There are hardly any music-lovers who have never heard at least a
few German hymns; often referred to as
chorales. They figure
prominently in the oeuvre of German baroque composers, and especially in
that of Johann Sebastian Bach. They are the fruit of the Lutheran
Reformation which also had far-reaching consequences for liturgical music.
Two elements in Luther's views on liturgy are especially important: the use
of the vernacular and the role of the congregation. He started to write and
publish hymns in the early 1520s. His example was followed by others, for
instance Johann Walter. Sometimes texts were provided with music right from
the start. Other texts were set to music much later. The content can vary
widely. Some hymns express the doctrines of the Lutheran Reformation. Others
are prayers to God or intended to comfort the faithful in times of crisis,
such as war and epidemic. The chorales, as we know them from the oeuvre of
Bach and others, are often quite different from how they were originally
conceived. Sometimes the melody was changed, often the rhythm; sometimes
texts or some stanzas were also changed.
This makes it all the more worthwhile to devote a disc to the hymn
repertoire in its more original form. The chorales chosen for this recording
date from around 1524 - the year Luther published his first hymns - to the
late 17th century. This was the heyday of chorale composing. However, even
in those early days hymns appeared in various forms.
Mit Ernst, o
Menschenkinder is sung here in harmonisations by Hans-Leo Hassler and
Johannes Eccard. These are quite different in several respects, both in
melody and rhythm. In part they also make use of different texts. The third
setting of that hymn is by the French composer Eustache du Caurroy. The
track-list says that the melody is from the 16th century; in fact it is
probably not of German origin, but from Italy, known there as
La
Monica. In Germany it was also known under another title:
Von Gott
will ich nicht lassen. This bears witness to the international character
of many melodies in the 16th century and it is not always possible to track
down their origins. Some tunes are known with a German text and were also
included in the Genevan Psalter, the Psalm book of the French Huguenots.
Various melodies from that collection found their way to Germany and were
provided with German texts. Other melodies were originally used for a
secular text.
O Welt, ich muss dich lassen was written by Heinrich
Isaac on the text
Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen. One of the most
famous chorales is
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden. The melody was
originally set to a love poem by Hans-Leo Hassler.
It is interesting that this disc includes various specimens of Roman
Catholic hymns, such as
Es kompt ein Schiff geladen and
Mein Hirt
ist Gott der Herr. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries a
considerable number of hymns were written, as part of the
Counter-Reformation. Some melodies were structured in such a way that they
looked older than they were. It is remarkable that the hymns written by
Caspar Ulenberg - here performed in settings by Conrad Hagius - share some
characteristics with the Genevan Psalter.
It is advisable to read carefully the liner-notes by Hans-Otto
Korth. He puts this repertoire in its historical perspective. Two elements
are especially noticeable. The generally held view that it was only thanks
to Luther that the congregation started to sing is historically one-sided at
least. Even before the Reformation some hymns were clearly intended to be
sung by the congregation. Luther never wanted to break away completely from
the old liturgical repertoire: he adapted such hymns and pre-Reformation
texts to his doctrines and translated them into the vernacular. Nor should
it be assumed that immediately after the Reformation all congregations
started to sing hymns. Many people could not read and it took time before
they were able to sing the new melodies. Korth states that in the early
decades of the Reformation the hymns were more sung
for than
by the congregation.
Soon after the publication of hymns composers started to arrange
them. Some were merely harmonisations, to be sung, for instance, by the
faithful in domestic surroundings or in social gatherings. Others were more
sophisticated and meant for performance by professional singers and players.
This disc includes various examples of such settings, in particular by
Michael Praetorius. In these pieces instruments such as cornett and viola da
gamba are involved. Some stanzas in harmonisations are also divided between
a singer and one or more instruments. This certainly reflects the varied
ways in which this repertoire was performed across Germany. The large number
of arrangements of several kinds bear witness to the huge popularity of
these hymns.
The many changes they underwent through the ages show that they are
part of a living tradition which is not confined to Germany. Many melodies
have found their way into hymn books from all over the world, including in
the English-speaking countries. Through this disc those who have learnt the
hymns from their hymnbooks have the opportunity to become acquainted with
these chorales as they were originally written.
This disc presents only a tiny proportion of what was included in
the many hymnbooks published in the 16th and 17th centuries. Those hymns
which were selected provide a good picture of the character of this
repertoire. Stimmwerck and the cooperating instrumentalists deliver
sensitive performances which show a good understanding of the character of
the texts. Obviously they don't approach this repertoire from the angle of
community singing. Congregations did not sing in four parts and will not
have been as responsive to the texts as Stimmwerck. Some hymns they sing
quite softly, because of their content. That is only possible with a rather
small group of professional singers. Years ago Paul McCreesh made some
interesting attempts to show how a congregation may have sung in the 17th
century or in the days of Bach. What we have here is quite different, but no
less interesting and revealing.
I find this disc quite fascinating and I hope that the huge hymn
repertoire will continue to be explored.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Track listing
Johann Hermann SCHEIN (1586-1630)
Mir nach, spricht Christus, unser Held [2:23]
Conrad HAGIUS (1550-1616)
Hebt ewer heupt ihr pforten all [2:45]
Sethus CALVISIUS (1556-1615)/Johannes JEEP (1581/82-1644)
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig [3:02]
Joachim BURMEISTER (1564-1629)
Christe, du Lamm Gottes [1:25]
Michael PRAETORIUS (1571-1621)
Christe, du Lamm Gottes [3:37]
Johann CRÜGER (1598-1662)
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden [2:46]
Johannes ECCARD (1553-1611)
Christ ist erstanden [1:35]
Michael PRAETORIUS
Christ ist erstanden [1:48]
Melchior VULPIUS (c1570-1615)
Gelobt sei Gott im höchsten Thron [2:17]
Johann WALTER (1496-1570)
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott [2:20]
Jan Pieterszoon SWEELINCK (1562-1621)
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr [3:23]
Hans-Leo HASSLER (1564-1612)/Eustache DU CAURROY (1549-1609)/Johannes
ECCARD
Mit Ernst, o Menschenkinder [4:00]
Michael PRAETORIUS
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme [3:22]
Marcus GERRIURIUS (fl after 1628)
Es kompt ein Schiff geladen [2:55]
Michael PRAETORIUS
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern [3:25]
Johannes ECCARD
Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier [2:55]
Heinrich SCHÜTZ (1585-1672)
Wohl denen, die da leben (SWV 217) [1:57]
Conrad HAGIUS
Mein Hirt ist Gott der Herr [3:17]
Melchior VULPIUS
Christus der ist mein Leben [2:20]
Arnold VON BRUCK (1500?-1554)
Mitten wir im Leben sind [4:22]
Johann WALTER
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir [2:59]
Michael PRAETORIUS
O Welt, ich muss dich lassen [2:21]
Melchior VULPIUS
Hinunter ist der Sonne Schein [2:31]
Die helle Sonn leucht jtzt herfür [2:23]
