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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir. - Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 3 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works [1921]

Edition used:

Bach’s Chorals. Part III: The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works, by Charles Sanford Terry (Cambridge University Press, 1915-1921). 3 vols. Vol. 3.

Part of: Bach’s Chorals, 3 vols.

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Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir.

lf1393-03_figure_009

Melody: “Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir”

? Martin Luther 1524

    • i.

      Out of the depths I cry to Thee,
    • Lord, hear me, I implore Thee!
    • Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
    • Let my prayer come before Thee!
    • If Thou rememberest each misdeed,
    • If each should have its rightful meed,
    • Who may abide Thy presence?

    • ii.

      Our pardon is Thy gift. Thy love
    • And grace alone avail us;
    • Our works could ne’er our guilt remove,
    • The strictest life must fail us,
    • That none may boast himself of aught,
    • But own in fear Thy grace hath wrought
    • What in him seemeth righteous.

    • iii.

      And thus my hope is in the Lord,
    • And not in mine own merit;
    • I rest upon His faithful word
    • To them of contrite spirit;
    • That He is merciful and just—
    • Here is my comfort and my trust,
    • His help I wait with patience.

    • iv.

      And though it tarry till the night,
    • And round till morning waken,
    • My heart shall ne’er mistrust His might,
    • Nor count itself forsaken.
    • Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,
    • Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
    • Wait for our God’s appearing.

    • v.

      Though great our sins and sore our woes,
    • His grace much more aboundeth;
    • His helping love no limit knows,
    • Our utmost need it soundeth;
    • Our kind and faithful Shepherd, He
    • Who shall at last set Israel free
    • From all their sin and sorrow.

    • Martin Luther (1483-1546)     Tr. Catherine Winkworth1 .

Written in 1523, Luther’s free translation of Psalm 130 was first published in 1524, along with the melody. The tune is known as “Luther’s 130th” and with some probability may be regarded as his composition. Bach makes little use of it. It occurs only in the movements infra and Cantata 38 (c. 1740). It is among the unwritten movements of the Orgelbüchlein. Bach’s melodic text is invariable. Witt (No. 261) uses another (1525) melody for the hymn.

There are two movements upon the melody in the Clavierübung. They are the only ones in that collection, as Sir Hubert Parry points out2 , which completely reproduce the Pachelbel type.

[19]

N. xvi. 68. The movement is in six parts and is the glory of the Clavierübung. Not even the giants among Bach’s predecessors introduce a double pedal throughout1 . A piece of pure music of unsurpassable grandeur, the Prelude seems to derive its inspiration from the mood expressed in stanza iii of the hymn:

  • And thus my hope is in the Lord,
  • I rest upon His faithful word,
  • Here is my comfort and my trust.

At the thirteenth bar from the end Bach introduces a rhythm of joy that rolls on with increasing fervour to its climax of fruition and content. The addition of Trombones to the Pedal cantus enhances its impressiveness.

[20]

N. xvi. 72. The movement becomes, like No. 19, a song of triumph at the close.

[1 ]Chorale Book for England, No. 40. The original hymn has five stanzas.

[2 ]Op. cit. p. 472.

[1 ] See Spitta, iii. 217.