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Chorales
A Lutheran chorale is a musical setting of a Lutheran hymn, intended to be sung by a congregation in a German Protestant church service. The typical four-part setting of a chorale, in which the sopranos (and the congregation) sing the melody along with three lower voices, is known as a ''chorale harmonization''. The practice of singing in unison was the rule of the reformed churches, both in Germany and in other countries. Lutheran hymns Starting in 1523, Martin Luther began translating worship texts into German from the Latin. He composed melodies for some hymns himself, such as "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" ("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"), and even a few harmonized settings. For other hymns he adapted Gregorian chant melodies used in Catholic worship to fit new German texts, sometimes using the same melody more than once. For example, he fitted the melody of the hymn "Veni redemptor gentium" to three different texts, " Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich", "Erhalt uns, Herr, ...
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Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius (probably 28 September 1571 – 15 February 1621) was a German composer, organist, and Music theory, music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant Reformation, Protestant hymns. Life Praetorius was born Michael Schultze, the youngest son of a Lutheran pastor, in Creuzburg, in present-day Thuringia. After attending school in Torgau and Zerbst, he studied divinity and philosophy at the University of Frankfurt (Oder). He was fluent in a number of languages. After receiving his musical education, from 1587 he served as organist at the Marienkirche in Frankfurt. From 1592/3 he served at the court in Wolfenbüttel, under the employ of Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He served in the duke's Staatsorchester Braunschweig, State Orchestra, first as organist and later (from 1604) as ''Kapellmeister'' (court music director).
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Nikolaus Herman
Nikolaus Herman (first name also ''Nicolaus'' or ''Niklas''; 1500 – 3 May 1561) was a German Lutheran cantor and teacher, creating numerous Protestant hymns. Some of them are contained in hymnals in several languages. Career Herman was born in Altdorf. In 1518 he came as cantor and teacher at the Latin School of Joachimsthal (now Jáchymov, Bohemia). He was a supporter of the Reformation; a letter of Martin Luther to him is dated 6 November 1524. He collaborated with people such as Johannes Mathesius, who served there from 1532 as principal of the school, and from 1540 as a pastor. On 24 June 1557 Herman retired. He published his hymns, which he wrote primarily for teaching children, in 1560 under the title (The Sundays' Gospels through the year in songs written for the children and Christian fathers). Hymns Several of his hymns are part of present-day hymnals, such as the current German Protestant hymnal (EG) and the Catholic hymnal '' Gotteslob'' (GL). He created t ...
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Erhalt Uns, Herr, Bei Deinem Wort
"" ("Keep us, Lord, faithful to your word" or "Lord, keep us in Thy Word and Work") is a Lutheran hymn by Martin Luther with additional stanzas by Justus Jonas, first published in 1542. It was used in several musical settings, including the chorale cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, ''Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort'', BWV 126. History Luther wrote the hymn probably in 1541 when a prayer service was held in Wittenberg against the perceived danger of the Turks when Ferdinand of Austria lost most of Hungary to the Ottoman Empire at Siege of Buda. The second line of the first verse reads "und steur' des Papsts und Türken Mord" (And control the murder by the Pope and Turks). Luther may have contributed the hymn for a boys' choir. It was published as a broadsheet in 1542. In Klug's hymnal ''Geistliche Lieder'' it was titled a "A hymn for the children to sing against the two arch-enemies of Christ, and His Holy Church, the Pope and the Turks" ("Ein Kinderlied, zu singen wider d ...
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Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland
"" (original: "", English: "Savior of the nations, come", literally: Now come, Saviour of the heathen) is a Lutheran chorale of 1524 with words written by Martin Luther, based on by Ambrose, and a melody, Zahn number, Zahn 1174, based on its plainsong, plainchant. It was printed in the ''Erfurt Enchiridion'' of 1524. The song was the prominent hymn for the first Sunday of Advent for centuries. It was used widely in organ settings by Protestant Baroque composers, most notably Johann Sebastian Bach, who also composed two church cantatas beginning with the hymn. Later settings include works by Max Reger, Brian Easdale and Siegfried Strohbach. English versions include "Savior of the nations, come" by William Morton Reynolds, published in 1851. History Martin Luther wrote the text of "" possibly for the Advent of 1523 as a paraphrase of a passage, , from the Latin Christmas hymn "Intende qui reges Israel" by Ambrose. Several Latin versions begin with "Veni redemptor gentium" ...
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Bartholomäus Gesius
Bartholomäus Gesius (also: ''Göß'', ''Gese'', – 1613) was a German theologian, church musician, composer and hymn writer. He worked at Schloss Muskau and in Frankfurt (Oder) and is known for choral Passions in German and Latin and for the melody and first setting of the Easter hymn "Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn", which was used in several compositions including a cantata by Dieterich Buxtehude and a chorale prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 630), concluding the Easter section of his '' Orgelbüchlein''. Life Born in Müncheberg, Gesius studied theology between 1578 and 1585 at the Alma Mater Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). He worked from 1582 as Kantor (church musician) in Müncheberg and from 1587 as teacher and musician at Schloss Muskau (now a World Heritage Site). In 1588, he began to compose a Passion after the Gospel of John in German, a ''St John Passion'' for five-part chorus. In spring of 1593, Gesius became Kantor at the Marienkirche, Frankfurt (Oder ...
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Johann Hermann Schein
Johann Hermann Schein (20 January 1586 – 19 November 1630) was a German composer of the early Baroque era. He was Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1615 to 1630. He was one of the first to import the early Italian stylistic innovations into German music, and was one of the most polished composers of the period. Biography Schein was born in Grünhain. On the death of his father, Schein moved to Dresden where he joined the choir of the Elector of Saxony as a boy soprano. In addition to singing in the choir, he received a thorough musical training with Rogier Michael, the ''Kapellmeister,'' who recognized his extraordinary talent. From 1603 to 1607 he studied at Pforta, and from 1608 to 1612 attended the University of Leipzig, where he studied law in addition to liberal arts. Upon graduating, he was employed briefly by Gottfried von Wolffersdorff as the house music director and tutor to his children; later he became ''Kapellmeister'' at Weimar, and shortly thereafter became Thomas ...
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Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque music, Baroque composer and organ (music), organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach and one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He is credited with bringing the Italian style to Germany and continuing its evolution from the Renaissance music, Renaissance into the early Baroque music, Baroque. Most of his surviving music was written for the Lutheran church, primarily for the Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg, Electoral Chapel in Dresden. He wrote what is traditionally considered the first German opera, ''Dafne (Opitz-Schütz), Dafne'', performed at Torgau in 1627, the music of which has since been lost, along with nearly all of his ceremonial and theatrical scores. Schütz was a prolific composer, with more than 500 surviving works. He is commemorated as a musician in the Calendar of Saints (Lutheran), Calendar of Saints of some North American Luth ...
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Michael Altenburg
Michael Altenburg (27 May 1584 – 12 February 1640) was a German theologian and composer. Altenburg was born at Alach, near Erfurt. He began attending school in Erfurt in 1590; he began studying theology at the University of Erfurt in 1598, and was awarded a bachelor's degree in 1599 and a master's in 1603. From 1600 he taught at the ''Reglerschule'' in Erfurt; he was Cantor (church), Kantor at St. Andreas from 1601 and Rector (ecclesiastical), rector of the school at St. Andreas in Erfurt from 1607. In 1609 he quit teaching to become a pastor, moving to Tröchtelborn and preaching there until 1621. During this period Altenburg published music, and was compared to Orlando di Lasso. After 1621 he moved to Sömmerda, working at the ''Bonifaciuskirche''. While he continued to publish and was respected for his compositions, the Thirty Years War sapped his efforts. In 1636 a massive Plague (disease), plague wiped out most of his Wiktionary:congregation, congregation, and his wife ...
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Melchior Teschner
Melchior Teschner (29 April 1584 – 1 December 1635) was a German cantor, composer and theologian. Born in Wschowa in Poland, Teschner attended the ''Gymnasium'' in Zittau, Saxony, and studied under Johann Klee. In 1602 he began studies in music theory, philosophy and theology with Bartholomäus Gesius at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder In 1605 to 1608, Teschner served as cantor and lector in Schmiegel, Posen, between sessions of study in the universities of Helmstedt and Wittenberg. From 1609 he spent five years as cantor at the Protestant church "Zum Kripplein Christi" in his home town of Fraustadt, before being ordained as pastor in Oberpritschen, Posen, where he died. Teschner wrote the melodies of several hymns: * "Anbetung dir, dem Lamme" (1613) * "Das Jahr geht still zu Ende" * "Der du zum Heil erschienen" (1613) * "Die Segenshände breite, Herr, über unser Haus" * "Dir, dem hocherhob'nen Herrn" * "Erbaut auf einem Grunde" (1613) * "Es gilt ein frei' Geständnis" ...
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Melchior Franck
Melchior Franck (c. 1579 – 1 June 1639) was a German composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was a hugely prolific composer of Lutheran church music, especially motets, and assisted in bringing the stylistic innovations of the Venetian School north across the Alps into Germany. Life Details of his early life are sparse, as is common for composers of the time. He was born in Zittau, and possibly studied with Christoph Demantius there, and also later with Adam Gumpelzhaimer in Augsburg. By 1601 Franck was in Nuremberg, as a music teacher; there he met Hans Leo Hassler, and learned from him both the Venetian polychoral style and the polyphonic style of the high Renaissance, both of which he incorporated into his own composition. In 1602 he took a position as ''Kapellmeister'' in Coburg to Prince Johann Casimir, and he remained in Coburg for the rest of his life. For the earlier portion of this time, the situation was ideal for him; he was supported by ...
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Philipp Nicolai
Philipp Nicolai (10 August 1556 – 26 October 1608) was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer. He is most widely recognized as a hymnodist. Life Philipp Nicolai was born at Mengeringhausen in Waldeck, where his father was a Lutheran pastor. His early education include studies at Kassel, Hildesheim and Dortmund. He studied theology at the University of Erfurt where he was a pupil of Ludwig Helmbold. In 1583, he was ordained to the Lutheran ministry and was appointed minister at Herdecke. He was subsequently expelled during the Counter-Reformation. In 1588, he became pastor at Altwildungen in Hesse. He graduated with a Doctorate Degree in Theology from the University of Wittenberg in 1594. In 1596, he became the minister at Unna in Westphalia. In 1601, he was elected chief pastor of St. Catherine's Church (''Katharinenkirche'') in Hamburg. Nicolai died in Hamburg on 26 October 1608, at age 52. Work He was the author of two famous hymns: " Wachet auf, ruf ...
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