"Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern"

By John Abberger, Artistic Director

Few chorales have provided as much musical inspiration historically as Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (How beautifully shines the morning star). Bach lovers will be interested to learn that the composer of this much-loved hymn, Philip Nicholai, also composed the chorale Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme. Both of these hymns seem to have captured the imagination of Bach (as well as that of many other composers both before and after him).

Nicholai (1556-1608) was a Lutheran theologian, poet, and composer who lived roughly 100 years before Bach, and like Bach, was steeped the strong Lutheran traditions of central Germany. His most famous publication is a devotional work, Der Freudenspiegel der ewigen Lebens (The Mirror of Joy of Eternal Life), published in 1599, and it is this work that contains the two chorales. Both of these melodies were known before Nicholai’s time, however, and are believed to come from the Meistersinger tradition, the German art song tradition, in which poetry and music come from the same author. As I began to look at Nicholai’s place in history, I was intrigued to learn that during his years as pastor in Unna, in Westphalia (1596-1601), and almost certainly the time when he wrote Der Freudenspiegel, there was a severe outbreak of plague in the city in the year 1597, which took the lives of some 1300 of his parishioners in a period of 6 months, with 170 deaths reportedly occurring in a single week. A horrific situation, and, needless to say, a grim parallel to the events of our own time.

As I have written before, chorales illustrate a fascinating connection between words and music. To those who are conversant (to a greater or lesser degree) with the cultural world of these musical gems, the connections are both powerful and immediate. The words reference the music, and the music conjures the words in a seamless process. Any of us who have any familiarity at all with Bach’s music can hear the melody of O Haupt voll blut, known to us in English as “O sacred head now wounded,” and make an immediate connection to Bach’s passion music and its dramatic depiction of the Passion of Christ with all its attendant centrality to Christian theology. The underlying human emotion, in this case, is one of tragedy.

Let’s look at Nicholai‘s text for Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern.

1. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Voll Gnad' und Wahrheit von dem Herrn,
Die süße Wurzel Jesse!
Du Sohn David aus Jakobs Stamm,
Mein König und mein Bräutigam,
Hast mir mein Herz besessen,
Lieblich, freundlich,
Schön und herrlich, groß und ehrlich,
Reich von Gaben,
Hoch und sehr prächtig erhaben!

1. How beautifully shines the morning star
full of grace and truth from the Lord,
the sweet root of Jesse!
You son of David from the line of Jacob,
my king and my bridegroom,
have taken possesion of my heart,
lovingly, friendly,
beautiful and noble, great and glorious,
rich in gifts,
lofty and exalted in splendour!

2. Ei meine Perl', du werte Kron',
Wahr'r Gottes- und Mariensohn,
Ein hochgeborner König!
Mein Herz heißt dich ein Lilium,
Dein süßes Evangelium
Ist lauter Milch und Honig.
Ei mein Blümlein,
Hosianna, himmlisch Manna,
Das wir essen,
Deiner kann ich nicht vergessen!

2. Ah my pearl, my precious crown,
true son of God and Mary,
a king of most noble birth!
My heart calls you a lily,
your sweet gospel
is pure milk and honey.
Ah my dear flower,
hosanna, heavenly manna,
that we eat,
I cannot forget you!

3. Geuss sehr tief in mein Herz hinein,
Du heller Jaspis und Rubin,
Die Flamme deiner Liebe
Und erfreu' mich, daß ich doch bleib'
An deinem auserwählten Leib
Ein' lebendige Rippe!
Nach dir ist mir,
Gratiosa coeli rosa,
Krank und glimmet
Mein Herz, durch Liebe verwundet.

3. Pour most deeply within my heart,
you clear jasper and ruby,
the flames of your love,
and make me rejoice, so that I may remain
in your chosen body
a living rib!
Because of you,
gracious rose of heaven,
my heart is sick and smouldering,
wounded with love.

4. Von Gott kommt mir ein Freudenschein,
Wenn du mit deinen Äugelein
Mich freundlich tust anblicken.
O Herr Jesu, mein trautes Gut,
Dein Wort, dein Geist, dein Leib und Blut
Mich innerlich erquicken!
Nimm mich freundlich
In dein' Arme, daß ich warme
Werd' von Gnaden!
Auf dein Wort komm' ich geladen.

4. A joyful light from God comes to me
when with your dear eyes
you look on me as a friend.
Oh Lord Jesus, my beloved good,
your word, your spirit, your body and blood
refresh me within.
Take me like a friend
in your arms, so that I may become warm
with your grace
To your word I come invited.

5. Herr Gott Vater, mein starker Held,
Du hast mich ewig vor der Welt
In deinem Sohn geliebet.
Dein Sohn hat mich ihm selbst vertraut,
Er ist mein Schatz, ich bin sein' Braut,
Sehr hoch in ihm erfreuet.
Eia, eia,
Himmlisch Leben wird er geben
Mir dort oben!
Ewig soll mein Herz ihn loben.

5. Lord, God,Father, my mighty hero,
before the world you have
loved me in your son.
Your son has betrothed me to himself,
he is my treasure, I am his bride,
most greatly I rejoice in him.
Yes, yes.
Heavenly life he will give me
in the the world above!
My heart shall praise him for ever.

6. Zwingt die Saiten in Zithara
Und laßt die süße Musika
Ganz freudenreich erschallen,
Daß ich möge mit Jesulein,
Dem wunderschönen Bräut'gam mein,
In steter Liebe wallen!
Singet, springet,
Jubilieret, triumphieret,
Dankt dem Herren!
Groß ist der König der Ehren!

6. Pluck the strings on the harp
and let the sweet music
resound full of joy,
so that with dear Jesus,
my most beautiful bridegroom,
in constant love I may make my pilgrimage!
Sing, leap,
rejoice, triumph,
thank the Lord!
Great is the king of honour!

7. Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh,
Daß mein Schatz ist das A und O.
Der Anfang und das Ende!
Er wird mich doch zu seinem Preis
Aufnehmen in das Paradeis,
Des klopf' ich in die Hände.
Amen! Amen!
Komm, du schöne Freudenkrone,
Bleib nicht lange,
Deiner wart' ich mit Verlangen!

7. How full I am therefore of heartfelt joy
that my treasure is the alpha and the omega,
the beginning and the end;
To his reward he will
take me up to paradise,
and so I clap my hands
Amen! Amen!
Come, you sweet crown of joy,
do not long delay,
I wait for you with longing.

The poetic style of the time might strike us today as a bit overwrought. But what an extraordinary message of hope is conveyed in these verses, an emotion that is beautifully captured in the soaring melody. Imagine for a moment what was going on around Nicholai when he wrote these verses and composed (or adapted) this chorale tune. As he worked to help his community cope with the devastating effects of the plague, we can appreciate that this is an extraordinary testament to the strength of the human spirt. The truth of beauty, and the beauty of truth are bound together in a fashion that only art can convey. To me Nicholai’s chorale speaks to us of overwhelming joy and optimism, a bracing message for us today.

Nicholai’s message seems to have been well received in his time and beyond, and I have discovered a wealth of music based on his chorale, a selection of which appears below. The chorale was traditionally assigned to the feast of Epiphany in early January (when the wise men of the east were guided to Bethlehem by a shining star), as well as to the feast of the Annunciation in late March. But there is also an obvious association with Advent, with the star of Bethlehem and the birth of Christ.

A wonderful example is a setting by Michael Praetorius (1571-1621), probably written in the first decade after the publication of Nicholai’s work. Here is a fantastic performance by Dorothe Mields with the Lautten Compagny.

Michael Praetorius, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Peformed by Lautten Compagny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JoPWRCzqN4

Another wonderful setting is by Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630), also written in the first decades of the 17th century. One could say that Bach followed in Schein’s footsteps, as Schein was employed as Kapellmeister in Weimar, and later became Cantor in Leipzig.

Johann Hermann Schein, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Performed by Lautten Compagny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lTrums1_kk

There are quite a few organ settings (including some by Bach). Here is an outstanding example by Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), one of the giants of German organ music before Bach. Pachelbel was briefly employed in Eisenach, Bach’s birthplace, where he met J.S. Bach’s father, Johann Ambrosius Bach and developed a close friendship with the Bach family. He then accepted a post in nearby Erfurt, where the Bach family was well-known, and later stood as godfather to J.S. Bach’s elder sister, Johanna Juditha, as well as serving as a teacher to J.S. Bach’s older brother Johann Christoph Bach. (And to add to the circles of influence, Nicholai studied theology at the University of Erfurt.)

Johann Pachelbel, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Performed by Christopher Dawes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1z3Gh4F_2A

Also in the generation before Bach is the extraordinary Dietrich Buxtehude. Don’t forget that Bach walked some 450 km on foot in 1705 to Lübeck to meet (presumably, although we have no record of an actual meeting) Buxtehude, and to hear performances of his music. This chorale prelude has long been one of my favourites. I find it almost Beethoven-like in the way Buxtehude deconstructs the choral melody, playing with the intervals, and lulling us into forgetting where we started and losing track of the original premise of the piece. Then he builds the momentum towards the moment when the last descending line of the chorale tune can return to provide a sastifying “oh yeah!” to end the work.

Buxtehude Chorale Prelude Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BuxWV 223
Koopman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxSAjesxPY

Although it’s difficult to hear on this recording, Koopman uses the organ stop known as a Zymbelstern, which is a set of bells mounted on a wheel which is turned by the air from the organ. It’s an interesting effect, and Koopman uses it very artistically at the beginning and end of the performance of the chorale prelude.

Bach’s immediate predecessor Johann Kuhnau wrote a beautiful cantata based on the chorale. It’s interesting to compare Kuhnau’s style with Bach’s, and to imagine that this is the kind of music the Leipzig congregation was accustomed to hearing before Bach’s arrival. Here is the first movement performed by Opella Musica and Camerata Lipsiensis, and the last movement performed by Alex Weiman and Arion from Montreal.

Johann Kuhnau, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Performed by Opella Musica and Camerata Lipsiensis, directed by Gregor Meyer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3TXWSdQwbU

„Zwingt die Saiten in Cytharra“
Performed by Arion, under the direction of Alex Weiman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=985uqRhGkpc

Moving on to Bach himself, there is a wonderful chorale prelude for organ, BWV 739. Here is a nicely produced video from All of Bach with Teo Jellema at a beautiful organ in north central Germany, not far from Leipzig.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bskQc-7srR0

Another amazing piece by Bach using the chorale is this movement from the Cantata, BWV 37, in which he fashions an amazing part for the basso continuo to allow him to set the chorale in canon.

BWV 37/3
Peformed by Sara Macliver and Sally-Anne Russell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T5NC2D51Ks

Performed by Gardiner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrqlT4eAuPg

And finally there is, of course, the amazing choral cantata that he wrote in his first years in Leipzig in 1725. Written for the feast of the Annunciation in late March, this is an outstanding example of the great chorale-based cantatas that were perfected by Bach. The text is taken directly from the chorale in the first and last movements (chorale verses 1 and 7), and offers a paraphrase of the other verses for the recitatives and arias (skillfully combining verses 4 and 5 for the recitative fourth movement. The majestic and soaring first movement features horns (corno da caccia) and oboes da caccia to evoke the pastoral idea of the morning star over the fields, and two solo violins represent the shimmering of the star with high twinkling motives.

Here is a wonderful performance of the opening movement performed by the Choir and Orchestra of the J.S. Bach Foundation.

BWV 1, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, movement 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBfHemeJTfg

And if you’d like to experience the complete cantata, here is a performance by La Petite Bande led by Sigiswald Kuijken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmyTFD-m_Wg&t=729s

– John Abberger