A Lutheran chorale is a musical setting of a

Lutheran hymn Martin Luther was a great enthusiast for music, and this is why it forms a large part of Lutheranism, Lutheran services; in particular, Luther admired the composers Josquin des Prez and Ludwig Senfl and wanted singing in the church to move away ...

, intended to be sung by a

congregation Congregation may refer to: Religion *Church (congregation), a religious organization that meets in a particular location *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administrative body of the Catholic Church *Religious congregation, a type of religious instit ...

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 Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

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 "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" (originally written in German with the title "") is one of the best known hymns by the Protestant Reformers, Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, a prolific hymnwriter. Luther wrote the words and composed the hymn ...

"), and even a few harmonized settings. For other hymns he adapted

Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek language, Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed main ...

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 "Veni redemptor gentium" (Come, Redeemer of the nations) is a Latin Advent or Christmas hymn by Ambrose of Milan in iambic tetrameter. The hymn is assigned to the Office of Readings for Advent, from 17 December through 24 December, in the Litur ...

" to three different texts, " Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich", "

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 chor ...

", and "

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 ...

". The first Lutheran hymns were published in 1524. These included the ' (known as the first Lutheran hymnal) and the ''

Erfurt Enchiridion The ''Erfurt Enchiridion'' (wikt:enchiridion, enchiridion, from , hand book) is the second Lutheranism, Lutheran hymnal. It appeared in 1524 in Erfurt in two competing editions. One of them contains 26 songs, the other 25, 18 of them by Martin L ...

'' (both with unaccompanied melodic settings), as well as

Johann Walter Johann Walter, also known as ''Johann Walther'' or ''Johannes Walter'' (original name: ''Johann Blankenmüller'') (1496 – 25 March 1570), was a Lutheran composer and poet during the Reformation period. Life Walter was born in Kahla, in present- ...

's ', the first to contain

part song A part song, part-song or partsong is a form of choral music that consists of a song to a secular or non- liturgical sacred text, written or arranged for several vocal parts. Part songs are commonly sung by an SATB choir, but sometimes for an al ...

settings of Lutheran hymns. Luther and his contemporaries referred to these vernacular hymns as ''geistliche Lieder'' (spiritual songs), ''Psalmen'' (psalms), ''christliche Lieder'' (Christian songs), and ''geistliche'' (or ''christliche'') ''Gesänge'' or ''Kirchengesänge''. The German word ''Choral'', which was originally used to describe Latin plainchant melodies, was first applied to the Lutheran hymn only in the later sixteenth century. In the

modern era The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500 ...

, many Lutheran hymns are used in Protestant worship, sometimes sung in

four-part harmony Four-part harmony is music written for four Human voice, voices, or for some other musical medium—four musical instruments or a single keyboard instrument, for example—for which the various musical parts can give a different note for each Cho ...

. A four-part harmony is the traditional method of organizing chords for 4 different voice ranges: soprano, alto, tenor and bass (known together as 'SATB'). The term 'voice' or 'part' refers to any musical line whether it is a melody sung by singers, a long note played on a instrument or anything in between.

Composers

Composers of tunes for Lutheran hymns, or who adopted such tunes in their compositions: * Martin Luther (1483–1546) * Johann Walter (1496–1570) *

Sebald Heyden Sebald Heyden (8 December 1499 – 9 July 1561) was a German musicologist, cantor, theologian, hymn-writer and religious poet. A member of the Haiden family of Nuremberg, he is perhaps best known for his '' De arte canendi'' ("On the Art of Sin ...

(1499–1561) *

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 ...

(–1561) *

Johannes Hermann Johannes Hermann, also Johann Herrmann, (1515 – 22 April 1593 in Freiberg) was a German church musician, hymn writer and jurist. He held the position of in Leipzig from 1531 to 1536. He became the first Protestant Kantor of Freiberg, and a jur ...

(1515–1593) * Nikolaus Selnecker (1530–1592) * Cyriakus Schneegass (1546–1597) * Joachim a Burck (1546–1610) *

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 Luthera ...

(1556–1608) *

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 t ...

(–1613) *

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 ...

(1571–1621) *

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 o ...

(–1639) *

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 t ...

(1584–1635) *

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, ...

(1584–1640) *

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 ...

(1585–1672) *

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 ...

(1586–1630) *

Samuel Scheidt Samuel Scheidt (baptized 3 November 1587 – 24 March 1654) was a German composer, organist and teacher of the early Baroque era. Life and career Scheidt was born in Halle, and after early studies there, he went to Amsterdam to study with ...

(1587–1654) * Johann Schop (–1667) * Heinrich Scheidemann (–1663) *

Johann Crüger Johann Crüger (9 April 1598 – 23 February 1662) was a German composer of well-known hymns. He was also the editor of the most widely used Lutheran hymnal of the 17th century, '' Praxis pietatis melica''. Early life and education Crüger was b ...

(1598–1662) *

Andreas Hammerschmidt Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611 or 1612 – 29 October 1675) was a German Bohemian composer and organist of the early to middle Baroque era. He was one of the most significant and popular composers of sacred music in Germany in the middle 17th centu ...

(1611/1612–1675) *

Dieterich Buxtehude Dieterich Buxtehude (; born Diderich Hansen Buxtehude, ; – 9 May 1707) was a Danish composer and organist of the Baroque music, Baroque period, whose works are typical of the North German organ school. As a composer who worked in various vocal ...

(–1707) * Gottfried Vopelius (1645–1715) *

Johann Pachelbel Johann Pachelbel (also Bachelbel; baptised – buried 9 March 1706) was a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ schools to their peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secularity, secular music, and ...

(1653–1706) *

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

(1685–1750) harmonised hundreds of chorales, typically used at the end of his cantatas and concluding scenes in his Passions. In his ''

St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...

'', he set five stanzas of " O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" in four different ways. He also used hymns as the base for his cycle of chorale cantatas and

chorale prelude In music, a chorale prelude or chorale setting is a short liturgical composition for pipe organ, organ using a chorale tune as its basis. It was a predominant style of the German Baroque music, Baroque era and reached its culmination in the works ...

s. Bach concentrated on the chorales especially in the

Chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the Germany, German Baroque music, Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chor ...

s of his second annual cycle, composed mostly in 1724/25. *

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

(1809–1847) *

Anton Bruckner Joseph Anton Bruckner (; ; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer and organist best known for his Symphonies by Anton Bruckner, symphonies and sacred music, which includes List of masses by Anton Bruckner, Masses, Te Deum (Br ...

(1824–1896). *

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

(1833–1897) *

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

(1873–1916) *

Sigfrid Karg-Elert Sigfrid Karg-Elert (November 21, 1877April 9, 1933) was a German composer in the early twentieth century, best known for his compositions for pipe organ and reed organ. Biography Karg-Elert was born Siegfried Theodor Karg in Oberndorf am Neckar, ...

(1877–1933) *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

(1882–1971) * Ernst Pepping (1901–1981) *

Hugo Distler August Hugo Distler (24 June 1908 – 1 November 1942)Slonimsky & Kuhn, ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', v. 2, p. 889 was a German organist, choral conductor, teacher and composer. Life and career Born in Nuremberg, Distler att ...

(1908–1942) *

Sofia Gubaidulina Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (24 October 1931 – 13 March 2025) was a Soviet and Russian composer of Modernism (music), modernist Holy minimalism, sacred music. She was highly prolific, producing numerous Chamber music, chamber, Orchestra, orch ...

(1931–2025) * George C. Baker (b. 1951)

Compositions based on Lutheran chorales

Vocal

Organ

Chorales also appear in

s, pieces generally for

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

originally designed to be played immediately before the congregational singing of the hymn, but developed into an autonomous genre by north-German composers of the middle and late 17th century, particularly Dieterich Buxtehude. A chorale prelude includes the melody of the chorale, and adds

contrapuntal In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous Part (music), musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and Pitch contour, melodic contour. The term ...

lines. One of the first composers to write chorale preludes was Samuel Scheidt. Bach's many chorale preludes are the best-known examples of the form. Later composers of the chorale prelude include Johannes Brahms, for example in his Eleven Chorale Preludes, and Max Reger who composed many examples, including '' Wie schön leucht' uns der Morgenstern'' (based on the hymn by Philipp Nicolai). In the 20th century, important contributions to the genre were made by Hugo Distler and Ernst Pepping.

Other instrumental

– ''Meditation über den Bach-Choral "Vor deinen Thron tret' ich hiermit"'', for harpsichord, two violins, viola, cello, and contrabass (1993)

Scholarship

Scholarship regarding Lutheran chorales intensified from the 19th century.

Carl von Winterfeld

The musicologist Carl von Winterfeld published three volumes of ''Der evangelische Kirchengesang und sein Verhältniss zur Kunst des Tonsatzes'' (

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

church-song and its relation to the art of composition) from 1843 to 1847.

Zahn's classification of chorale tunes

Johannes Zahn published ''Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder'' (the tunes of the German Evangelical hymns) in six volumes from 1889 to 1893.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * **I (1843)
Der Evangelische Kirchengesang im ersten Jahrhunderte der Kirchenverbesserung
(first centuries of the reformation) **II (1845)
Der Evangelische Kirchengesang im siebzehnten Jahrhunderte
(17th century) **III (1847)
Der Evangelische Kirchengesang im achtzehnten Jahrhunderte
(18th century) * **I (1889)
Zweizeilige bis fünfzeilige Melodien
(melodies in two to five lines), Nos. 1–2047 **II (1890)
Sechszeilige Melodien
(melodies in six lines), Nos. 2048–4216 **III (1890)
Die siebenzeiligen und jambischen achtzeiligen Melodien
(melodies in seven and eight iambic lines), Nos. 4217–6231 **IV (1891)
Die Melodien von den achtzeiligen trochäischen bis zu den zehnzeiligen inkl. enthaltend
(melodies in eight

trochaic In poetic metre, a trochee ( ) is a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one, in qualitative meter, as found in English, and in modern linguistics; or in quantitative meter, as found in Latin and Ancien ...

up to and including ten lines), Nos. 6232–8087 **V (1892)
Die übrigen Melodien von den elfzeiligen an, nebst Anhang und Nachlese, sowie das chronologische Verzeichnis der Erfinder von Melodien und alphabetische Register der Melodien
(the other melodies of eleven lines and more, with an annex and complement, and also a chronological index of composers of melodies and an alphabetical register of melodies), Nos.8088–8806 **VI (1893)
Schlüßband: Chronologisches Verzeichnis der benutzten Gesang-, Melodien- und Choralbücher, und die letzten Nachträge
(closing volume: chronological catalogue of used song-, melody- and choirbooks, and the last supplements)

External links

by Bernard Greenberg in the J. S. Bach FAQ (archived copy)
Complete sets of all four-part Bach chorale settings
in MIDI or QuickTime format

LoC
ChoraleGUIDE
– help with Bach chorale harmonization
The Chorales of Bach's St. Matthew Passion
{{Authority control 16th-century music genres 18th-century music genres Protestant hymnology Lutheran liturgy and worship Church music Choral music genres