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

Melody & Text: Zahn: | EKG:

Text Author:

The author of this verse paraphrase of Psalm 124 is Justus Jonas (1493-1555), also known as Jodocus Koch, was born in Nordhausen (Harz Region), became Canon and Priest in Erfurt, later a professor at the University in Wittenberg, where he joined the Reformation. Knowledgeable in ancient languages, he worked alongside Luther on Bible translations. In 1542, as a supporter of the Reformation, he held an important position in Halle at the Liebfrauen Church, but was driven away there as a result of the Schmalkaldian War. After that, and until his death, he experienced turbulent years. In 1555, when Jonas died, he was a Superintendent of Church and School matters in Eisfeld (County of Hildburghausen).

The Melody: Zahn: 4441a | EKG: 193

The earliest appearance of this melody is in Geistliche Lieder (edited by Joseph Klug), Wittenberg, 1529 (there are no more copies of this book extant at the present time to verify this listing).

Here are some examples of this melody as notated over a century later in a hymnal from the 17^th century and from Samuel Scheidt’s 4-pt setting of it:

Use of the Chorale Melody by Bach:

Text 1: Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält (Psalm 124) | EKG: 193
Author: Justus Jonas (1524), based on Psalm 124

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 178

Mvt. 1

1724

-

-

-

-

A112:1

Mvt. 1 (Leusink) [ram]

2

BWV 178

Mvt. 2

1724

-

-

-

-

A112:2

Mvt. 2 (Leusink) [ram]

4

BWV 178

Mvt. 4

1724

-

-

-

-

A112:4

Mvt. 4 (Leusink) [ram]

5

BWV 178

Mvt. 5

1724

-

-

-

-

A112:5

Mvt. 5 (Leusink) [ram]

7,8

BWV 178

Mvt. 7

1724

-

384

-

-

A112:7

PDF

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

-

BWV 258

-

?

335

383

336

-

F212:3

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

Text 2: Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost | EKG:
Authors: David Spaiser (Verse 1, 1521) and Johann Gigas (Verses 2-6, 1561)
[The reference in BWV Verzeichnis to David Spaiser uses not ‘von’ but ‘bei’ David Spaiser This means, in German, that he is not identified as the author of the CT (although there is always the slight possibility that he might have been) but rather as the editor of the collection he had had published. In that collection, verse 1 already appears and it is not by Johann Gigas.]

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 114

Mvt. 1

1724

-

-

-

-

A139:1

Mvt. 1 (Leusink) [ram]

3

BWV 114

Mvt. 4

1724

-

-

-

-

A139:4

Mvt. 4 (Leusink) [ram]

6

BWV 114

Mvt. 7

1724

300

386

301

91

A139:7

PDF

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

-

BWV 256

-

?

31

385

31

-

F212:1

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

Text 3: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit | EKG: 192
[the melodies suggested to be used by the EKG are either this one or a different original melody from Wittenberg, 1524]
Author: This chorale text by Martin Luther is based this German verse-form version of Psalm 124. See list of Psalm-based chorale texts by Luther given at the CM page of Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir.

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

-

BWV 257

-

?

284

388

285

61

F212:2

PDF

Chorale (MG) [midi]

The Chorale Cantata BWV 14 Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit uses the same CT but different CM (Zahn 4434). The Zahn numbers seem close, but the differences are still considerable. See: 'line-by-line' comparison between BWV 257 (Zahn 4441a) and BWV 14/5 (Zahn 4434).

Text 4: Herr, wie du willst, so schick's mit mir | EKG: 285
Author: Kaspar Bienemann (1582)

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Score

Music Examples

1

BWV 73

Mvt. 1

1724

-

-

-

-

A35:1

Mvt. 1 (Leusink) [ram]

BWV 156/6 & BWV 339 use the same CT but different CM. See: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (II).

Use of the Chorale Melody by other composers:

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654):
Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, 4-pt. Setting (Görlitz, 1650)

Dietrich Buxtehude (c1637-1707):
Cantata Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit for Soprano, A, T, B

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706):
Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, Chorale Prelude for Organ

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 (January 2006)