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• Prefatory Note
• Melodies
• Ach Bleib’ Bei Uns, Herr Jesu Christ.
• Ach Gott Und Herr.
• Ach Wie Fluchtig.
• Alle Menschen Mussen Sterben.
• Allein Gott In Der Hoh’ Sei Ehr’.
• An Wasserflüssen Babylon.
• Aus Tiefer Noth Schrei Ich Zu Dir.
• Christ, Der Du Bist Der Helle Tag.
• Christ Ist Erstanden.
• Christ Lag In Todesbanden.
• Christ Unser Herr Zum Jordan Kam.
• Christe, Du Lamm Gottes.
• Christum Wir Sollen Loben Schon.
• Christus, Der Uns Selig Macht.
• Da Jesus an Dem Kreuze Stund.
• Das Alte Jahr Vergangen Ist.
• Das Jesulein Soll Doch Mein Trost.
• Der Tag, Der Ist So Freudenreich.
• Dies Sind Die Heil’gen Zehn Gebot ’.
• Durch Adams Fall Ist Ganz Verderbt.
• Ein’ Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott.
• Erbarm’ Dich Mein, O Herre Gott.
• Erschienen Ist Der Herrliche Tag.
• Erstanden Ist Der Heil’ge Christ.
• Es Ist Das Heil Uns Kommen Her.
• Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ.
• Gottes Sohn Ist Kommen.
• Gott, Durch Deine Güte.
• Helft Mir Gott’s Güte Preisen.
• Herr Christ, Der Ein’ge Gottes-sohn.
• Herr Gott, Nun Sei Gepreiset.
• Herr Gott Dich Loben Wir.
• Herr Gott, Nun Schleuss Den Himmel Auf.
• Herr Jesu Christ, Dich Zu Uns Wend ’.
• Herzlich Thut Mich Verlangen.
• Heut’ Triumphiret Gottes Sohn.
• Hilf Gott, Dass Mir’s Gelinge.
• Ich Hab’ Mein Sach’ Gott Heimgestellt.
• Ich Ruf’ Zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
• In Dich Hab’ Ich Gehoffet, Herr.
• In Dir Ist Freude.
• In Dulci Jubilo.
• Jesu, Meine Freude.
• Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, Der Den Tod.
• Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland, Der Von Uns.
• Jesus, Meine Zuversicht.
• Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist.
• Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott.
• Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel Herunter Auf Erden ?
• Kyrie, Gott Vater In Ewigkeit.
• Liebster Jesu, Wir Sind Hier.
• Lob Sei Dem Allmachtigen Gott.
• Lobt Gott, Ihr Christen Alle Gleich.
• Meine Seele Erhebt Den Herren.
• Mit Fried’ Und Freud’ Ich Fahr’ Dahin.
• Nun Danket Alle Gott.
• Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G’mein.
• Es Ist Gewisslich an Der Zeit.
• Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland.
• O Gott, Du Frommer Gott.
• O Lamm Gottes Unschuldig.
• O Mensch, Bewein’ Dein’ Sünde Gross.
• Puer Natus In Bethlehem.
• Schmücke Dich, O Liebe Seele.
• Sei Gegrüsset, Jesu Gütig.
• Valet Will Ich Dir Geben.
• Vater Unser Im Himmelreich.
• Vom Himmel Hoch Da Komm Ich Her.
• Vom Himmel Kam Der Engel Schaar.
• Von Gott Will Ich Nicht Lassen.
• Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme.
• Wenn Wir In Höchsten Nothen Sein.
• Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lässt Walten.
• Wie Schön Leuchtet Der Morgenstern.
• Wir Christenleut ’.
• Wir Danken Dir, Herr Jesu Christ.
• Wir Glauben All’ an Einen Gott, Schöpfer.
• Wir Glauben All’ an Einen Gott, Vater
• Wo Soll Ich Fliehen Hin.

Vater unser im Himmelreich.

• • i.

    Our Father in the heaven Who art,
  • Who tellest all of us in heart
  • Brothers to be, and on Thee call,
  • And wilt have prayer from us all,
  • Grant that the mouth not only pray,
  • From deepest heart oh help its way.

• • ii.

    Hallowed be Thy name, O Lord;
  • Amongst us pure oh keep Thy word,
  • That we too may live holily,
  • And keep in Thy name worthily.
  • Defend us, Lord, from lying lore;
  • Thy poor misguided folk restore.

• • iii.

    Thy kingdom come now here below,
  • And after, up there, evermo.
  • The Holy Ghost His temple hold
  • In us with graces manifold.
  • The devil’s wrath and greatness strong
  • Crush, that he do Thy Church no wrong.

• • v.

    Thy will be done the same, Lord God,
  • On earth as in Thy high abode;
  • In pain give patience for relief,
  • Obedience in love and grief;
  • All flesh and blood keep off and check
  • That ’gainst Thy will makes a stiff neck.

• • v.

    Give us this day our daily bread,
  • And all that doth the body stead;
  • From strife and war, Lord, keep us free,
  • From sickness and from scarcity;
  • That we in happy peace may rest,
  • By care and greed all undistrest.

• • vi.

    Forgive, Lord, all our trespasses,
  • That they no more may us distress,
  • As of our debtors we gladly let
  • Pass all the trespasses and debt.
  • To serve make us all ready be
  • In honest love and unity.

• • vii.

    Into temptation lead us not.
  • When the evil spirit makes battle hot
  • Upon the right and the left hand,
  • Help us with vigour to withstand,
  • Firm in the faith, armed ’gainst a host,
  • Through comfort of the Holy Ghost.

• • viii.

    From all that’s evil free Thy sons—
  • The time, the days are wicked ones.
  • Deliver us from endless death;
  • Comfort us in our latest breath;
  • Grant us also a blessed end,
  • Our spirit take into Thy hand.

• • ix.

    Amen! that is, let this come true!
  • Strengthen our faith ever anew,
  • That we may never be in doubt
  • Of that we here have prayed about.
  • In Thy name, trusting in Thy word,
  • We say a soft Amen, O Lord.

  • Martin Luther (1483-1546)     Tr. George Macdonald1 .

Luther’s versification of the Lord’s Prayer, “Vater unser im Himmelreich,” was first published, with an anonymous melody (supra), in 1539. Fr. Zelle1 supposes the tune in origin a “Bergmannslied.” Bach uses it in Cantatas 90, 101, 102 (1731-c. 1740), Choralgesange, No. 316, St John Passion (1723), No. 5, and four Organ movements infra. Excepting a single detail, his melodic text is invariable and conforms to the original: in the three Cantatas, the Orgelbüchlein, and N. xvi. 61 he substitutes B for G sharp as the thirteenth note of the second line supra. Witt (No. 232) has G sharp there.

[117]

N. xv. 105. The movement is in the Catechism section of the second part of the Orgelbuchlein. It stands for “Prayer,” and Bach illuminates it by enforcing the intimate and rapt spirit in which prayer should be offered. The rhythm he employs on the Pedal to express blissful adoration has already been remarked in the Preludes “Alle Menschen müssen sterben,” “Jesu, meine Freude,” and others.

[118] [119]

N. xvi. 53, 61. These two Clavierübung movements, a long one and a short one, illustrate the ordinance of Prayer. Of the first and longer one Bach’s programme is not patent. Schweitzer1 finds the word “Father” prominent in it; it does not seem to be more so than any other. Spitta, remarking2 that the melody appears against three parts in counterpoint in canon on the octave, speculates that Bach thereby intended to symbolize the childlike obedience with which the Christian appropriates the prayer prescribed by Christ Himself. The device would appear unduly complicated for the conveyance of that impression. It is, on the whole, safer to draw attention to the fact that the simple, unadorned cantus (in canon on the octave) is a thread in a larger fabric woven by (1) an exceptionally embellished presentment of the cantus (in canon on the fifth), and (2) a Pedal part markedly contrasted in character. Conjecturally, the plain cantus is the Prayer of Prayers, Christ’s own utterance. The embellished, ruminative version of the cantus expresses the intimate spirit of prayer; and the firm, reliant Pedal part typifies the faith without which prayer is vain.

In the shorter movement the cantus is unadorned and, alone among the Clavierubung Choral movements, is presented without interludes. P. v. 109 prints a variant reading from a Hauser ms.

[120]

N. xix. 12. The movement, a solemn prayer, is an early work of the Weimar period, similar in form to “Gottes Sohn ist kommen” (No. 53 supra). The ms. of it is in the Walther Collection of Choral Preludes.

In addition to the above movement, B.G. xl. 183, 184 prints two of doubtful authenticity. Both are among the Kirnberger mss. and are attributed to Georg Bohm, of Lüneburg, Bach’s contemporary there, who died circa 1734.

[1 ]Exotics, p. 91. The original hymn has nine stanzas.

[1 ]Die Singerweisen der altesten evangelischen Zeit, p. 54.

[1 ] Vol. ii. 68.

[2 ] Vol. iii. 216.