Melody & Text | Use of the CM by Bach | Use of the CM by other composers

Melody & Text: Zahn: 7247 | EKG: 182

Text:

This is Martin Luther’s original chorale text: Es wolle Gott uns gnädig sein based on Psalm 67 and first published in Geystliche Gesangk Buchleyn (edited by Johann Walter), Wittenberg, 1524.

Melody:

This melody in the Phrygian church mode is first found on a broadside printed in Magdeburg in 1524. [Was this the same melody that appeared in Walter’s Geystliche Gesangk Buchleyn the same year in Wittenberg, or are these two different melodies?] The original title for the melody published in Magdeburg in 1524 was Der Lxvii. Deus Misereatur. The probable composer of this melody is Matthias Greiter (c1490-1552). He was born in Aichach, Upper Bavaria. He was a monk in Straßburg, but left the monastery in 1528 to become assistant preacher at St. Martin’s, then returned once again to serve as choir director in a Catholic cathedral. Among some of the chorale melodies that can possibly be attributed to him are those still in the German Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal today:

Es sind doch selig, alle die with which the CT O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß is associated
Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld

And from the Straßburg Hymnal the following:
Auf diesen Tag bedenken wir
Fröhlich wir nun all fangen an
Im Frieden dein, o Herre mein
In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (this is not the melody which Bach uses, but one still associated with this text as an alternate melody)

Hymnal versions Bach may have known:

Some pre-Bach versions of the melody with which Bach might have been acquainted are:

1. Benedictus Ducis 4-pt. setting, Wittenberg, 1544:

2. Johann Jeep 4-pt. setting, 1629:

3. Samuel Scheidt 4-pt. setting, Görlitz, 1650:

4. An unspecified 17-century hymnal:

Other References:

This chorale was particularly recommended as one of the chorales to be sung after the sermon in Straßburg and Zwickau where a special service with emphasis upon the sermon took place.
See the article: Congregational Singing (from From the MGG I, Bärenreiter, 1986).

Use of the Chorale Melody by Bach:

Text: Es woll uns Gott genädig sein | EKG: 182
Author: Martin Luther (1524)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

3

BWV 69

Mvt. 6

1748

332

97

333

-

F10:6

PDFa
PDFav

Mvt. 6 (MG) | Mvt. 6 a (MG) | Mvt. 6 av (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 6 (Leusink)

1

BWV 76

Mvt. 7

1723

-

-

-

-

A97:7
A185:7

PDF

Mvt. 7 (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 7 (Leusink)

3

BWV 76

Mvt. 14

1723

-

-

-

-

A97:14
A185:14

PDF

Mvt. 14 (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 14 (Leusink)

BWV 69/6: w/o instr

Untexted:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

-

BWV 311

-

?

16

95

16

-

F66.1

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

-

BWV 312

-

?

351

96

352

99

F66.2

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

Use of the Chorale Melody by other composers:

Benedictus Ducis (c1492-1544):
4-pt. setting of Es wollt uns Gott genedig sein in 123 Newe Deudsche Geistliche Gesenge published by Georg Rhau in Wittenberg, 1544. See: Score

Gregor Peschin (c1500-1547):
Sacred songs: Es wöll uns Gott genedig sein, 4vv (1558)

Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612):
Es woll uns Gott genedig sein, 4vv (1608)

Johann Jeep (1582-1644):
4-pt setting of Es woll uns Gott genädig sein (1629). See: Score

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654):
Es woll uns Gott genädig seyn, 4-pt setting, SSWV 498 (Görlitz, 1650). See: Score

Georg Bronner (1667-1720):
Es woll uns Gott genädig sein for Cantus, Tenore, Basso, 2 Violins, 2 Violas, Violone (Bassoon) and bc. dated 1714, but incorrectly attributed to N. A. Strungk.

Johann Balthasar Erben (1626-1686):
Es woll uns Gott genädig sein for Soprano, Alto, 2 Tenors, Bass, 4 Instruments and bc

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706):
Es woll uns Gott genädig sein, Two Chorale Preludes for Organ

Nicolaus Adam Strungk (1640-1700):
Es woll uns Gott gnädig sein for Soprano, Tenor, Bass , 2 Violins, Viola, Bassoon and Organ

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767):
Mass on Es woll’ uns Gott genädig sein, TWV 9:8
Wedding Cantata: Es woll uns Gott genädig sein, SSB, ob, str, bc, TWV 11:24 (c1725)
Church Cantata: Es woll uns Gott genädig sein, TWV 1:544 (1761)

Johann Ernst Bach (1722-1777):
Mass on Es woll uns Gott gnädig sein, SATB, bc

Sources: NBA, vols. III/2.1 & 2.2 in particular [Bärenreiter, 1954 to present] and the BWV ("Bach Werke Verzeichnis") [Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998]
The PDF files of the Chorales were contributed by Margaret Greentree J.S. Bach Chorales
Software: Capella 2004 Software, version 5.1.
Prepared by Thomas Braatz & Aryeh Oron (April 2006)

Chorales BWV 250-438
Recordings | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Chorales in Bach Cantatas: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions | Passion Chorale
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Articles: The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales [Schweitzer] | The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales [Schweitzer] | The Chorale in the Church Service [Schweitzer] | Choral / Chorale [Terry]
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