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

Melody & Text: Zahn: 7246 | EKG: 146

Text: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam | EKG: 146

Original Text by Martin Luther: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam with the earliest date given variously as Wittenberg, 1524 but also as late as 1541. There seems to be some confusion here in that some sources claim that Luther first used the melody (Zahn 7247) for Es wolle Gott uns genädig sein with this text, but then, later, in 1541, it appears with the melody (Zahn 7246) Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam. The available sources are unclear about this. The NBA KB and BWV Verzeichnis give 1541 as the earliest appearance of the text. This is a point that needs to be verified.

Melody:

The composer of Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam is unknown, although there is a possibility that Johann Walter might have been involved in its composition or adaptation. Some sources (EKG) claim that this melody was derived from Es woll uns Gott genädig sein. Aside from the fact that this text could be sung to the latter melody, major differences between both melodies are quite obvious.

Hymnal versions Bach may have known:

Bach’s possible and very likely hymnal source: Vopelius, Leipzig, 1682:

Another early hymnal (unspecified) from the 17^th century has a version of the melody that looks like this:

Samuel Scheidt gives a version of the melody as it was sung in 1650:

Alternate Text: Was alle Weisheit in der Welt | EKG:

Paul Gerhardt is the author of this chorale text which first appeared in 1653.

Use of the Chorale Melody by Bach:

Text 1: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam | EKG: 146
Author: Martin Luther (1524-1541)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 7

Mvt. 1

1724

-

-

-

-

A177:1

Mvt. 1 (Leusink) [ram]

7

BWV 7

Mvt. 7

1724

-

44

-

-

A177:7

PDF

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

-

BWV 280

-

?

65

43

66

-

F65.1

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

Text 2: Was alle Weisheit in der Welt | EKG:
Author: Paul Gerhardt (1653)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

8

BWV 176

Mvt. 6

1725

119

-

A92:6

PDF

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

Untexted:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

-

BWV 684

-

1739

-

-

-

-

K16

-

-

BWV 685

-

-

-

-

-

K17

-

BWV 684 Chorale Prelude for Organ Klavierübung III/16
BWV 685 Chorale Prelude for Organ Klavierübung III/17

Use of the Chorale Melody by other composers:

Wolff Heintz (c1490- 1552(?):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, setting for 4 voices in G. Rhau, Newe deudsche geistliche Gesenge (Wittenberg, 1544)

Hieronymus Praetorius (1560-1629)::
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Chorale Prelude for Organ (1625)

Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, 4vv (1607), C vii;
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, 4vv (1608), C viii

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Chorale Ricercare for Organ
The chorale ricercare quickly became one of the favourite organ chorale forms of the time. Particularly large-scale examples were contributed by the leading master of the vocal chorale motet, Michael Praetorius (see his Ein feste Burg and Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam) as well as by the Hamburg organist Jacob Praetorius and others.

Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, SATB [bc] ( 1627); A ii/1, 88
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, SS, 2 instruments, bc (1618); A iv, 65, P v, 56

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654):
Christ unser Herr, 4-pt. setting, SSWV 472 (Görlitz, 1650). See: Score
Christ unser Herr/Ich ruf zu dir (chorale) STB, bc, SSWV 184, in Newe geistliche Concerten … prima pars (Halle, 1631)
Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam (chorale), STB, bc, SSWV 320, in Geistlicher Concerten … dritter Theil (Halle, 1635)

Christoph Bernhard (1627/1628-1692):
Missa: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, 5vv

Dietrich Buxtehude (c1637-1707):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Chorale Prelude for Organ Dorian, BuxWV 180

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (1663-1712):
Christ unser Herr zum Jodan kam, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Siegfried Reda (1916-1968):
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, Choralconcerto for Organ (1948)

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)