"Christum wir sollen loben schon" (We should praise Christ beautifully[a]) is a Lutheran Christmas hymn with a text by Martin Luther, first published in 1524 in the Erfurt Enchiridion. He wrote it based on the Latin A solis ortus cardine and kept its melody (Zahn No. 297a–b).[1][2]
| "Christum wir sollen loben schon" | |
|---|---|
| Hymn by Martin Luther | |
 The hymn in the Erfurt Enchyridion, 1524 | |
| Catalogue | Zahn 297a–c |
| Text | by Martin Luther |
| Language | German |
| Published | 1524 |
A variant of the hymn tune, Zahn No. 297c, was published in 1535.[2] The hymn was used in several musical settings, including the chorale cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121.[3][4] Bach wrote an organ chorale prelude BWV 611 for his Orgelbüchlein.[5]
The tune is also used for "From East to West, from Shore to Shore."[6]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "schon" is an old form of "schön" (beautiful)
References
edit- ^ "Christum wir sollen loben schon" (in German). Christliche Liederdatenbank. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ a b Zahn, Johannes (1889). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder (in German). Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. pp. 80–81.
—— (1889). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder (in German). Vol. I. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. pp. 80–81 – via Internet Archive. - ^ "Christum wir sollen loben schon / Text and Translation of Chorale". bach-cantatas.com. 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Christum wir sollen loben schon". bach-cantatas.com. 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ Williams, Peter (2003), The Organ Music of J. S. Bach (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 258–260, ISBN 0-521-89115-9
- ^ Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, #267.
Literature
edit
German Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christum wir sollen loben schon.
- Wilhelm Lucke: Christum wir sollen loben schon. In: D. Martin Luthers Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe, vol 35, Weimar 1923, S. 150–151
- Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann: Das Buch der Weihnachtslieder. Atlantis-Musikbuch-Verlag, Zürich 2003 (1982), ISBN 3-254-08213-3.
External links
edit- BWV 121.6 bach-chorales.com