Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/191

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LUTHER,

Catherine von Bora, formerly a nun at Nimptsch in Saxony. This marriage proved a most happy connection, and the letters of his friends abound with descriptions of the domestic felicity to which it gave rise. We are told that after supper he used to sing motets and hymns with his children and friends, his favourite composers being Senfl and Josquin des Pro's, the works of the latter of whom he particularly admired. Luther possessed a fine deep voice, and played both the flute and lute, the latter so well as to attract the attention of passers-by as he journeyed to Worms. It has been said that he wrote motets himself, but there is no proof of this, and it is probably a mistake arising from the existence, in the Munich Library, of a collection of motets with a preface by the Reformer. In 1538 Luther wrote a short treatise in praise of music ; a poem by him on the same subject (entitled ' Frau Musika') also exists, and may be found in the Leipziger Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung for 1811. The latter years of Luther's life were principally spent at Wittenburg, but he died at Eisleben, on the i8th February, 1546. He was buried in the Schloss-Kirche at Wittenberg ; his greatest hymn, ' Ein feste Burg,' being sung over his grave.

The following is a list of Hymns, the words of which were written or arranged by Luther, together with their dates, so far as it has been possible to ascertain them.

��LUTHER'S HYMN.

��179

��I. Translations and Arrangements

of Latin Hymns.

1. 'Jesus Christus unser Hei- land,' 1524. From John Huss's hymn 'Jesus Christus nostra sal us.'

2. 'Verleih uns Frieden gnfidi- glich.' 1529. From 'Da pacem Domine,' an antiphon of the 6th or 7th century.

3. ' Christum wir sollen loben,' 1524. From a Christmas hymn by Cojlius Sedulius (5th cent.), 'A >olis ortus.'

4. ' Der dubistdrei,' 1543. From ' O Lux beata, ' an Epiphany hymn cf the 5th century.

5. 'Heir Gott, dich loben wir,' 1529. From the ' Te Deum.'

. 6. 'Komm, Gott, Schopfer,' 1524. From the ' Veni Creator.'

7. ' Komm, helliger Geist,' 1524. From the 'Venl sancte Spiritus' attributed to King Robert of France, 997.

8. 'Nun komm der Helden Hei- land,' 1524. From a Christmas hymn by St. Ambrose, 'Veni Be- demptor.'

9. 'WasfOrcht'stduFeind.'Dec. 12, 1541. From 'Hostis Herodes Impie,' an Epiphany hymn byCoe- lius Sedulius.

10. 'Wir glauben all' an Elnen Gott,' 1524. From the creed ' Pa- trem credimus.'

II. AmplificationsofearlyGerman translations of Latin Hymns.

11. ' Gelobet seyst du,' 1524. Six verses added to a 15th-century translation of the Christmas Se- quence of Gregory the Great, ' Orates nunc omnes.'

12. ' Mitten wir 1m Leben sind,' 1524. Two verses added to a 15th- eentnry Funeral hymn on Notker's Antiphon ' Media vita in morte tumus.'

III. Corrections or Arrangements of early German Hymns.

IS. 'Christ lag In Todesbanden,'

��1524. From the 12th-century hymn ' Christ ist uferstanden.'

14. 'Gott der Vater, wohn uns bei,' 1524. From a 15th-century Litany.

15. 'Gottselgelobetundgebene- deiet,' 1524. From a sacramental hymn of the 16th century.

16. 'Nun bitten wir den heili- gen Geist,' 1524. From a 13th-cen- tury Whitsuntide hymn.

IV. Hymns based upon Latin Psalms.

17. 'Ach Gott vom Himmel,'

1523. Ps. xii. ' Salvum me fac.'

18 a. 'Aus tiefer Noth,' 1523. First version, containing four verses. Ps. cxxx. 'De profundis.'

18 b. Do., 1524. Second version, containing five verses.

19. 'Bin feste Burg,' 1529. Ps. xlvi. ' Deus noster refuglum.'

20. 'Es spricht der Unweisen,'

1524. Ps. xlv. ' Dlxlt Insipiens.'

21. 'Es wollt uns Gott,' 1524. Ps. Ixvli. ' Deus misereatur.'

22. 'War Gott nlcht mit nns,' 1524. Fs. cxxiv. 'Nisi qui Domi- nus.'

23. 'Wohl dem, der In Gottes- fOrchte,' 1524. Ps. cxxvlii. 'Beatl omnes.'

V. Hymns based upon passages of the Bible.

24. 'Christ nnser Herr,' 1641. The Baptism of Christ.

25. ' Diess sind die heillgen zehn Gebot, 1 1524. The Decalogue.

26. 'Jesaia, dem Propheten,' 1526. The Vision of Isaiah.

27. 'Mc.nsch, willst du leben,' 1524. Abbreviated version of the Decalogue.

28. ' Mit Fried und Freud,' 1524. The ' Nunc Dimittis.'

29. ' Sie ist mir lieb,' 1635. The Christian Church (Bev. xii.).

30. ' Vater unser,' 1539. The Lord's Prayer.

31. 'Vom Himmel hoch,' 1535. The Nativity (a children's hymn).

��VI. Original Hymns.

�arch-enemies of Christ, the Pope

�32. 'Ein neues Lied,' 1523. A

�and the Turk.

�hymn to the memory of two Lu-

�34. 'Jesus Christus, unser Hei-

�theran martyrs, H. Voes and J,

�land,' 1524. An Easter hymn.

�Esch, who were burnt at Brussels

�35. 'Nun freut euch,' 1523. A

�July 1, 1523.

�hymn of thanksgiving.

�83. ' Erhalt uns, Herr,' 1541. A

�36. 'Vom Himmel kam,' 1643.

�children's hymn (gainst the two

�A Christmas hymn.

�The following are the hymn-tunes which were probably composed by Luther.

�1. 'Jesaia dem Fropheten das

�4. 'Bin neues Lied wir heben

�geschah.' Appeared In the place of the Sanctus In Luther's ' Bine Weiss, Christlich Mess zu halten,'

�an.' First appeared in 'Enchiri- dion, Oder eyn Handtbachlein ey- nem yetzlichen Christen fast nutz-

�1526.

�lich bey sich zu haben zur stetter

�2. ' Ein' feste Burg ist unser

�vbung unnd trachtung Geystlicher

�Gott.' First appeared in 'Geist-

�gesenge vnd Psalmen, Bechtschaf-

�liche Lieder, auffs new gebessert

�fen vnd kunstlich vertheutscht.

�ru Wittenberg. Dr. Mart. Luther,

�1524.' Printed at Erfurt.

�1529.' This book was printed by

�5. 'Es spricht der Unweisen

�Joseph King. The following arrangements of this hymn appeared during Lu- ther's life :

�Mund wohl.' Appeared in the ' Gesangbachleyn,' 1524. 6. ' Mensch, willst du leben selig-

�(o) For 3 voices, with the melody

�llch.' From the ' Gesangbachleyn,' 1524.

�in the Tenor, In ' News Ge- sang, mit dreyen stimmen den Kirchen und Schulen zu

�7. 'Mlt Fried und Freud Ich fahr dahin.' From the 'Gesang-

�nutz, neulich in Preussen " KU ' K i u - in.

�durch Joannem Kugelmann 8 - ' Vom Himmel hoch, da komm

�gesetzt ' (Augsburg, 1540). i ich her -' Appeared In Lotther's

�Hans Kugelmann was Ka-

�Magdeburg Gesangbuch, 1540.

�pellmeister to Duke Albert

�9. 'Jesus Christus unser Hel-

�of Brandenburg.

�land.' From the 'Enchiridion,'

�(6) For 4 voices, with the melody

�1524.

�In the Bass, in G. Bhaw's

�10. 'Nun freut euch, liebe Chris-

�' Newe deutsche gelstliche

�ten g'mein.' From the so-called

�Gesenge cxxiii ' (Wittenberg

�Achtllederbuch,'1524. In Adam

�1544).

�Dyson's Hymn-book (Breslau 1525)

�(e) For 5 voices, with the melody

�It Is set to the tune of ' Es ist das

�in the Tenor, by Stephen

�Hell,' which was probably com-

�Mahu, in G. Bhaw's Hymn-

�posed by Speratus.

�book.

�11. 'Nun freut euch, liebe Chris-

�(d) For 4 voices, with the melody

�ten g'mein.' From Klug's ' Geist-

�in the Bass, by M. Agricola,

�liche Lieder' (Wittenberg 1529).

�In G. Bbaw's Hymn-book.

�12. ' Vater unser ini Himmel-

�() For 4 voices, with the melody in the Bass, by L. Hellinck, in G. Bhaw's Hymn-book.

�reich.' In Kophyl's Strasburg Gesangbuch (1537) and in Lotther's Magdeburg Hymn-book (1540).

�S. 'Aus tiefer Noth ruf ich zu

�13. 'Wohl dem, der In Gottes-

�dir.' First appeared In the ' Geist-

�fOrchte steht.' In the ' Getstlicha

�liche Gesangbachleyn. Tenor.'

�Gesangbachleyn,' 1524.

�(Wittenberg 1524.)

� �Of the above tunes, Nos. i and 2 are almost

�without doubt by Luther ; Nos. 3 to 8 are very

�probably by him ; and Nos. 9 to 13 are ascribed

�to him with less certainty. The following works

�contain much information as to Luther as a

�musician, and have been carefully consulted in

�the compilation of this article.

�Forkel's Musikallscher Alma-

�geistllche Lieder, etc.,' V. Wlnter-

�nach for 1784.

�feld (Leipzig 1840).

�The Leipziger Allgemeine mu-

�' Luther's geistliche Lieder.'

�sik. Zeitung for 1804 and 1810.

�Wackernagel (Stuttgart 184S).

�'Ueber Luther's Verdienst urn

�Geschichte der biblisch-kirch-

�den Kirchengesang.' Bambacb

�lichen Dicht- und Tonkunst und

�(Hamburg 1813).

�ihrer Werke.' Schauer (Jena 1R50).

�' Luther's geistllche Lieder nebst

�'Choralkunde.' G.DOring (Daiit-

�dessen Gedanken fiber die Musica.'

�zig, 1865).

�Groll (Berlin 1817).

�' Geschichte des Kirchenlieds,

�'Luther's Gedanken flber die

�etc.' Koch (Stuttgart, 1866-77).

�Muslk.' Beck (Berlin 1825).

�'Luther musicien'j Eevue et

�'Dr. Martin Luther's deutsche

�Gazette musicale, July 13, 1879.

�[W.B.S.]

�LUTHER'S HYMN, a popular name among

�the last generation for a hymn beginning 'Great

��God, what do I see and hear?' set to an old German tune 'Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit,' and formerly much in vogue at musical festivals and sacred concerts. It was sung by Brahain, and Harper used to accompany it with very effective fanfares on the trumpet between the lines. The author of neither words (German nor English) nor tune is exactly known. There is a tradition that Luther made the words to the tune

N 2

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