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

Melody & Text: Zahn: 5264b | EKG: 283

Text:

The chorale text is by Ludwig Helmbold (born 1532 in Mühlhausen, Thuringia and died there as well in 1598)

Melody:

The melody, composer unknown, comes from a secular song “Une jeune fillette de grand' valeur” [a type of ‘vocal allemande’ – a combination of dance and folk music lyrics], the earliest record of which can be found in “Recueil de plusieurs chansons divisè en trois parties” a collection of "Voix de Ville" published by Jehan Chardavoine (1537-c. 1580) in Lyon, France in 1557.

The text of this ‘Voix de Ville’ song is as follows:

French Text

English Translation

Une jeune fillette
De noble coeur
Plaisante et joliette
De grand’ valeur,
Outre son greon
l’a vendu’ nonette,
Cela point ne luy haicte
Dont vit en grand’ douleur.

A young girl
with a noble heart
pleasant and good-looking
and of great value/very worthy,
against her will
she was sold as a novice (nun)
this she hated very much (?)
through this she had much sorrow.

The first use of this secular melody with the sacred text by Ludwig Helmbold can be traced back to a broadside which the author personally prepared and had printed in 1563. Unfortunately, although there is knowledge of its prior existence, it cannot be located for inspection at the present time. Joachim Magdeburg later printed out the text and melody in 1572. The same melody is also used for another old chorale text which is still found in use today as EKG 9: “Mit Ernst, o Menschenkinder”. Both Johannes Eccard (1597) and Johannes Jeep (1629) have settings of this melody with the latter text:

The EKG also uses a close equivalent of the melody for EKG 37, the chorale text of which is “Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen” by Paul Eber (1511-1569). See: CM Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen.

The original source of the melody as indicated above is Jehan Chardavoine: Une jeune fillette - the voix de ville (1557):

An early example of the melody can be found in a 17^th century hymnal:

To sort out the differences between "Von Gott will ich nicht lassen" and "Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen", see:

For additional history regarding the melody, see the separate page: The "Monica" - Historical Background.

See also: Une Jeune Fillette - A popular tune of the Renaissance and Baroque period, used by many composers in different settings, sacred and profane (Early Music FAQ) - One Complete Set of Lyrics (from: Martha G. Bishop) and Various texts (first stanzas) for the "La Monica" tune (from: Bradley Lehman).

Use of the Chorale Melody by Bach:

Text 1: Von Gott will ich nicht lassen | EKG: 283
Author: Ludwig Helmbold (1563)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

5

BWV 73

Mvt. 5

1724

191

328

-

-

A35:5

PDF

Mvt. 5 (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 5 (Leusink) [ram]

Text 2: Gott fähret auf gen Himmel | EKG:
Author: Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (1697)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

7

BWV 11

Mvt. 9

1735?

-

-

-

-

D9:11

-

Mvt. 11 (Leusink) [ram]

Text 3: Was willst du dich betrüben | EKG:
Author: Johann Heermann (1630) Omnes versus (1724)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 107

Mvt. 1

1724

-

-

-

-

A109:1

-

Mvt. 1 (Leusink) [ram]

5

BWV 107

Mvt. 5

1724

-

-

-

-

A109:5

-

Mvt. 5 (Leusink) [ram]

7

BWV 107

Mvt. 7

1724

-

-

-

-

A109:7

-

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

Untexted:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

-

BWV 417

-

?

363

324

364

135

F185:1

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

-

BWV 418

-

?

331

325

332

-

F185:2

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

-

BWV 419

-

?

114

326

114

-

F185:3

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

-

BWV 658

-

Weimar

-

-

-

-

K81

-

Chorale Prelude (MG) [midi]

BWV 658: Chorale Prelude for Organ.

Use of the Chorale Melody by other composers:

Orlando di Lasso (c1532-1594):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Setting for 6 voices

Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen for 2 Sopranos, Bass, 2 Violins, bc (Organ, Violone), SWV 366

Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, SATB with bc (1627)

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, 4-pt setting (Görlitz, 1650)
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Setting for Soprano, Tenor, Bass + bc in Newe geistliche Concerten…prima pars, SSWV 191 (Halle, 1631)

Dietrich Buxtehude (c1637-1707):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Chorale Prelude for Organ, BuxWV 221

Daniel Erich (c1649-1712):
6 Variations (Chorale Preludes for Organ) on Von Gott will ich nicht lassen

Georg Dietrich Leiding (Leyding) (1664-1710):
Variations on Von Gott will ich nicht lassen for Organ

Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ

Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Kurt Hessenberg (1908-1994):
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Chorale Prelude for Organ Op.42, No. 1 (1947/48)

Dietrich Manicke (b 1923):
Chorale Partita for Advent Mit Ernst, o Menschenkinder for Organ (1952)
Chorale Partita Von Gott will ich nicht lassen for Organ (1963)

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 (January 2006)