The Holistic Perspective of the Lutheran Chorale As an Integrating Factor of the Christian Faith
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The Holistic Perspective of the Lutheran Chorale as an Integrating Factor of the Christian Faith Cristian Caraman, PhD ‘Timotheus’ Brethren Theological Institute of Bucharest, Romania Baptist Theological Institute, Bucharest, Romania [email protected] ABSTRACT: Music is the art which demonstrated that the rapprochement of people (in spite of religious differences from a dogmatic and cultic perspective), is necessary and feasible, as long as the superior idea of faith exists as a vital guiding principle that has the purpose of combating the essential evil. Music created a path through which a dialog was started between the main religious orientations—Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. Humanity had been Christianity, of any form, had been helping in its efforts to overcome suchstruggling struggles. to reach For, aof superior course, levelas music of affirmation builds on ofthe its principle ideals, and of universal harmony, our deeds follow suit. The beginnings of the Protestant music in the Europe of the 14th–16th centuries are related to the spiritual manifestations necessary for the shaping of the new other representatives of the Reformation. Over time, the shedding ofreligious values and,and firstroutines of all, had to the established great stature certain of Martin hierarchies, Luther andbut the creation of new musical genera during the Renaissance appears useful in building a Protestant music repertoire. The musical core is—and this argument is that the model resists the test of history— its manifold manifesto. It is worth appreciating the details of the typesthe Lutheran of Choral, chorus, Anthem, which Hymn, will become Cantata more and Passion. and more The defined holistic in perspective of the Lutheran chorus culminates with Bach, which in turn, makes the Lutheran spiritual290 model more clearly understood, Caraman: The Holistic Perspective of the Lutheran Chorale as an Integrating Factor291 but also has lasting consequences in classicism, romanticism, to the creation of 20th–century composers. Christianity, Reformation KEY WORDS: Lutheran Chorale, Protestant Music, Holistic, The role of the Lutheran chorale in music Tharmonically by the Wittenberg musicians during the Protestant Reformation,he Lutheran played Chorale a double created role by Martin by stimulating Luther and the developed musical creativity and to encourage the worship of God by the congregation. The spiritual significance of the chorale was established by theMartin church Luther, music which was responsiblewanted to encourageto bring people the congregation to church every to Sunday,develop fora personal the purpose relationship of worship. with God. Luther also believed that of the sixteenths century was the integration of congregational The most important accomplishment of Luther’s reformation theology I give music the highest place and highest honor.”1 In order tosinging encourage within the the participation worship service of the of believersthe Lutheran within church. the liturgy, “After congregation, but was able to transmit profound theological truths. Martin Luther created the chorale which was very accessible to the German. In order to encourage the understanding of theological textsThe Lutheran and to make Chorale it easier has afor simple the people melodic in linethe congregation,and the text is the in text was always in German. Luther replaced the traditional liturgical expresslanguage, their which beliefs was and Latin, worship with in German.their native Through tongue. theThe chorale,German language,Luther made full his of wishconsonants, come true needed by allowing a particular the German musical people style, toin freecontrast rhythms with whereLatin, whichthe vowels is reach were in held vowels. for longThe liturgicalperiods of music, time. Thecomposed German on Chorale Latin texts had a was more characterized syllabic style withby long less phrases, melisma’s. with In 292 HARVARD SQUARE SYMPOSIUM | THE HOLISTIC SOCIETY: MULTI–DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES the beginning, during the liturgy, the chorales were unaccompanied and were sung in a monodic style. Also, in order for the chorales to by sung by untrained voices, sixteenthdue to its vocaliccentury, text, lead the to the melodies need of where new liturgical characterized music byto serve very few the interval jumps. The creation of the Lutheran Churches during the composersLutheran ideology. ten used The old purpose melodies of insuch combination new music with was newto create melodic and transmit the subtle and profound Lutheran theology. The Lutheran century, by using sacred and non–religious music. The early chorales fromlines. the The Contrafact Lutheran period,Chorale used developed well known very texts,rapidly which in the were sixteenth added of the Meistersinger and the folk German songs. A good example of to Gregorian melodies. The official Latin hymns, the religious songs All Ehr’ und Lob soll Gottes sein andthe relation Praise Bebetween Given), the which Gregorian was based Chant onand the the Gregorian Lutheran Choralemelody Gloriais Luther’s tempore Chorale paschali .2 (All Glory, Laud, Gott der Vater whon uns bei (God Lutherans the Father have with often Us adoptedBe).3 folk German usedsongs non–religious and modified songsthem into theirreligious liturgy, texts. by One replacing such piece the original is text with a spiritual one. One such example is, Ich komm Most aus Lutherans fremden Landen her (I come from foreign lands), with a new text which turned the song into the well–known chorale, Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar (From Heaven the Angel Troop Came Near).4 On example of such chorale is O Welt, ich muss dich lassen („O World, I now must leave thee”), which is a contrafact of the famous secular sponge Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen al lui Heinrich Isaac 5 Based on familiar ideas of the congregations.(Innsbruck, I Now The Must fundamental Leave Thee). tradition was the inspiration fortime, Johann most Lutheran Sebastian text Bach’s had double compositions, meaning, which where is losthe toused today’s the juxtaposition of familiar melodies to religious texts. In spite of this composers used original compositions and texts for their chorales. It ismethod important of music to mention creation that of thethe textssixteenth and melodies century, afor lot new of Lutheran chorales were usually written by the same person. This method was used to Caraman: The Holistic Perspective of the Lutheran Chorale as an Integrating Factor293 create a homogenous symbiotic relationship between text and music. music and theological concepts, which were impossible to separate. From the very beginning the Lutheran Chorale was a combination of The harmonized Chorales with time and by the end of the sixteenth century many chorales The need for harmonized chorales in the Lutheran Church grew Walter.were already Johann harmonized. Walter kept The all thefirst original harmonized rhythmical chorales verse appeared of the in 1524, and were composed by the Lutheran composer Johann like the majority of the Renaissance music. The untrained believers hadcantus a major firms, problem but placed when the hearing cants firms the melody in the intenor the lowervoice, voice,much This stylistic change allowed the congregation to learn the chorales hence the Lucas Osiander, moved the melody to the higher voice. were modal, and in the beginning of the seventeenth century a lot easier. Most harmonized chorales of the sixteenth century more tonal in their harmonic structure. Other composers, such as MichaelHans Leo Praetorius Hassler publishedand Johann chorale Balthasar arrangements Koenig, contributed which were with the introductionliturgy. He also of instruments.incorporated J.various S. Bach chorales harmonized in his more cantatas, than oratorios400 Lutheran and chorales,passions. with J.S. Bach’sthe sole use purpose of the of chorale being used in his during own and ideology to all. compositions was related to his wish to bring the Lutheran theology new concepts by new harmonic structures brought the Chorale to the perfectionBach’s ability it was to takeoriginally Lutheran imagined melodies to be. and Bach’s infuse knowledge them with of harmony allowed him to perfect this genre and give more musical meaning to his spiritual beliefs. One such example is the Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God),6 where Bach uses close harmonic intervals to create the harmonization of Bach also uses the fermata to indicate the ending of textual phrases. feeling of a fortified wall, which cannot be penetrated, or demolished. 294 HARVARD SQUARE SYMPOSIUM | THE HOLISTIC SOCIETY: MULTI–DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES The motet chorale The motet chorale is a composition „in a polyphonic style, in one or two parts, based on a German melody of a Chorale.”7 In the beginning, the motet chorale was interpreted a cappella, and later with various instruments, or the organ replaced one or more voices. One of these chorale motets is Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, no. 108, written as a cannon by Arnold von Bruck. The choral–motet, developed with a four partial harmonization, initially modeled after the work of Dutch composers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This andmodel equality of chorale–motet between voices. is characterized Johann Walter by arranged rhythmic some and melodicof those choralesimitations, in smooth a motet cadenzas, stile before polyphonic 1524, and textures, his compositions canon techniques, used cantus firmus in the tenor voice. The other voices, supported the