Puer natus in Bethlehem
I hope you are weathering the strange and distressing events of the past few days. Combined with the pandemic and other challenges, it means we all have a lot on our plates right now. I think there are some rays of hope, but these might take some time to come to fruition. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves--we need you now more than ever.
Partially as a distraction, and partially just because it's great stuff, I offer today a seemingly simple song which has been whipped up into a couple of fabulous concoctions by none other than the great Michael Praetorius (1571-1621).
The song is called 'Puer natus in Bethlehem'--known in German as 'Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem'. The words of this Christmas song can be traced back to a troping tradition of the Medieval liturgy in which the mass at special occasions (such as Christmas) was provided with added text and music, perhaps to be sung by the congregation. The melody appeared a bit later, and was combined with the text--and then with its German translation--from the mid-16th century on.
As you can see and hear from the melody sheet and recording (the inimitable Dianna) included in this resource zip folder, the tune is a simple modal ditty in compound time which works its way from its initial G to a focus on B-flat; and then resides back to G. Once you've gotten to know the tune, sing it along with the harmonized version from Bach's Epiphany Cantata 65: 'Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen'.
Very straightforward, eh? Not much to it, you might think. And yet this tune has been the basis of many complex and even monumental settings, and I'm going to show you a few.
First stop: In his 'Musae Sioniae II' (1607), a collection of eight-part chorale settings, Michael Praetorius provides us with not one but two large-scale settings of 'Puer natus'. In the zip folder are a score and a recording of the first of these. The composer uses a double-choir texture to spectacular effect, introducing repeats and echos and snatches of the tune tossed back and forth in the most playful and loving style. It's musical heaven! (And brand-new to me, by the way. Maybe when I'm really old I'll have become familiar with a tolerable percentage of Praetorius' oeuvre. Prolific doesn't even begin to say it. And at his untimely death, he had many additional volumes in the works which have never come to light.)
Second stop: In the great 'Polyhymnia caduceatrix et panegyrica' (1619), Praetorius builds a tour de force setting for instruments, soloists and choir around 'Puer natus in Bethlehem', alternating the tune in a dizzying array of verses sung by the soloists with a newly-composed jubilant refrain sung by the choir with the full band. Bach Choir singers will recognize this piece as part of our 'Sing Glorious Praetorius' concerts of November, 2019. (Seems like a hundred years ago.)
I know there's a lot going on, but try to do a little listening to these wonderful pieces, and maybe even some singing. It'll be good for you! (Not like medicine--more like a welcome escape into a land of comity and joy.)
Sending lots of love and wishes for peace and justice and harmony (and counterpoint).
I hope you are weathering the strange and distressing events of the past few days. Combined with the pandemic and other challenges, it means we all have a lot on our plates right now. I think there are some rays of hope, but these might take some time to come to fruition. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves--we need you now more than ever.
Partially as a distraction, and partially just because it's great stuff, I offer today a seemingly simple song which has been whipped up into a couple of fabulous concoctions by none other than the great Michael Praetorius (1571-1621).
The song is called 'Puer natus in Bethlehem'--known in German as 'Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem'. The words of this Christmas song can be traced back to a troping tradition of the Medieval liturgy in which the mass at special occasions (such as Christmas) was provided with added text and music, perhaps to be sung by the congregation. The melody appeared a bit later, and was combined with the text--and then with its German translation--from the mid-16th century on.
As you can see and hear from the melody sheet and recording (the inimitable Dianna) included in this resource zip folder, the tune is a simple modal ditty in compound time which works its way from its initial G to a focus on B-flat; and then resides back to G. Once you've gotten to know the tune, sing it along with the harmonized version from Bach's Epiphany Cantata 65: 'Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen'.
Very straightforward, eh? Not much to it, you might think. And yet this tune has been the basis of many complex and even monumental settings, and I'm going to show you a few.
First stop: In his 'Musae Sioniae II' (1607), a collection of eight-part chorale settings, Michael Praetorius provides us with not one but two large-scale settings of 'Puer natus'. In the zip folder are a score and a recording of the first of these. The composer uses a double-choir texture to spectacular effect, introducing repeats and echos and snatches of the tune tossed back and forth in the most playful and loving style. It's musical heaven! (And brand-new to me, by the way. Maybe when I'm really old I'll have become familiar with a tolerable percentage of Praetorius' oeuvre. Prolific doesn't even begin to say it. And at his untimely death, he had many additional volumes in the works which have never come to light.)
Second stop: In the great 'Polyhymnia caduceatrix et panegyrica' (1619), Praetorius builds a tour de force setting for instruments, soloists and choir around 'Puer natus in Bethlehem', alternating the tune in a dizzying array of verses sung by the soloists with a newly-composed jubilant refrain sung by the choir with the full band. Bach Choir singers will recognize this piece as part of our 'Sing Glorious Praetorius' concerts of November, 2019. (Seems like a hundred years ago.)
I know there's a lot going on, but try to do a little listening to these wonderful pieces, and maybe even some singing. It'll be good for you! (Not like medicine--more like a welcome escape into a land of comity and joy.)
Sending lots of love and wishes for peace and justice and harmony (and counterpoint).