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O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig

March 12, 2024

"O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" ("O Lamb of God, innocent") is an early Lutheran hymn, with text and melody attributed to Nikolaus Decius. Originally intended as a German version of the Latin Agnus Dei, it was instead used as a Passion hymn. In both contexts, the hymn has often been set to music, prominently as the cantus firmus in the opening chorus of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. It is included in most German hymnals, and has been translated by Catherine Winkworth, among others.

"O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig"
Lutheran Passion hymn
The hymn in Johann Spangenberg's Kirchengesenge Deudtsch, published in Magdeburg in 1545
EnglishO Lamb of God, innocent
CatalogueZahn Nos. 4360–4361
Textby Nikolaus Decius
LanguageGerman
Based on"Agnus Dei"
Melodyby Decius on an older model
Published1531 (1531)

History edit

Until the 18th century, "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" was printed in hymnals without mentioning an author. In his Braunschweigische Kirchen-Historie, Philipp Julius Rehtmeyer [de] presented a Latin report from 1600 that identified Decius the author of the hymn's text and melody and of "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr".[1] A medieval melody may have been the model for the tune.[2] Decius's work is dated 1522/23,[1] in the early Reformation, before Martin Luther's first hymns, published in 1524 in the first Lutheran hymnal.

The song was first printed in Low German in Joachim Slüter [de]'s Geystlyke leder in Rostock in 1531.[1][2] The first print in High German appeared in a hymnal in Leipzig in 1539.[1][2] It was distributed in German-speaking regions. The melody appeared with the text first in Johann Spangenberg [de]'s hymnal Kirchengesenge Deudtsch, published in Magdeburg in 1545,[1] but had appeared in a slightly different version a few years earlier in a Strasbourg hymnal.

Text edit

As in the Latin model, the Lamb of God is called three times, twice asking for mercy, the third time for peace. The text is given as in the current German hymnals, with Catherine Winkworth's translation, published in 1863 as No. 46 in her Chorale Book for England.[3]

Hymnals edit

In all early prints, "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig" is titled Das Agnus Dei Deutsch (The Agnus Dei in German), indicating that it was supposed to take the position of the Agnus Dei during Abendmahl (communion).[1][6] This function was soon taken by Luther's "Christe, du Lamm Gottes", while "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig", which adds the memory of Christ's Passion, was used as a hymn for Passiontide.[7]

The hymn was included in the Evangelisches Kirchengesangbuch (EKG) of 1950 as a Passion song, EKG 55, with two slightly different melodies, called the northern (norddeutsche) and southern (süddeutsche) versions.[7][8]

The hymn appeared in 1616 first in a Catholic hymnal, in Paderborn, then in the Groß Catholisch Gesangbuch by David Gregor Corner.[7] It was included in 1938 as "O du Lamm Gottes unschuldig" in the collection Kirchenlied as the only Agnus Dei song.[7]

An ecumenical group, Arbeitsgemeinschaft für ökumenisches Liedgut [de], worked in 1973 on a common version, which appeared in the Catholic Gotteslob in 1975 and in the Protestant Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG 190.1). In the current Gotteslob the song is GL 203. In all these hymnals, the song was grouped as an Agnus Dei song.[8]

Melody and musical settings edit

 
Autograph from Bach's St Matthew Passion, where the hymn was chosen as the cantus firmus, written in the middle in red, above the bass line of chorus I, and also at the bottom above the bass line of chorus II

An older form of the hymn tune "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig", Zahn No. 4360, was published in 1542, in two variants.[9] It was mainly adopted in the southern part of Germany.[9] A newer form of the hymn tune, Zahn No. 4361a, appeared in 1545.[10] A simplified variant (Zahn No. 4361b) and a variant in triple metre (Zahn No. 4361c) of that newer form were published in the late 16th century.[10]

Johann Sebastian Bach mostly used the Zahn 4361a variant,[11] for instance as a cantus firmus in the opening movement, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen, of his St. Matthew Passion.[12] He wrote it, without words, in red ink in the middle between the first choir on top of the page and the second at the bottom.[12] Bach also composed organ chorale preludes on the hymn. Philip Spitta called the tripartite chorale BWV 656, one of the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, a "marvel of profoundly religious art";[13][14][15] another, BWV 618, forms part of the Orgelbüchlein; and BWV 1095 is found in the Neumeister Collection.[16][17][11] Bach also wrote a four-part chorale setting, BWV 401.[18]

Max Reger composed a chorale prelude as No. 32 of his 52 Chorale Preludes, Op. 67 in 1902. Sigfrid Karg-Elert included a setting as No. 20 of his 66 Chorale improvisations for organ, published in 1909.[19]

Notes edit

  1. ^ The comma differs in the current German hymnals: EG has it before "unschuldig" (innocently slaughtered), GL has it afterwards (innocent lamb).

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f Leahy 2011, p. 91.
  2. ^ a b c Terry 1915, p. XVII.
  3. ^ Hymnary 2017.
  4. ^ Hartmann 2009.
  5. ^ Terry 1915.
  6. ^ Bach-Cantatas 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d Beck 2009, p. 109.
  8. ^ a b Grub 2012, p. 77.
  9. ^ a b Zahn 1890, p. 49.
  10. ^ a b Zahn 1890, p. 50.
  11. ^ a b BWV2a (1998), p. 478
  12. ^ a b Leahy 2011, pp. 91–92.
  13. ^ see Zahn 4361b
  14. ^ Stinson 2001, pp. 29–38, 51, 83–84
  15. ^ Williams 2003, pp. 336–340, 353–356
  16. ^ Stinson 1999
  17. ^ Williams 2003
  18. ^ CPDL 2017.
  19. ^ Choral Improvisations for Organ, Op. 65: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

Sources edit

  • Hartmann, Richard, ed. (2003). Wer singt, betet doppelt: Liedpredigten und Betrachtungen zum "Geistlichen Wunderhorn" (in German). Münster: LIT Verlag. p. 36. ISBN 978-3-8258-6256-5. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  • Becker, Hansjakob, ed. (2009). Geistliches Wunderhorn: Große deutsche Kirchenlieder (in German). C. H. Beck. pp. 108–110. ISBN 978-3-406-59247-8.
  • Grub, Udo (2012). Evangelische Spuren im katholischen Einheitsgesangbuch "Gotteslob" von 1975 (in German). LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 77, 80. ISBN 978-3-643-11663-5.
  • Leahy, Anne (2011). J. S. Bach's "Leipzig" Chorale Preludes: Music, Text, Theology. Scarecrow Press. pp. 91–107. ISBN 978-0-8108-8181-5.
  • Stinson, Russell (1999), Bach: the Orgelbüchlein, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-386214-2
  • Stinson, Russell (2001), J.S. Bach's Great Eighteen Organ Chorales, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-516556-X
  • Terry, Charles Sanford (1915). "Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's Chorals, vol. 1 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the "Passions" and Oratorios". oll.libertyfund.org. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  • Williams, Peter (2003), The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-89115-9
  • Zahn, Johannes (1890). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder (in German). Vol. III. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. {{cite book}}: External link in |volume= (help)
  • "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn". Bach-Cantatas. 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  • "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, BWV 401 (Johann Sebastian Bach)". cpdl.org. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  • "O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig". hymnary.org. Retrieved 15 December 2014.

Further reading edit

  • Alex Stock: O Lamm Gottes unschuldig. In: Hansjakob Becker [de] among others (ed.): Geistliches Wunderhorn. Große deutsche Kirchenlieder. München 2/2003, pp. 104–110.
  • Ludger Stühlmeyer: Die Kirchenlieder des Hofers Nicolaus Decius. In: Curia sonans. Die Musikgeschichte der Stadt Hof. Eine Studie zur Kultur Oberfrankens. Von der Gründung des Bistums Bamberg bis zur Gegenwart. (dissertation.) Bayerische Verlagsanstalt, Heinrichs-Verlag Bamberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-89889-155-4, pp. 110–112, 135–137, 357–358.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig.

March 12, 2024
lamm, gottes, unschuldig, lamb, innocent, early, lutheran, hymn, with, text, melody, attributed, nikolaus, decius, originally, intended, german, version, latin, agnus, instead, used, passion, hymn, both, contexts, hymn, often, been, music, prominently, cantus,. O Lamm Gottes unschuldig O Lamb of God innocent is an early Lutheran hymn with text and melody attributed to Nikolaus Decius Originally intended as a German version of the Latin Agnus Dei it was instead used as a Passion hymn In both contexts the hymn has often been set to music prominently as the cantus firmus in the opening chorus of Bach s St Matthew Passion It is included in most German hymnals and has been translated by Catherine Winkworth among others O Lamm Gottes unschuldig Lutheran Passion hymnThe hymn in Johann Spangenberg s Kirchengesenge Deudtsch published in Magdeburg in 1545EnglishO Lamb of God innocentCatalogueZahn Nos 4360 4361Textby Nikolaus DeciusLanguageGermanBased on Agnus Dei Melodyby Decius on an older modelPublished1531 1531 Contents 1 History 2 Text 3 Hymnals 4 Melody and musical settings 5 Notes 6 References 7 Sources 8 Further reading 9 External linksHistory editUntil the 18th century O Lamm Gottes unschuldig was printed in hymnals without mentioning an author In his Braunschweigische Kirchen Historie Philipp Julius Rehtmeyer de presented a Latin report from 1600 that identified Decius the author of the hymn s text and melody and of Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Ehr 1 A medieval melody may have been the model for the tune 2 Decius s work is dated 1522 23 1 in the early Reformation before Martin Luther s first hymns published in 1524 in the first Lutheran hymnal The song was first printed in Low German in Joachim Sluter de s Geystlyke leder in Rostock in 1531 1 2 The first print in High German appeared in a hymnal in Leipzig in 1539 1 2 It was distributed in German speaking regions The melody appeared with the text first in Johann Spangenberg de s hymnal Kirchengesenge Deudtsch published in Magdeburg in 1545 1 but had appeared in a slightly different version a few years earlier in a Strasbourg hymnal Text editAs in the Latin model the Lamb of God is called three times twice asking for mercy the third time for peace The text is given as in the current German hymnals with Catherine Winkworth s translation published in 1863 as No 46 in her Chorale Book for England 3 1 3 O Lamm Gottes unschuldig am Stamm des Kreuzes geschlachtet a allzeit erfunden geduldig wiewohl du warest verachtet all Sund hast du getragen sonst mussten wir verzagen 1 2 Erbarm dich unser o Jesu 3 Gib deinen Frieden o Jesu 4 O Lamb of God most stainless Who on the Cross didst languish Patient through all Thy sorrows Though mocked amid Thine anguish Our sins Thou bearest for us Else had despair reigned o er us Have mercy upon us O Jesu Grant us Thy peace today O Jesu 5 Hymnals editIn all early prints O Lamm Gottes unschuldig is titled Das Agnus Dei Deutsch The Agnus Dei in German indicating that it was supposed to take the position of the Agnus Dei during Abendmahl communion 1 6 This function was soon taken by Luther s Christe du Lamm Gottes while O Lamm Gottes unschuldig which adds the memory of Christ s Passion was used as a hymn for Passiontide 7 The hymn was included in the Evangelisches Kirchengesangbuch EKG of 1950 as a Passion song EKG 55 with two slightly different melodies called the northern norddeutsche and southern suddeutsche versions 7 8 The hymn appeared in 1616 first in a Catholic hymnal in Paderborn then in the Gross Catholisch Gesangbuch by David Gregor Corner 7 It was included in 1938 as O du Lamm Gottes unschuldig in the collection Kirchenlied as the only Agnus Dei song 7 An ecumenical group Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur okumenisches Liedgut de worked in 1973 on a common version which appeared in the Catholic Gotteslob in 1975 and in the Protestant Evangelisches Gesangbuch EG 190 1 In the current Gotteslob the song is GL 203 In all these hymnals the song was grouped as an Agnus Dei song 8 Melody and musical settings edit nbsp Autograph from Bach s St Matthew Passion where the hymn was chosen as the cantus firmus written in the middle in red above the bass line of chorus I and also at the bottom above the bass line of chorus IIAn older form of the hymn tune O Lamm Gottes unschuldig Zahn No 4360 was published in 1542 in two variants 9 It was mainly adopted in the southern part of Germany 9 A newer form of the hymn tune Zahn No 4361a appeared in 1545 10 A simplified variant Zahn No 4361b and a variant in triple metre Zahn No 4361c of that newer form were published in the late 16th century 10 Johann Sebastian Bach mostly used the Zahn 4361a variant 11 for instance as a cantus firmus in the opening movement Kommt ihr Tochter helft mir klagen of his St Matthew Passion 12 He wrote it without words in red ink in the middle between the first choir on top of the page and the second at the bottom 12 Bach also composed organ chorale preludes on the hymn Philip Spitta called the tripartite chorale BWV 656 one of the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes a marvel of profoundly religious art 13 14 15 another BWV 618 forms part of the Orgelbuchlein and BWV 1095 is found in the Neumeister Collection 16 17 11 Bach also wrote a four part chorale setting BWV 401 18 Max Reger composed a chorale prelude as No 32 of his 52 Chorale Preludes Op 67 in 1902 Sigfrid Karg Elert included a setting as No 20 of his 66 Chorale improvisations for organ published in 1909 19 Notes edit The comma differs in the current German hymnals EG has it before unschuldig innocently slaughtered GL has it afterwards innocent lamb References edit a b c d e f Leahy 2011 p 91 a b c Terry 1915 p XVII Hymnary 2017 Hartmann 2009 Terry 1915 Bach Cantatas 2008 a b c d Beck 2009 p 109 a b Grub 2012 p 77 a b Zahn 1890 p 49 a b Zahn 1890 p 50 a b BWV2a 1998 p 478 a b Leahy 2011 pp 91 92 see Zahn 4361b Stinson 2001 pp 29 38 51 83 84 Williams 2003 pp 336 340 353 356 Stinson 1999 Williams 2003 CPDL 2017 Choral Improvisations for Organ Op 65 Scores at the International Music Score Library ProjectSources editHartmann Richard ed 2003 Wer singt betet doppelt Liedpredigten und Betrachtungen zum Geistlichen Wunderhorn in German Munster LIT Verlag p 36 ISBN 978 3 8258 6256 5 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Becker Hansjakob ed 2009 Geistliches Wunderhorn Grosse deutsche Kirchenlieder in German C H Beck pp 108 110 ISBN 978 3 406 59247 8 Grub Udo 2012 Evangelische Spuren im katholischen Einheitsgesangbuch Gotteslob von 1975 in German LIT Verlag Munster pp 77 80 ISBN 978 3 643 11663 5 Leahy Anne 2011 J S Bach s Leipzig Chorale Preludes Music Text Theology Scarecrow Press pp 91 107 ISBN 978 0 8108 8181 5 Stinson Russell 1999 Bach the Orgelbuchlein Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 386214 2 Stinson Russell 2001 J S Bach s Great Eighteen Organ Chorales Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 516556 X Terry Charles Sanford 1915 Johann Sebastian Bach Bach s Chorals vol 1 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Passions and Oratorios oll libertyfund org Retrieved 9 April 2017 Williams Peter 2003 The Organ Music of J S Bach 2nd ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 89115 9 Zahn Johannes 1890 Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder in German Vol III Gutersloh Bertelsmann a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a External link in code class cs1 code volume code help Chorale Melodies used in Bach s Vocal Works Herr Christ der einge Gottessohn Bach Cantatas 2008 Retrieved 9 April 2017 O Lamm Gottes unschuldig BWV 401 Johann Sebastian Bach cpdl org Retrieved 20 March 2017 O Lamm Gottes unschuldig hymnary org Retrieved 15 December 2014 Further reading editAlex Stock O Lamm Gottes unschuldig In Hansjakob Becker de among others ed Geistliches Wunderhorn Grosse deutsche Kirchenlieder Munchen 2 2003 pp 104 110 Ludger Stuhlmeyer Die Kirchenlieder des Hofers Nicolaus Decius In Curia sonans Die Musikgeschichte der Stadt Hof Eine Studie zur Kultur Oberfrankens Von der Grundung des Bistums Bamberg bis zur Gegenwart dissertation Bayerische Verlagsanstalt Heinrichs Verlag Bamberg 2010 ISBN 978 3 89889 155 4 pp 110 112 135 137 357 358 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to O Lamm Gottes unschuldig O Lamm Gottes unschuldig The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology Gotteslobvideo GL 203 O Lamm Gottes unschuldig katholisch de O Lamm Gottes unschuldig BWV 656 Bach Johann Sebastian Scores at the International Music Score Library Project O Lamm Gottes unschuldig BWV 1085 Bach Johann Sebastian Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Choral Improvisationen fur Orgel Op 65 Karg Elert Sigfrid Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Derek Remes Textual Illustration in J S Bach s Settings of O Lamm Gottes unschuldig derekremes com 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title O Lamm Gottes unschuldig amp oldid 1069854333, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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