Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works
Hymnals with which Bach possibly may have been acquainted

In German musicological research literature they are commonly referred to by the abbreviated references in brackets at the head of each category as follows: “Gotha, 1715” or “Dresden, 1732” or “St. Georg, 1730”

[Vopelius]
“Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch…Mit 4. 5. bis 6. Stimmen…von Gottfried Vopelio…” (published by Christoph Klinger) [Leipzig, 1682]
“Leipziger Gesang-Buch” (without the melodies or parts) [Leipzig 1693]
(This is the 2^nd edition of the hymnal listed above)
“Leipziger Gesang-Buch” (ditto) [Leipzig, 1707]
(This is the 3^rd edition of the hymnal listed above)

[Wagner]
“Andächtiger Seelen geistliches Brand- und Gantz-Opfer / Das ist Vollständiges Gesangbuch in Acht unterschiedlichen Theilen…” published by Andreas Zeidler [Leipzig, 1697]

[Groschuff]
“Unfehlbare Engelfreude oder Geistliches Gesang-Buch…” published by Friedrich Groschuff [Leipzig, 1710]

[Weimar]
“Schuldiges Lob Gottes / Oder: Geistreiches Gesang-Buch…” published by Johann Leonhard Mumbach [Weimar, 1713] (this may or may not be the same as the Weimar Hymnal listed below with many earlier editions)
“Hoch-Fürstliches Sachsen-Weissenfelsisches Vollständiges Gesang- und Kirchen-Buch…” published by Johann Christoph Brühl [Weißenfels, 1712, 1714]

[Gotha]
“PSALMODIA SACRA, Oder: Andächtige und schöne Gesänge…” [Gotha, 1715]

[Leipzig]
“Geistreicher Lieder-Schatz, oder Leipziger Gesang-Buch…” published by Johann Friedrich Braun [Leipzig, 1715, 1717, 1724, 1732]

[St. Georg]
“Geistreiches Gesang-Buch…Hospital zu St. Georgen…” published by the Orphanage [Leipzig, 1721]
“Neu-eingerichtetes Gesang-Buch…” published by St. George’s Hospital [Leipzig, 1730]

[Dresden]
“Das Privilegirte Ordentliche und Vermehrte Dreßdnische Gesang-Buch…” published by Christoph Hekel [Dresden and Leipzig, 1725, 1728, 1730, 1732, 1734, 1738, 1741, 1745, 1748, 1749, 1750]

[Vopelische Gesangbücher] (The ‘Vopelius Hymnals’)
“Das Vollständige und vermehrte Leipziger Gesang-Buch…vormahls von Vopelio…” published by Sebastian Heinrich Barnbeck [Leipzig, 1729, 1730]
“Das Privilegirte vollständige und vermehrte Leipziger Gesangbuch, vormals von Vopelio…” edited by Carl Gottlob Hofmann and published by Sebastian Heinrich Barnbeck [Leipzig, 1734, 1737, 1739, 1740, 1742, 1744, 1745, 1747, 1749, 1750, etc.]

Also – many of these without melodies:
Weimarer Gesangbuch 1666, 1681, 1708, 1713 (see above) [Weimar]
Weimarischen Wasserquelle 1708 [Weimar]
Gesangbuch Arnstadt, 1666, 1674 [Arnstadt]
Erfurter Gesangbuch 1673 [Erfurt]

Sources: Various volumes of the NBA KBs
Prepared by Thomas Braatz (August 2005)

Chorales BWV 250-438
Recordings | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Chorales in Bach's Vocal Works: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions | Passion Chorale
Individual Recordings: Hilliard - Morimur | Chorales - Matt | Chorales - Rilling | Preludi ai Corali - Quartetto Italiani di Viola Da Gamba
References: Chorales BWV 250-300 | Chorales BWV 301-350 | Chorales BWV 351-400 | Chorales BWV 401-438
Texts & English Translations of Chorales: Sorted by Title
Chorale Melodies: Sorted by Title | 371 4-Part Chorales sorted by Breitkopf Number | Explanation
MIDI files of the Chorales: Cantatas BWV 1-197 | Other Vocal Works BWV 225-248 | Chorales BWV 250-438
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] | The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales [Braatz] | Chorale Melody Allusions in Bach's Vocal Works [Braatz]
Hymnals used by Bach | Abbreviations used for the Chorales | Links to other Sites about the Chorales