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

Melody & Text: Zahn: 7445a | EKG: 98

Text:

The first verse of this chorale text is a German versification of the antiphon Veni Sancte Spiritus by an anonymous poet of the 15^th century. Martin Luther added verses 2 and 3 which first appeared in print in Wittenberg, 1524.

Melody:

This melody by an unknown composer dates back to the 15^th century and perhaps is related somewhat to the melody for the hymn Adesto, sancta spiritus by Marchetto di Padua, circa 1270. It first appeared in the present form in Geystliche Gesangk Buchleyn (edited by Johann Walter) in Wittenberg, 1524 together with the additional verses which Martin Luther had added.

Early Form of Melody:

From Johann Walter’s (1524) setting for 4 voices:

From an unspecified 16^th-century hymnal source:

See also below: Arnold von Bruck’s (1544) 4-pt setting:

From Samuel Scheidt’s 4-pt. setting (1650):

Use of the Chorale Melody by Bach:

Text 1: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott | EKG: 98
Authors:
Anonymous 15^th century German poet - verse 1
Martin Luther (1524) - verses 2-3

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 59

Mvt. 3

1723

-

220

-

110

A82:3

PDF

Mvt. 3 (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 3 (Leusink) [ram]

3

BWV 226

Mvt. 2

1729

69

221

69

16

F126.1

PDF
PDFv

Mvt. 2 (CCARH) [midi] | Mvt. 2 (MG) [midi] | Mvt. 2 ver (MG) [midi]

BWV 59/3: D 110 (w/o Instrumental part)

Text 2: O Gottes Geist, mein Trost und Rat | EKG:
Author: Johann Rist (1651)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

9

BWV 175

Mvt. 7

1725

-

220

-

-

A89:7

PDF
PDFch

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

Untexted:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

-

BWV 172

Mvt. 5

1724

-

-

-

-

A81:5

Mvt. 5 (Leusink) [ram]

-

BWV 651

-

1739-41
1746-47
1750

-

-

-

-

K74

Chorale Prelude [midi]

-

BWV 651a

-

Weimar

-

-

-

-

-

BWV 652

-

1739-41
1746-47
1750

-

-

-

-

K75

Chorale Prelude [midi]

-

BWV 652a

-

Weimar

-

-

-

-

BWV 651 Leipzig Revision 1739-1741; 1746-1747; 1750
BWV 651a Weimar (is considerably shorter)
BWV 652 Leipzig Revision same dates as BWV 651
BWV 652a Weimar (has more embellishments to chorale melody and other changes as well)

Use of the Chorale Melody by other composers:

Heinrich Faber (before 1500 - 1552):
Komm, heiliger Geist for 5 voices

Johann Walter (1496-1570):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, 4-pt. setting for voices (1524). See: Score

Arnold von Bruck (1500 (?) - 1554):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, 4-pt. setting for voices (1544). See: Score

Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630):
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, SST, bc (1618)
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, S, 4 insts, bc (1626)

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654):
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (ant), SATB, SATB, SSWV 8, in Cantiones Sacrae 8 voices (Hamburg, 1620)
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (ant), SS, 2 instrumentss (SSWV 38); in Cantiones Sacrae 8 voices (Hamburg, 1620)
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, 4-pt. setting (Görlitz, 1650). See: Score

Johann Heinrich Scheidemann (1595-1663):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Nikolaus Hasse (1617-1672):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Dietrich Buxtehude (c1637-1707):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ, BuxWV 199 and 200

Ján Šimbracký (?? - d 1657):
Komm heiliger Geist Herre Gott, 8 voices, bc

Andreas Nicolaus Vetter (1666-1734):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Georg Friedrich Kauffmann (1679-1735):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, 2 Chorale Preludes for Organ (Leipzig, 1733)

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767):
Mass based upon chorale melody Komm heiliger Geist (2 Versions) for 5 voices and bc
Komm heiliger Geist for 4 voices 2 Oboes Strings, and bc

Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ

Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780):
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, Chorale Prelude for Organ and Oboe or Trumpet

Moritz Hauptmann (1792-1868):
Motet: Komm, heiliger Geist for Choir and Solo voices, Op. 36

August Eduard Grell (1800-1886):
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Motet for Male Chorus

Arnold Ludwig Mendelssohn (1855-1933):
Motet: Komm heiliger Geist (Leipzig, 1921)

Hans Humpert (1901-1943):
Chorale Motet: Komm, heiliger Geist (1932)

Rudolf Petzold (1908-1991):
Komm, heiliger Geist for Choir, Soli, Orchestra, op. 36 (1957)

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)