Durch Adams Fall
These Wednesday Chorale projects are getting more interesting (for me at any rate), not less. It's true that I am having to stretch to find good ones that are new to me (or that I've heard of but haven't explored); but so far I haven't come up dry, and I keep new favorites.
'Durch Adams Fall' was familiar to me only by title. Its staunch modal melody was first published in 1524 on a broadside; the secular text was about the Battle of Pavia. In the same year, Lazarus Spengler published his 9-verse text, on the topic of deliverance granted to the penitent, set to the same melody. The chorale has been in the repertoire ever since.
Start here, with this brief monophonic recording of the tune; a score is available here. You'll notice that it is in an extended bar-form, with the customary repeat of the A section, followed by a contrasting B section. The latter contains some recapitulation of the A section material. The tune is entirely modal, and explores a rather broad range. There's kind of a free, spacious, chant-like feel to the melody which I love.
As to settings: There's no shortage! I'm going to give you a broad swath from spare to spectacular:
Kaspar Othmayr's bicinium (two-voice setting);
Dieterich Buxtehude's lovely decorated organ setting (score attached);
Bach's closing chorale for Cantata 18 (score attached);
Bach's wonderful choral-orchestral closing chorale for Cantata 109 (score attached);
The attached score and tracks for the two movements of Christoph Bernhard's Missa Brevis based upon the chorale;
And finally, as a special treat, don't miss David Maslanka's amazing 'Fanfare and Variations on Durch Adams Fall'. The piece is also available in this recording by a delightful young quartet. They're so fun to watch as well as to hear! And all from memory...
These Wednesday Chorale projects are getting more interesting (for me at any rate), not less. It's true that I am having to stretch to find good ones that are new to me (or that I've heard of but haven't explored); but so far I haven't come up dry, and I keep new favorites.
'Durch Adams Fall' was familiar to me only by title. Its staunch modal melody was first published in 1524 on a broadside; the secular text was about the Battle of Pavia. In the same year, Lazarus Spengler published his 9-verse text, on the topic of deliverance granted to the penitent, set to the same melody. The chorale has been in the repertoire ever since.
Start here, with this brief monophonic recording of the tune; a score is available here. You'll notice that it is in an extended bar-form, with the customary repeat of the A section, followed by a contrasting B section. The latter contains some recapitulation of the A section material. The tune is entirely modal, and explores a rather broad range. There's kind of a free, spacious, chant-like feel to the melody which I love.
As to settings: There's no shortage! I'm going to give you a broad swath from spare to spectacular:
Kaspar Othmayr's bicinium (two-voice setting);
Dieterich Buxtehude's lovely decorated organ setting (score attached);
Bach's closing chorale for Cantata 18 (score attached);
Bach's wonderful choral-orchestral closing chorale for Cantata 109 (score attached);
The attached score and tracks for the two movements of Christoph Bernhard's Missa Brevis based upon the chorale;
And finally, as a special treat, don't miss David Maslanka's amazing 'Fanfare and Variations on Durch Adams Fall'. The piece is also available in this recording by a delightful young quartet. They're so fun to watch as well as to hear! And all from memory...