Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir - Johann Hermann Schein
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir - Baltasar Resinarius
Today, you will find not one but two settings of this week’s chorale, ‘Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir’. Neither of these settings is by Bach, though he did write compositions based upon this chorale, including his Cantata 38 (1724) from his second Leipzig cantata cycle. Rather, I’m focusing upon two very different, much earlier settings. To top it off, I am including a special lagniappe which I think you’ll enjoy.
The text for ‘Aus tiefer Not’ is Martin Luther’s poetic paraphrase of Psalm 130 (‘De profundis’); as far as we know, the melody was written by Luther as well, though it’s possible that (as in many other cases) he adapted the tune from an earlier version. The melody is striking for its Phrygian mode and for its dramatic opening gesture. The B section vaults to the relative major, then resides back through the Phrygian lowered-second degree to the final.
Our first version of the tune is by Johann Hermann Schein (1586—1630), an exact contemporary of Heinrich Schütz. Schein’s Cantional is a treasure trove of Lutheran chorale settings, some quite succinct, others more extended. His ‘Aus tiefer Not’ is a straightforward setting, much like Bach’s chorales, with the melody in the soprano and in a generally homophonic texture. Schein harmonizes the A section in the key of A minor (each phrase closing on A major). The bridge begins in A, moves through G; only at the end do we hear a real Phrygian cadence on E.
Our second version is by Baltasar Resinarius (c.1486—1567), a contemporary of Luther. Though a century earlier, his setting sounds (in terms of counterpoint) more more modern than Schein’s, with imitative and smoothly flowing contrapuntal lines in a very active texture. This is actually the norm in early chorale settings; the simpler homophonic texture which we know so well through Bach’s chorales (and as demonstrated in Schein’s ‘Aus tiefer Not’) only became standard much later.
Another difference between the settings is that Resinarius hews much more closely than Schein to the modal character of the chorale melody. All of Resinarius’ full cadences are on the Phrygian final of C (the piece has been transposed up from E for the sake of the altos.) This rather antique element combines in a compelling way with the contrapuntal design noted above. And finally, the lagniappe: A spectacular jazz rendition of ‘Aus tiefer Not’ by the German trio Continuum, from their CD of arrangements of Lutheran chorales, ‘Terra Mofino’ (an anagram of ‘Reformation’).
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir - Baltasar Resinarius
Today, you will find not one but two settings of this week’s chorale, ‘Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir’. Neither of these settings is by Bach, though he did write compositions based upon this chorale, including his Cantata 38 (1724) from his second Leipzig cantata cycle. Rather, I’m focusing upon two very different, much earlier settings. To top it off, I am including a special lagniappe which I think you’ll enjoy.
The text for ‘Aus tiefer Not’ is Martin Luther’s poetic paraphrase of Psalm 130 (‘De profundis’); as far as we know, the melody was written by Luther as well, though it’s possible that (as in many other cases) he adapted the tune from an earlier version. The melody is striking for its Phrygian mode and for its dramatic opening gesture. The B section vaults to the relative major, then resides back through the Phrygian lowered-second degree to the final.
Our first version of the tune is by Johann Hermann Schein (1586—1630), an exact contemporary of Heinrich Schütz. Schein’s Cantional is a treasure trove of Lutheran chorale settings, some quite succinct, others more extended. His ‘Aus tiefer Not’ is a straightforward setting, much like Bach’s chorales, with the melody in the soprano and in a generally homophonic texture. Schein harmonizes the A section in the key of A minor (each phrase closing on A major). The bridge begins in A, moves through G; only at the end do we hear a real Phrygian cadence on E.
Our second version is by Baltasar Resinarius (c.1486—1567), a contemporary of Luther. Though a century earlier, his setting sounds (in terms of counterpoint) more more modern than Schein’s, with imitative and smoothly flowing contrapuntal lines in a very active texture. This is actually the norm in early chorale settings; the simpler homophonic texture which we know so well through Bach’s chorales (and as demonstrated in Schein’s ‘Aus tiefer Not’) only became standard much later.
Another difference between the settings is that Resinarius hews much more closely than Schein to the modal character of the chorale melody. All of Resinarius’ full cadences are on the Phrygian final of C (the piece has been transposed up from E for the sake of the altos.) This rather antique element combines in a compelling way with the contrapuntal design noted above. And finally, the lagniappe: A spectacular jazz rendition of ‘Aus tiefer Not’ by the German trio Continuum, from their CD of arrangements of Lutheran chorales, ‘Terra Mofino’ (an anagram of ‘Reformation’).
Aus tiefer Not by Johann Hermann Schein
Aus tiefer Not by Baltasar Resinarius
