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

Melody & Text::

Chorale Melody: Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich | Zahn: 198 | EKG: 21

Nikolaus Herman’s text first appears with a melody that may be a sacred contrafactum of an unknown secular melody/dance: Kommt her, ihr lieben Schwesterlein {“Come over here, all of you dear sisters”) as found in Ein Christlicher Abentreien (A Christian Evening Round Dance), Leipzig, 1554. Here is the melody as it appeared in 1554:

Bach may have been acquainted with this melody as found in the Gotha Hymnal from 1715.

Chorale Text 1: Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich | EKG: 21

Nikolaus Herman (c1480-1561) chorale text is based upon a Christmas antiphon, the introit Puer natus es nobis from the Middle Ages.

Chorale Text 2: Nun danket all und bringet Ehr | EKG: 231

Text by Paul Gerhardt. Usually associated with this CT is the CM by the same name (EKG 231) by Johannes Crüger (1653). However, Bach used this CT with the CM Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich (Zahn: 198, originated from Kommt her, ihr lieben Schwesterlein) and not Crüger's melody from 1653.

Use of the Chorale Melody by Bach:

Text 1: Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich | EKG: 21
Author: Nikolaus Herman (1554)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

8

BWV 151

Mvt. 5

1725

54

235

54

-

A17:5

PDF

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

-

BWV 375

-

?

276

233

276

58

F127.1

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

-

BWV 376

-

?

341

234

342

-

F128.1

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

Text 2: Nun danket all und bringet Ehr | EKG: 231
Author: Paul Gerhardt (1647)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 195

Mvt. 6

c1742

-

236

-

-

B14:6

PDF

Mvt. 5 (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 6 (Leusink) [ram]

Untexted:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

-

BWV 609

-

1713/15

-

-

-

-

K38

-

BWV 732

-

 ?

-

-

-

-

K117

-

BWV 732a

-

 ?

-

-

-

-

BWV 609: Orgelbüchlein No. 11

Use of the Chorale Melody by other composers:

Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich

Leonhard Schrצter (c1540-1595):
4-pt. setting of Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich (1587)

Michael Praetorius (1571-1621):
4-pt. setting of Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich (1609)

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654):
4-pt setting of Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich (Gצrlitz, 1650)

Dietrich Buxtehude (c1637-1707):
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich, Chorale Prelude for Organ, BuxWV 202

Vincent Lübeck (1654-1740):
Clavier Uebung bestehend im Praeludio Fuga, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande und Gigue als auch einer Zugabe von dem Gesang Lobt Gott ihr Christen allzugleich in einer Chaconne (Hamburg, 1728); ed. H. Trede (Leipzig, 1941)
The curious chaconne Lobt Gott ihr Christen allzugleich, printed as an extra movement, does nothing to enhance Lbeck’s reputation (Author: Hugh J. McLean)

Nicolaus Vetter (1666-1734):
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen allzugleich, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Georg Friedrich Kauffmann (1679-1735):
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich, Chorale Prelude for Organ (Leipzig, 1733)

Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748):
2 Chorale Preludes for Organ on Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich
1 Chorale Prelude for Organ on Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich

Johann Peter Kellner (1705-1772):
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Sources: NBA, vols. III/2.1 & 2.2 in particular [Bהrenreiter, 1954 to present] and the BWV ("Bach Werke Verzeichnis") [Breitkopf & Hהrtel, 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)