harmonizations of the chorale in the Christmas
Oratorio, from which the following example is selected
(Example 19).2 A strong characteristic of Bach's set-
tings is the rapid harmonic rhythm, with voices moving
on nearly every half beat in the setting. On only two
occasions is the same chord used twice in succession,
but in both cases the same chord is used in a differ-
ent position the second time; passing tones separate
the two chords. (These are found as the first two
chords of the second phrase and again as the fifth and
sixth chords of the same phrase.) The flowing style,
seen particularly in the bass line, accounts in part
for the many passing tones (twenty-seven) and the six-
teen chords not in root position. When this harmoni-
3 an indica-
zation is compared with that of Osiander,
tion is given of how different Bach's setting is from
that Of the sixteenth century. In the Osiander harmon-
ization all chords are in root position, there are no
non-harmonic tones, and the rhythm is identical tO that
in the Babst version.
lBach's organ settings of this melody include
the one in the Orgelbflchlein, the Canonic Variations,
and two fughettas in the Kirnberger collection.
2No. 17 in the Christmas Oratorio.
3See p. 116.
159
Example 19 Vom Himmel hoch J. S. Bach
w I‘ I 12111- I '3
flu Inn‘s...
160
Example 20 is Bach's harmonization of Aus tiefer
Ngt_as found in the closing chorale of Cantata 38, a
setting Of verse four Of Luther's text. The harmonic
style is similar to the preceding example in which many
passing tones, seventh chords and chords in inversion
are found. Bach, like earlier composers such as Schutz
and Scheidt, wrote a tonal harmonization of the Phrygian
tune. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of this
particular setting is the opening chord, a I7 in third
inversion, functioning as the v3 of iv, to give the
piece a feeling of A minor. Also, the final phrase is
in the tonality of A, emphasized by the B-flat in the
bass in the penultimate measure which promotes the im-
pression of the Phrygian mode on A; however, the final
E major chord suddenly returns the harmonization to E
once again.
161
Example 20 Aus tiefer Not J. S. Bach
1.1.4.11 1'
vel: E‘s-.611; 1" I
162
Among hymnals published during the eighteenth
century, the collections Of Johann Freylinghausen are
important, as is the Naumberg-Zeitz collection Of 1736
(referred to earlier as the Schemelli Musikalisches
Gesangbuch). Freylinghausen's Geistreiches Gesangbuch
(1704) and his Neues Geistreiches Gesangbuch (1714)
contained hymns of the Pietistic movement. These two
collections of Freylinghausen were later combined in
1741 to form a new collection of 1600 hymns.l The
hymns were written in the sacred aria style and were
designed to be sung by a solo voice and accompanied by
a keyboard instrument. The music consisted of the me-
lodic line and a figured bass. This collection of
Freylinghausen was probably the most widely circulated
Of all the hymnbooks of the eighteenth century.2
Although many Reformation chorales were included
in the Freylinghausen collection and in later hymnbooks
of the same century, these melodies had to be altered
considerably to meet the tastes of the editors. As an
example, a portion of the tune Erhalt un§J Her; has been
selected to show the alterations of a chorale tune dur-
ing the eighteenth century (Example 21).
lJohann Anastasius Freylinghausen, Geistreiches
Gesang:Buch (Halle: Verlegung des Wdysenhauses, 17417.
2Schweitzer, J. s. Bach, Vol. I, p. 13.
163
Example 21 Erhalt uns, Herr
Babst, 1545 (transposed down one tone) (No. 30)
A
v
E}
...HD.
is? .
Nï¬rnberg, 1731 (No. 385)
"'0
“'U
«sag
A
W
reylinghausen, 1741 (No. 490)
irtembergische, 1799 (raised a minor third) (NO. 104)
164
In the 1731 collection (from the preceding ex-
ample) the G minor tonality is established (as Opposed
to G Dorian) with the raised F#. (The melody used by
Bach for his harmonization of the chorale is clOSest
to this example.) The 1741 and 1799 examples retain
the modal melody, which is more flowing than the Babst
version because of the passing tones and the use of a
melody in notes of even values.
In discussing the decay of the church hymns
during the Pietistic period, Lang has the following
description Of the kind of subject matter deemed im-
portant by the Pietists:
What remained was a saintly simplicity, which
the Pietists considered the most profound wisdom.
Religious poetry, marked by this simple "homeli-
ness," took on unheard-of proportions, and the
thousands upon thousands of songs, didactic in
tone, took into consideration the needs of all
walks Of life. One Mecklenburg pastor collected
in 1716 songs for 147 different professions. In
1737 a Saxon clergyman published a universal song-
book in which songs were to be found for christen-
ings, marriages, and other family events, others
appropriate for difficult lawsuits, for lameness,
blindness, deafness, or for the affliction of hav-
ing too many children, and for noblemen, ministers,
Officials, lawyers, barbers, bakers, fishermen,
teamsters, merchants' apprentices, and many other
professions. In his Avertissement the author re-
quested contributions for a few missing species,
such as songs for clowns, tightrope walkers, ma-
gicians, thieves, gypsies, and rogues.
lLang, Music in Western Civilization, p. 470.
165
A concluding comment by Lang seems appropriate
to close this section:
Pietism, then, carried the disintegration to
its completion, and so it happened that when the
mature Bach arrived with his works calling for
the most profound experience of Christian faith
expressed in music, he stood alone, the belated
messenger of a Protestantism which was no longer
a living force.
The Chorale in the Nineteenth Centugy
The musical state of the original chorale tunes
was to decline even further before the situation was
remedied. The effect of Rationalism in the latter half
of the eighteenth century and the early part of the
nineteenth century upon the chorale was one of near des-
truction. Hymn melodies were stripped of the Freyling-
hausen melodic ornamentation. However, instead of re-
turning tO the original rhythmic style of three centu-
ries earlier, the tunes were reduced to a "plodding
movement of notes of equal duration."2 Charles Burney
gives an account of an experience in a Lutheran church
in Bremen in 1772:
I visited the Thumkirche, or cathedral, belong-
ing to the Lutherans, where I found the congrega-
tion singing a dismal melody, without the organ.
When this was ended, the organist gave out a hymn
tune, in the true dragging style of Sternhold and
HOpkins. The instrument is large, and has a noble
1Ibid., p. 473.
2Liemohn, The Chorale, p. 84.
166
and well-tuned chorus, but the playing was more
old-fashioned, I believe, than anything that could
have been heard in our country towns, during the
last century. The interludes between the lines
of the hymn were always the same, and of the fol-
lowing kind:
After hearing this tune, and these interludes,
repeated ten or twelve times, I went to see the
town, and returning to the cathedral, two hours
after, I still found the people singing all in
unison, and as loud as they could, the same tune,
to the same accompaniment. I went to the post-
Office, to make dispositions for my departure;
and, rather from curiosity than the love of such
music, I returned once more to this church, and,
to my great astonishment, still found them, vo-
cally and organically performing the same ditty,
the duration of which seems to have exceedid that
of a Scots Hymn, in the time of Charles I.
It is likely that the situation regarding the
slow and ponderous style of hymn singing remained
throughout most of the nineteenth century. Over one
hundred years after the above account was recorded,
lCharles Burney, An Eighteenth-CenturyMusical
Tour in Central Europe and the Netherlands, ed. by
Perc 7A. Scholes (London: Oxford University Press,
1959 , p. 222.
167
the Brandenburg Synod established the length of the
time unit at one second as the slowest tempo to be
used.
Although the nineteenth century was relatively
unproductive in the area Of the chorale and church mu-
sic in general, it was a period which saw a great in-
terest in research. Hymnological studies were carried
on in a desire to learn more of the richness of the
past. Writers such as Karl Winterfeld and Philipp
Wackernagel produced multi-volume works on the history
of the Church's hymnody. Near the end of the century
the monumental work of Johannes Zahn appeared.
An important musical publication which appeared
midway through the century was made by Friedrich Layriz
(1808-1859) in his Kern des deutschen Kirchenggsangs
(1844). This was a significant work in which the hymns
were presented with the original tune and rhythm, ac-
cording to Layriz's preface to the work. In the arrange-
ments of Vom Himmel hoch and Aus tiefer Not2 from his
collection, the melodies are identical with the Babst
lKarl Winterfeld's three-volume work, Das evan-
gelische Kircheggesang, appeared between 1843 and 1847;
PHilippWackernagel's Das deutsche Kirchenlied was pub-
lished in 1841, and a five-volume study, Das deutsche
Kirchenlied von der Hltesten Zeit bis zu Anfang des
XVII Jahrhunderts, appeared between 1864 and71877; and
the six-volume work Of Johannes Zahn, Die Melodien der
deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder, was publiShed
YFOm 1889 to 1893.
2Choralbuch nach Dr. Fr. Layriz (St. Louis:
ConcordiaWPublishing House, 19027, Nos. 260 and 35.
168
version, but there are rhythmic deviations. The first
note of Vom Himmel hoch is changed from an eighth note
to a half note, and in Aus tiefer Not the first note
of each of the subsequent phrases after the first is
a quarter note instead of the eighth note which is found
in the original. The first example from the Layriz col-
lection, therefore, is a return to the original rhythmic
style, while the second example is a modified rhythmic
version. Harmonically, the collection is a return to
the early seventeenth-century style of Praetorius, Vul-
pius, and Schein.l In the setting of Vom Himmel hoch
(Example 22) only five chords in first inversion were
used, one four-three suspension, and one secondary dom-
inant chord. Aus tiefer Not (Example 23) also followed
the early seventeenth-century practice of leaning toward
a tonal harmonization of the Phrygian melody. In the
same chorale Layriz used ten first-inversion chords and
two passing sevenths.
1In his preface Layriz states that he leans
heavily on Johann Hermann Schein, although he has "per-
mitted himself to use the dominant-seventh chord four
times, three times allows a chromatic progression in
the fundamental voice, and once in the tenor allows the
interval of a diminished fifth."
169
Vom Himmel hoch
J.
170
Example 23 Aus tiefer Not Layriz
5y IE‘ 11 11 1E; vï¬ 1: iv 5 ‘11
‘1 1'. MW. iv “ivflfl‘Vï¬ I
171
In England a rather important publication ap-
peared in 1865, The Chorale Book For England, which
consisted of translations by Catherine Winkworth of
the German chorales and harmonizations compiled by
Bennett and Goldschmidt. The collection used as its
latest source the hymnbook of Freylinghausen because
"as from that time sacred tunes of real worth rarely
made their appearance; and with the diminished interest
which Religion commanded in Germany towards the close
of the 18th century, the distinctive outward feature
of its Church, the hymn-book, also decays."l
This English collection of chorale settings
retains the original melodic contour of the Babst ver-
sion. The flowing lines of the Freylinghausen collec-
tion are present in the even value melody notes, ef-
fected by passing tones, seen in the two examples be-
low (Examples 24 and 25). The harmonic style is again
simplified (six chords in inversion in Vom Himmel hoch
and three suspensions in the modal setting of Aus tiefer
Not).2
1From the editors' preface, The Chorale Book
For England, ed. by William Sterndale Bennett and Otto
Geldschmidt (London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts,
and Green, 1865), p. xii.
21bid., Nos. 30 and 40.
172
Chorale Book
ple 24 Vom Himmel hoch For England
.4 at
I» I: It 3;gr 1!: Hi :DI VHJ' J; J:
J
I. 1"! vi I‘III 1W?!
-?
'1‘ mIJIEI ID="|iiIII-1 1 7f
173
Example 25 Aus tiefer Not Chorale BOOk
For d
14°21 iv i II II- m‘vii I
174
The example given below (Example 26) represents
an American collection of hymns compiled in the latter
part of the nineteenth century, the Church Book (1872).1
In this collection, as in the preceding example, a trend
becomes prOgressively apparent: the return to simple
harmonization, a minimum of non-harmonic tones, chords
mostly in root position, and a renewed interest in the
chorale tunes in their original rhythmic style. This
collection contains a mixture of styles, i.e., melodies
in notes of even values and melodies in irregular
rhythms. Chorales such as Aus tiefer Not and Ein feste
Burg have melody notes of the same value, whereas cho-
rales such as Vom Himmel hoch and Komml heiliger Geist
have the melodies in irregular rhythms. With the ex-
ception of only the first phrase, the short-note entry
for Vom Himmel hoch is present here in each of the
phrases. Harmonically, some of the practices of the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are retained: oc-
casional passing tones (although these are significantly
reduced in number), and seventh chords (note the pass-
ing seventh at the close of Vom Himmel hoch). Yet, the
simplicity of the earlier harmonic style is clearly evi-
dent in the predominance of chords in root position and
lChurch Book for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran
Congrggatiogg (Philadelphia: J. Fagan & Son, 18727. The
arrangement of Vom Himmel hoch shown here is No. 131.
175
a scarcity of non-harmonic tones.
The harmonization Of Aus tiefer Not found in
this collection is identical to that used in The Chorale
Book For Eggland (Example 25).
Example 26 Vom Himmel hoch Church Book
AA
V%II1IwE-‘I Ivi 1
AAA
Iii-{3m
1’"
I D: Vi m E
176
The Chorale and the Nineteenth-Century Composer
It is apprOpriate at this point in this paper
to comment upon the treatment of the chorale by compos-
ers of the nineteenth century. Although some chorales
were set by at least three well-known composers, there
were so few settings that the period deserves little
study in this respect. Since the time of Bach the
world's great composers have not been affiliated with
the Church. The close relation which had existed be-
tween the Church and such composers as Gabrieli, Pales-
trina, Sweelinck, Buxtehude, and Bach ceased to exist
in the Classical and Romantic periods. As new musical
ideas and developments occurred, composers apparently
were not interested in what had become a dreary collec-
tion of songs. It is this kind of church music to which
Einstein referred when he said that "church music as
such is an area reserved for tradition and is not suited
for prOgress."l As a result the amount of church music
during these periods naturally dwindled. The religious
music that did exist was more often intended for the
concert hall rather than for the church. For this rea-
son little attention is devoted here to the music of
"the masters" and the treatment of the chorale. The
three composers alluded to earlier, namely, Brahms,
lEinstein, Music in the Romantic Era, p. 157.
177
Mendelssohn, and Reger, deserve mention, however, be-
cause at least a small portion of their work was based
upon the chorale, and, as a result, an interest in this
type of composition was maintained to a small degree
during the nineteenth century.
The contribution of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
to chorale literature is primarily in the Eleven Chorale L
Preludes for organ, although the Reformation chorales
are not included among the eleven. In addition to these,
a Prelude and Fugue on 'O Traurigkeit' also uses a cho-
rale melody as its basis. Brahms also wrote three sets
of unaccompanied motets for four, five, and eight voices,
seven motets in all, four of which are based on chorales.
In one of these, Warum ist das Licht_gegeben, he closed
the work with a chorale setting of Mit Fried und Freud
ich fahr dahin, Luther's setting of the "Song of Simeon."l
The similarities between this harmonization by Brahms and
that of Bach on the same chorale can be seen in Songs of
Sygg, in which the two harmonizations appear side by side.2
In discussing the intense struggle between Pi-
etism and Rationalism during the eighteenth century and
its effect upon the musical quality of the period, Ein-
stein wrote that "it was Mendelssohn, moreover, who in
his church music brought out most clearly the cleavage
1See No. 7 in Chapter II.
2Songs of Syon, NO. 412A and 412B.
178
that had evidently taken place within Protestant church
music during the Romantic period."l Felix Mendelssohn
(1809-1847) made use Of several chorale texts and melo-
dies in his music, in addition to the well-known quota-
tion Of Ein feste Burg in the "Reformation Symphony."
His Organ Sonata NO. 6 is a set of variations and a
fugue on the melody of Luther's setting of the Lord's
Prayer, Vater unser im Himmelreich. In the oratorio
St. Paul, Mendelssohn includes five chorale melodies:
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Allein Gott in der HOh,
Wer nur den lieben Gott, O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens
Licht, and Wir glauben All' an einen Gott (Luther's set-
ting Of the Qgggg). In Elijah Mendelssohn's setting
of "Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord" is to a chorale tune
by an unknown composer as it appeared in the Neuver-
mehrtes Gesangbuch (Meiningen, 1693). Of particular
importance to this study are the psalm settings of Men-
delssohn. These are cantata-like compositions in sev-
eral movements and are the result of an introduction
to Luther's hymns through a friend. He was so struck
by their power that he intended to compose music for
several of them.2 Aus tiefer Not, Psalm 130, is one
lEinstein, Music in the Romantic Era, p. 158.
2From a portion of a letter by Mendelssohn,
included in the Preface to "In Deep Despair I Call to
Thee" (Aus tiefer Ngg), ed. by David Nott (St. Louis:
Concordia‘Publishing House, 1968).
179
of these settings, a five-verse composition, the first
and last of which are set in two different four-part
homophonic arrangements. The first of these is included
here (Example 27). This is a true tonal harmonization
of the Phrygian tune (raised one-half step) in F minor.
Its tune is set in notes of even values, with a strong
Bachian influence readily apparent (twenty-one passing
tones, three lower auxiliary notes, and a passing sev-
enth at nearly every cadence). Mendelssohn's devotion
to the music of J. S. Bach is common knowledge, and
his association with Luther's chorales was probably
encouraged as a result of the introduction to chorales
which he received through the works of Bach.
The most unusual melodic alteration from any-
thing presented thus far is the raised second degree
of the scale at the close of the second, fourth, and
seventh phrases, giving the harmonization a distinct
F minor quality.
180
Example 27 Aus tiefer Not Me’n‘delssohn
181
The third composer of this period to be consid-
ered is Max Reger (1873-1916). Of the three he is prob-
ably the least important as a composer in general; yet
his chorale literature exceeds that of any other well-
known composer of the Romantic period. He wrote many
chorale collections for choirs of various groupings,
motets, cantatas (one of which is on Vom Himmel hoch),
and sacred songs. For the organ he wrote several large
chorale fantasias and three collections of chorale prel-
udes: Fifty-two Chorale Preludes (Op. 67), Thirteen
Chorale Preludes (Op. 79b), and Thirty Chorale Preludes
(Op. 135a). Although Reger "unquestionably wrote too
much," and his music is "stuffed far too full of notes
and especially of accidentals," what has earned him his
lasting respect is "his tenacious upholding of the
great traditions in composition, based mainly on a
study of Bach's art in all its bearings."l
A lesser-known composer, Sigfrid Karg-Elert
(1877-1933), contributed a large amount of chorale lit-
erature for the organ: Sixty-six Chorale Improvisa-
tions, Twenty Chorale Preludes and Postludes, Three
Symphonic Chorales, and various other chorale improvi-
sations. The late-Romantic tendency toward extravagance
is apparent in the over-chromaticism, the piling up of
lBlom, ed., Grove's Dictionagy, Vol. VII, p. 9h.
182
gigantic masses of notes, and chords of three or four
notes for the pedal. Karg-Elert's works are demanding
for players and instruments, and represent a style not
unlike that of Reger.
The Chorale in the Twentieth Century
As stated in the Opening lines of this study,
it appears that the hymnal editor, the composer, the
church musician, and the listener are exhibiting a re-
newed interest in the chorale. In addition, the trend
is toward one of authenticity, a look to the past for
the original melodic and rhythmic ideas, combined with
contemporary musical devices. There as been a return
to the simple harmonic setting, i.e., note-against-
note arrangements, a minimum of non-harmonic tones,
and chords primarily in root position. Finally, there
is an obvious interest in modality and modal harmoniza-
tions.
Two hymnals which appeared in the first quarter
of the century are cited here: The Lutheran Hymnary
(1913), which contains sixteen of Luther's chorales,
and the afore-mentioned Songs of Syon (1923), in which
Luther is represented by eighteen of his hymns. Th3
Lutheran Hymnagy, a Norwegian Lutheran publication, is
not included here for any great musical merit, but
rather as one example of the kind of musical thinking
183
in the Church in the early 1900's. In Aus tiefer Not
(Example 28)1 there are three characteristics which
become readily apparent. The first concerns the rhythm,
specifically, the use of quarter notes from beginning
to end. The hymn was probably to be sung with pauses
at the ends of phrases (note the heavy bar lines within
the measures); yet, it is one of the few settings seen
in this study in which the use of even notes is carried
to this extreme. Part of this situation is perhaps due
to the eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century prac-
tice of attempting to fit these original rhythmic tunes
into regular meters, an unfortunate preoccupation of
many hymnbook editors. In later collections the use
of the free rhythm of the original version returned,
as will be shown. The second characteristic is that
of the style of harmonization, a fairly rich style,
reminiscent of Bach, but without the non-harmonic em-
bellishments (there are no passing tones and only two
suspensions are used in this example). At the same
time some twenty chords are in inverted positions,
eleven seventh chords are used, and there are nine modu-
lations. This leads to the third characteristic--an
obvious attempt to avoid any reference to modality.
It seems to be more logical to analyze more of the
lThe Lutheran Hymnary (Minneapolis: Augsburg
Publishing House, 1913), No. 273.
184
setting in the key of C major than in the Phrygian
mode on E. To begin the harmonization on a unison B
seems to indicate the arranger's intent to avoid mo-
dality in preference for tonality.
Example 28 Aus tiefer Not The Lutheran
Hymnary
7 1.414. 11
1'" (1)11. i‘ 3' [ii I 1: $135". gift! I 1' I
l 71
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185
The English collection, Son 5 of S on, is more
traditional in character than the former publication,
in which the editors often adopted earlier harmoniza-
tions. In this collection many of the chorale tunes
are found in their original rhythmic settings, and the
editor, G. R. Woodward, makes use of harmonizations of
Osiander, Calvisius, Praetorius, J. S. Bach, and Lay-
riz. As an example of the desire for authenticity on
the part of the editorial committee, several of the
very early hymns are included as Sarum plainsong, with
neumes on a four-line staff. Inasmuch as there is
nothing of an unusual nature in this book in terms of
the develOpment of chorale treatment, other than its
return to earlier styles, no examples are included in
this study. (Both Vom Himmel hoch and Aus tiefer Not
are Bach harmonizations.) It would be worthwhile, how-
ever, for the reader to examine the collection from an
historical interest.
The American publication which contains the
greatest number of settings of Luther's chorale texts
(twenty-six of thirty-five) is The Lutheran Hymnall
of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, published in
1941. According to the Preface, "The committee en-
trusted with the task of compiling and editing has ear-
nestly endeavored to produce a hymnal containing the
lThe Lutheran Hymnal (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, I9hl).
186
best of the hymnodical treasures of the Church, both
as to texts and tunes, in accord with the highest
standards of Christian worship." What constitutes
"the best of the hymnodical treasures of the Church"
is, of course, a matter of Opinion, and this is not
under consideration here. The significance of the col-
lection is the high percentage of Luther's hymns in-
cluded in the book, the original, rhythmically varied
style retained, and the simple harmonic vocabulary em-
ployed. That the hymnal has served the church for the
past thirty years, with no immediate plans for replace-
ment, indicates some kind of success which the editors
have met through their "earnest endeavors." Below is
an example of the original rhythmic setting of Egg
Himmel hoch (Example 29),1 one of the few instances
observed by this writer in which all fifteen verses of
the hymn are included. Melodically the hymn is iden-
tical to the Babst version; the only rhythmic change
from the original is the length of the first note,
printed in The Lutheran Hymnal as a half note in place
of the eighth note. This is not the first time this
particular change has been made.2 Perhaps one reason
for altering this note in this manner is an assumption
that the singing would have a firmer beginning with a
lIbid., No. 85.
2See p. 169.
187
half note opening rather than the eighth note of the
Babst version. Each subsequent phrase begins with the
eighth note. The character of the harmonization is
clear: only two chords which are not in root position
and only one passing tone (in the melody line, accord-
ing to the original version). This harmonization is
a typical representation of all the chorales in the
1941 hymnal.
Example 29 Vom Himmel hoch The Lutheran
Hymnal (19 )
T T’
I" I. I '1‘“. I (3:: 11 ii 1' iii
e:(;;IIc:I “1‘15; 1'1:
188
Another publication, included out of chrono-
logical sequence, but appropriate here because of its
relationship to the preceding collection, is The Wor-
ship Supplement,l
an extension of The Lutheran Hymnal
(1941). This collection of ninety-three additional
hymns was published in 1969, and it is a significant
work which points to the continuing emphasis by the
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod upon rhythmically
varied and modal harmonizations Of the chorale tunes.
The following setting of Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
(Example 30)2 illustrates a modal setting of the Dorian
tune. Here the sixth degree, usually lowered in other
harmonizations, remains E natural, except for one
E-flat in the bass at the cadence of the third phrase.
The setting includes a small number of non-harmonic
tones: two suspensions, three passing tones, and three
lower auxiliary tones. There are only six chords in
first inversion, and two seventh chords. The absence
of a time signature and bar lines help to promote a
smooth, natural flow in the melodic line. The practice
of doubling the lengths of those tones in the support-
ing voices which otherwise would have been repeated
(the F in the alto and the F in the bass in the Opening
1The Worship Supplement (St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, Accompaniment Edition, 1969).
2Ibid., No. 701, setting by Jan Bender.
189
phrase) also contributes to flowing musical lines.
Most hymns are provided with two different harmoni-
zations, the second of which is frequently a three-
part setting.
Example 30 Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland Wbrship
Supplement
190
Three German collections published about the
middle of the twentieth century were intended to pro-
vide musical accOmpaniments for German hymns; there
are many hymnals which provide only the hymn text, no
music. The first is the Choralbuch zum evangelischen
. Kirchengesangbuch (1950), cited earlier for a Praetorius
setting of Vom Himmel hoch.l A second publication ap-
peared in 1953, the Whrttembergisches Choralbuch.2 In
this collection there are two settings for each chorale,
the second Of which is always a three-part arrangement.
In both collections older harmonizations are frequently
included, settings by Calvisius, Gesius, Praetorius,
Hassler, Schein, Schfltz, Vulpius, and others. Contem-
porary German composers are represented with such names
as Hans Micheelsen, Johannes Petzold, Gerhard Schwarz,
and Fritz Werner. Examples from both books are shown
here, both on Aus tiefer Not (Examples 31 and 32).3
The settings are similar in style. Both employ a modal
harmonization, both emphasize chords in root position,
and both share a minimal use of non-harmonic tones.
The first setting has two passing tones, one suspension,
and two chords in first inversion. The second setting
1See p. 136.
2Choralbuch zum evangelischen Kirchengesangbuch
(Stuttgart: Verlagskontor des evangelischen Gesangbuchs
Stuttgart, Karl Gerok and Hans-Arnold Metzger, ed., 1953)-
3Mahrenholz Choralbuch, No. 15; Gerok-Metzger
Choralbugh, No. 16.
191
has three passing tones and seven first-inversion
chords. At three locations there are identical chord
progressions, one section with five chords, and two.
others with four chords: the beginning of the phrase
after the second ending, the last chord of that phrase
and the first three chords of the next phrase, and the
first four chords of the last phrase. Bar lines be-
tween the staves rather than through them encourage
the impression of flowing melodic lines. Finally, in
the second harmonization, the player is given the op-
tion of G or G# on the first and last chords; he would
use the G natural for a modal harmonization.
Example 31 Aus tiefer Not Choralbuch
(1950)
5 g: ivi I "III vii I
193
Example 32 Aus tiefer Not Choralbuch
(1953)
"1_111
T r jam ir‘ (a:
I
19h
The third of the German collections published
near the mid-century is unusual because it is a collec-
tion of four-part settings for brass choir, the Posaunen-
choralbuch,l which was intended to provide accompaniments
for German hymns. The book contains 394 hymns with 237
melodies, each of which is harmonized by a contemporary
German composer (years Of birth range from 1886 to 1928).
An interesting additional feature is a contrapuntal in-
tonation for each chorale of from four to eight measures
in length. The harmonizations of the chorales are simi-
lar to those of the afore-mentioned German collections,
quite simple in style. Vom Himmel hoch (Example 33)2
has no non-harmOnic tones, one secondary dominant chord,
and only four chords in first inversion. This setting
is similar to the Vulpius setting of 16093 in which there
also are no non-harmonic tones, two first-inversion
chords, and three secondary dominant chords. A signifi-
cant difference in the contemporary setting, however,
is the faster harmonic rhythm used (a change of harmony
on every beat). Vulpius has the distinction of using
seven consecutive tonic chords in root position.
lPosaunenchoralbuch zum evangelischen Kirchen-
gesangbuch, ed.'by Fritz Bachmann (Berlin: Verlag Merse-
burger, 1953).
2Ibid., No. 16, setting by Hans Weber.
3See p. 131.
195
Vom Himmel hoch Posaunen-
choralbuch
Example 33
B I
J: 4i
F
I.
.L'
‘1: Jim“
D‘ I LEI/11
It 31. I
.... H.
-J. . A
.lJ- r..L
C... Fm
.IJ. .r1kw
f I
â€I. .w
ff 1
r4 Lam
fill“; 1....a
ï¬i
I‘IJII
vi
D:
I.
196
Aus tiefer Not (Example 34)1 has a setting
which is slightly more active harmonically than the
preceding example. Its harmonization is modal; there
are no accidentals. There is one seventh chord, three
passing tones, and one escape tone in the melody near
the cadence Of the second from the last phrase. Six
chords are not in root position, one of which may be
analyzed as a viii over a tonic pedal (the penultimate
chord to the first ending). Rhythmically and melodi-
cally the tunes in this collection are identical with
the Babst versions.
lPosaunenchoralbuch, NO. 195, setting by Her-
mann Stern.
‘111
197
Example 34 Aus tiefer Not Posaunen-
choralbuch
k I J 4 l
fl,
F
r
w, I. 1 15111 11111
-T*ff- III}.
198
An American Lutheran Church collection, Service
Book and Hymnal,1 was published in 1958. This hymnal
contains only seven of Luther's hymns, two Of which
have the texts associated with other tunes. The tune
for Vater unser is included; however, Luther's excel-
lent text On the Lord's Prayer is unfortunately Omitted.
The book lists Luther as the composer of five Of the
tunes, including two for which he is given credit for
having arranged. These "arrangements" include domi-
nant seventh chords at cadences and third inversions
of seventh chords on various scale degrees, rather un-
likely for the second quarter of the sixteenth century.
All Of the chorale tunes are presented in notes of even
values. What is referred to in this collection as the
"rhythmic" setting of Vom Himmel hoch2 (the Bach har-
monization is also present) contains only even quarter
notes throughout, with a dotted half note at each ca-
dence. Luther's Aus tiefer Not is included in this
hymnal; however, it is coupled with a different tune,
Herr, wie du willst.
1Service Book and Hymnal Of the Lutheran Church
in America (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House,
1958).
21bid., NO. 22.
199
The final area of chorale treatment to be con-
sidered in this paper is that of the composer whose in-
terests go beyond that of harmonizing chorale tunes for
the accompaniment of congregational singing, specifi-
cally, the composer of organ and choral music which is
based upon the chorale, thus supporting the premise
that chorale literature continues to be of vital inter-
est to composers of church music.
A French composer, Marcel Dupre (1886-1971) con-
tributed to chorale literature by writing Seventy:nine
Chorales for the Oggan.l These pieces are intended as
instructional pieces to prepare the student to play the
chorale preludes of J. S. Bach. The brevity of these
pieces permits their function to be short introductions
to the singing of the chorales. Dupre's chief concern
is obviously not chorale literature in itself, but rather
to present "technical difficulties with which the student
is confronted when he takes up the Bach Chorales."2 In
so doing, it is very likely that Dupre has, perhaps un-
intentionally, introduced some organists and listeners
to chorale tunes. Seventeen of Luther's chorales are
included in this collection.
lMarcel Dupré, Seventy-nine Chorales for the
Organ (New York: H. W. Gray Co.,‘I932).
2Ibid., Introduction, p. iii.
200
Most of the musical composition based on cho-
rale melodies is taking place in Germany where the cho-
rale had its origin four hundred and fifty years ago.
Several of the contemporary German composers of chorale
literature have already been mentioned in connection
with recent books of chorale accompaniments for German
hymnals.l
In addition to these, several other com-
posers are added: Ernst Pepping (b.1901), Hugo Distler
(1908-1942), Austrian-born Johann Nepomuk David (b.1895),
and Helmut Walcha (b.1906). Their contributions to
chorale-based literature have primarily been composed
for the organ and the mixed choir.
Since Pepping's appointment to the School of
Church Music at Spandau (near Berlin), he has devoted
most Of his attention to sacred music, and "he is con-
sidered the leading exponent Of new German Protestant
church music."2 For the choir his most comprehensive
work is the Spandauer Chorbuch, a collection of compo-
sitions for the church year in twenty volumes. An ear-
lier Choralbuch (1931) contains thirty chorales treated
canonically. Another smaller collection by Pepping is
Ten Chorale Settings for three and four voices (1959).
Nearly all of his organ music is based upon the chorale:
two partitas, a Toccata and Fugue on Luther's Mitten
1See p. 190.
'ZBlom, ed., Grove's Dictionary, Vol. VI, p. 619.
201
wir im Leben sind, the Kleines Orgelbuch (1941), which
contains nineteen short settings of sixteen chorale
tunes, and his three-volume work, the Grosses Orgel-
bggg. This last-named work contains larger composi-
tions arranged according to the church year and con-
sists Of forty preludes on twenty-seven chorale tunes.
The music of Hugo Distler has attracted inter-
est in recent years in this country due, in part, to the
fact that more and more publications of his works are
becoming readily available. His emphasis upon the cho-
rale is clearly evident in his choral and organ music.
Der Jahrkreis (The Church Year) is a collection of
fifty-two motets for two and three voices, most of
which incorporate chorale tunes. His cantata, A Little
Advent Music, is based entirely upon Luther's Nun komm,
der Heiden Heiland. Another cantata is Christe der du
bist Tag und Licht, which is based upon another Of the
Reformation chorales.l Numerous other smaller works
make use of chorale melodies. Two large organ partitas,
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland and Wachet auf, ruft uns
die Stimme, are frequently heard on organ recital programs.
"Distler's affinities are with the Reformation period."2
Helmut Walcha has contributed sixty-nine organ
preludes in a three-volume work, Choralvorspiele fï¬r
1NO. 58 in the Babst hymnbook.
2Blom, ed., Grove's Dictionagy, Vol. II, p. 713.
202
Qgggl. Fourteen of Luther's chorales are treated in
this collection.
Johann Nepomuk David has written much music be-
yond that of chorale settings, although a considerable
amount was lost during World War II. His interests in-
clude orchestral music (four symphonies) and chamber
music, in addition to that for choir and for organ.
His organ work includes Choralwerk, a collection of
preludes, partitas, and fantasies on chorale themes.
His choral music consists of unaccompanied motets and
a setting of Das deutsche Messe (Luther's German Masg).
This work of David contains contrapuntal settings of
Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, Allein Gott in der HOh,
Wir glauben A11' an einen Gott (Luther's Credo), Jesaia,
dem PrOpheten das geschah (Luther's Sanctus), and
Christe,_du Lamm Gottes. During the years 1929 to 1950
David published a collection of songs with organ, Choral-
gggk, an extensive work of eleven volumes of chorale-
based materials.
An interesting German publication for unison
choir and organ appeared in 1949, the Choralsingbuch.l
Composers most often represented here, in addition to
some Of those cited earlier in this chapter, are Hel-
mut Bornefeld and Siegfried Reda. The original
lChoralsingbuch fflr einstimmigen Chor und
Or e1, ed. byï¬UttO Brodde (K3Ssel und Basel: Bare -
reéter-Verlag, 1949).
203
rhythmically varied style of the chorale melody is pre-
sented in the vocal line over a contrapuntal accompani-
ment.
Many other lesser-known German composers could
be included here, although the amount of music they
have produced individually is limited. Nevertheless,
when the number Of composers in this area is consid-
ered, it becomes a significant factor in the continued
use of the chorale in contemporary worship. One of the
most interesting of chorale settings known to this
writer is a work by a young German composer, Helmut
Barbe (b.1928), written in the twelve-tone style.
Canticum Simeonisl
uses the text of the "Song of Simeon"
for the choral portion which is accompanied by strings,
organ, percussion, and celeste. Midway through the com-
position the choir sings Bach's harmonization of M15_
Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin2 ("In Peace and Joy I
Now Depart"), Luther's version of the Ngnc dimittis.
Surrounding this harmonization are the instruments in
their twelve-tone accompaniment, an interesting mixture
of the sixteenth-century tune, an eighteenth-century
harmonization, and a twentieth-century setting.
lHelmut Barbe, Canticum Simeonis (Stuttgart:
Hanssler-Verlag, 1958).
2N0. 7 in the Babst hymnbook.
SUMMARY
The purposes of this study have been three-
fold: first, to trace some sources of Lutheran hym-
nody, in particular, the texts of Luther and the tunes
associated with them; second, to place Luther into a
proper perspective as an author of hymn texts and as a
musically sensitive individual, one who is not to be
remembered as a great composer of hymn tunes, but rather
as one who was aware of the musical needs of the Church
of his day, and one who knew how to provide for that
need with the assistance of contemporary musicians;
and, third, to conduct research by a survey of musical
settings and treatments which the chorale has received
over the past four and one-half centuries. In this
third area an attempt has been made to trace the sty-
listic changes which have occurred as chorale treatment
progressed through various musical periods by comparing
settings of representative chorale melodies.
In order that a clearer insight of the treatment
cycle may be received by the reader, the following tables
are included to illustrate the transitions from the ori-
ginal versions Of the chorale melodies in irregular
rhythms to the style of melodies in notes Of even values,
204
205
and the return to the earlier form during the twenti-
eth century. There seems to be a relationship between
the harmonic practices and the rhythmic alterations of
the same period. The similarity exists as follows:
the chorales, in their earliest rhythmic settings, were
harmonized in a very simple fashion, i.e., chords were
written primarily in root position with relatively few
non-harmonic tones. As the melodies in notes of even
values emerged in the seventeenth century, the harmonic
vocabulary became broadened to include more passing
tones and suspensions, and a trend toward tonal harmon-
izations of modal tunes became apparent. This style
continued and developed during the eighteenth and nine-
teenth centuries, as the harmonizations of Bach, Men-
delssohn, and Brahms witness. With the interest in re-
search midway through the nineteenth century came a re-
newed interest in the Oldest style of chorale settings
Of the sixteenth century. With this interest came a
return to the rhythmic and harmonic practices Of that
period. The twentieth-century chorale setting has re-
turned to rhythmically varied, harmonically plain, and
modal settings wherever applicable. This return to ori-
ginal forms has also occurred in contemporary choral
and organ music in chorale-based music of the twentieth
century.
206
The following tables indicate these trends. As
the percentage of chords in root position decreases, the
occurrence of non-harmonic tones increases. At the same
time, the harmonic vocabulary is broadened as the melo-
dies evolve from notes in irregular rhythms to notes of
even values. An obvious illustration of this is the in-
creased usage Of seventh chords and passing sevenths.
In Table No. 2, which deals with a modal tune,
the item of modal or tonal harmonizations is included.
This characteristic Seems to correspond with the matter
of rhythmic and harmonic styles, and shows a trend away
from modal harmonizations midway through the seventeenth
century. This, however, is not always a clearly defined
matter. In many of the harmonizations there appeared to
be a combination of the two, a free style of harmoniza-
tion, with both modal and tonal characteristics appear-
ing (indicated as "M-T"). The emphasis in the twentieth
century, however, is a definite return to the modal style.
Abbreviations used under the heading "Other"
non-harmonic tones are: appOggiatura (App); neighboring
tone (NT); and escape tone (ET). "Passing Tones" include
passing sevenths; these are also included under the sep-
arate heading "Sevenths."
Finally, in Table No. 2, the heading "Original
Rhythm (OR) or Even-Value Melody Notes (E)" includes
207
occasional settings with rhythmic modifications of the
modal tune (indicated in the Table as "M"). These set-
tings contain some rhythmic deviations from the origi-
nal Babst version, but do not use notes of even values
exclusively. The number of rhythmic and melodic devia-
tions is included under separate headings.
2023
:
o
H A
p M
-c «4 E 'u
m o u. u
o 0:: o
Tabulation of Style Comparison a. 2 k‘ 5
and Alterations on Settings of g 3 g: -o
Vom Himmel hoch o a p -c r: c
a: m .a-c m m
u mtm ‘u
c x. o u-a m u
-c o #3 as. o o
-4 ac: : .c
a, ... 4 ... Non- o o
E 8 o ‘8 harmonic 5" p
.9. r g 8:: Tones 8 8
° 5 ‘8 a ‘3 .‘3
‘4 g g- H‘U 0') "I g
o i5 0c: 0 m
52H 1: a) a. c: v)
0 é O O C: V C
on c4 “42 E-4 o t. o
G H O O H U) 14
1: m m cm a) .2 a a
a s: L. u-q : c .3 11 m
0 v4 0 0 O G 'H 0 ‘0 C C i;
e on 13 .034 m n. o o o
8 E» 51: 52 3 2 5 5 3 '8
(Example) Composer or Collection (Date) cm. 0‘42 20 A co O to <0 S
(5) Osiander (1586)100 0a 1 2 2
(13) J. Praetorius (1604) 97 E 4 2 l 2
(7) Hassler (1608) 91 OR 2 1.
(10) Vulpius (1609) 94 E 4 1 1 4
(12) M. Praetorius (1605-1610) 94 OR 2 4
(15) Schein (1627) 85 E 5 1 1 1 I.
(17) Scheidt (1650) 77 h 1 9 h N1 1 2
(19) J. s. Bach (1734) 56 4 27 5 3
(22) Layriz (1841.) 88 OR 1 1 1 1 2
(24) Chorale Book For England (1865) 82 E 4 4 2 2
(26) The Church Book (1872) 88 OR 1 4 1 2
(29) The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) 94 OR 1 1 4
(33) Posaunenchoralbuch (1953) 88 OR A
* Choralbuch (Gerok,Metzger)(1953) 75 OR 1 2
r
* Example not included
in this paper
205)
TABLE N0. 2
Tabulation of Style Comparison
and Alterations on Settings of
a Modal Tune, Aus tiefer Not
(unless otherwise indicated)
Percentage of Chords in Root Position
Original Rhythm (OR), Even-Value
Melody Notes (E),,Or Modified:(M)
Number of Rhythmic Alterations of
Chorale Melodr from Original Form
Number of Melodic Alterations of
Sevenths (Passing Tones and Chords)
c
o
*1
w .p
E 3
0 vi
.6 a
t: 0
Non- 1» BE:
harmonic : m I
Tones S I:
H H
n g a
o :3:
8 8 ° 8 88
54 o >. o .3
-1 A -4 L.m
2° 2 3 13 °.S
h : -uo
s. '3 3 o o â€:1 as
o m U) .c: 0 '6 '60
5 0'3 5 8 :3 £3 £3
(Example) Composer or Collection (Date)
(4) Osiander (1586)
Nun komdeer Heiden Heiland 97 OR 1 2 M
D k 160 ‘3
(9) ac er ( H98 )4 5 2 NT 9 WT
(l4) Schtitz (1628)93 M g 1. 2 3 mgr
(18) Scheidt (1650)58 E z. 22 2E1). 1 6 M-T
(20) J. S. Bach (c.1740) 67 E 6 16 11:11) 3 g 5 T
(27) Mendelssohn (c.1830)6g E 7 21 NT 12 1,), 1'
(23) Layriz (1844)76 M 5 1 3 3 111-1:
(25) Chorale Book For England (1865) 81 E 6 3 2 1 4 M-T
(28) The Lutheran Hymnary (1913) 62 E 7 3 11 l 9 T
* The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) 76 M 5 l 1 2 4 M-T
(31) Choralbuch (Mahrenholz) (1950) 95 OR 1 2 1 1 6 M
(32) Choralbuch (Gerok,Metzger)(1953) 83 OR 1 3 1 6 M
1134) Posaunenchoralbuch (1953) 86 OR 1 43 3% 1 4 M
79 on 1 1 mi: 3 M
(30) The Worshi Su lement (1969)
Nun kommLSer Eeiaen Heiland
* Example not included
in t is paper
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