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Welcome to Harmonia … I’m Angela Mariani. This hour, we’ll explore two Gregorian chants for Easter and their musical descendants from the Medieval to the Baroque period. First, we’ll hear how the chant “Victimae paschali laudes” became the basis for the Lutheran chorale “Christ ist erstanden.” Then, well trace how the chant “Christus resurgens” became the popular Anglican motet “Christ Rising Again.” Along the way, we’ll discover the ingenuity of composers across three centuries and five countries. Plus, our featured release this week is Byrd 1589: Songs of Sundrie Natures recorded by Alamire.
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MUSIC TRACK
Organ Music
Christian Schmitt
IFO Classics | 4037102000474 (2002)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Tr. 5 Trio super Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (4:34)
As the prelude to our Easter celebration this hour, we heard an organ chorale prelude by Johann Sebastian Bach whose title translates to “Glory to God alone in the highest.” The German text of the hymn is a paraphrase and translation of the Latin Gloria, and one of the earliest Lutheran hymns. [The piece we just heard is one of six settings of this tune that Bach wrote for the organ.]
We begin with the sequence “Victimae paschali laudes.” A sequence is type of liturgical chant sung in a catholic Mass. In response to the Lutheran Reformation, the Council of Trent attempted to simplify the Mass by abolishing most sequences in 1570; “Victimae paschali laudes” is one of the 4 that remained and is still sung to this day. Let’s listen to the sequence in its original chant form from the 11th century.
MUSIC TRACK
A German Passion
Margaretha Consort
Naxos | 8.551484 (2023)
Anonymous
Tr. 11 Victimae paschali laudes (1:46)
The sequence “Victimae paschali laudes” sung by the Margaretha Consort.
The text of “Victimae pascali laudes” tells the story of Christ’s resurrection The first part depicts Christ as the sacrificial lamb and extols the redemption of sinners through his blood. The second part describes a battle over life and death, over which Christ is victorious. The third part of the sequence deals with Mary Magdalene’s account of visiting the tomb and finding it empty. The sequence ends with a prayer for mercy followed by joyful Alleluias.
Giovanni Palestrina wrote several motets on the tune [“Victimae paschali laudes.”] The motet we will hear is for 8 voices split into two choirs.
MUSIC TRACK
Palestrina: Choral Music, Vol. 8
The Sixteen
Coro | COR16175 (2019)
Giovanni Palestrina
Tr. 16 Victimae paschali (3:28)
Giovanni Palestrina’s setting of “Victimae paschali laudes” for 8 voices sung by The Sixteen.
Let’s hear one more setting of “Victimae paschali laudes” before moving on to its German descendants. This time, we’ll hear a version of the tune for instruments rather than voices. Heinrich Scheidemann prepared several organ versions intended to be improvisational moments to transition between parts of a Lutheran service using tunes appropriate to the liturgical season. In this version, performed by the Margaretha Consort, the musicians chose to adapt the organ piece for viol consort, mimicking the adaptive nature of liturgical music in the Renaissance.
MUSIC TRACK
A German Passion
Margaretha Consort
Naxos | 8.551484 (2023)
Heinrich Scheidemann
Tr. 12 Victimae paschali laudes, WV 68 (1:31)
The Margaretha Consort performed Heinrich Scheidemann’s setting of “Victimae paschali laudes.”
The tune of “Victimae paschali laudes” served as the inspiration for the oldest liturgical song in German, called “Christ ist erstanden,” which means “Christ is risen.” The text of “Christ ist erstanden” is found in manuscripts dating back to 1160. This hymn is still sung in German Protestant services today.
The first version of “Christ ist erstanden” we’ll hear comes from a large collection of chorales called Musae Sioniae written by German composer Michael Praetorius. We’ll first hear the tune played on brass instruments, then sung in unison by the entire choir. See if you can notice similarities to the chant of “Victimae paschali laudes” we heard earlier.
MUSIC TRACK
Ostermesse
Weser-Renaissance Bremen
CPO | cpo 999 953-2 (2011)
Michael Praetorius
Tr. 8 Choral: Christ ist erstanden a 4 (Musae Sioniae II) (2:11)
The chorale tune “Christ ist erstanden” by Michael Praetorius sung by Weser-Renaissance Bremen. The version we just heard comes from the second volume of Musae Sioniae.
Many composers wrote their own settings of “Christ ist erstanden” for a variety of choral and instrumental groups. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote multiple choral and organ pieces based on this hymn tune, which is not surprising because it was sung almost every Easter. The version we’ll hear next comes from a collection of 4-part chorales. Bach puts the melody in the highest voice and accompanies it with lush harmonies full of dissonance and suspensions, especially when compared to the simpler setting by Praetorius 100 years earlier.
MUSIC TRACK
Bach: 4-Part Chorales Vol. 1
Augsburger Domsingknaben and Reinhard Kammler
Deutsche Gramophone | (2018)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Tr. 22 Christ ist erstanden, BWV 276 (2:18)
Johann Sebastian Bach’s setting of “Christ ist erstanden” sung by the Augsburg Cathedral Boychoir.
For a more expansive arrangement, we turn to German composer Heinrich Schütz. His setting of “Christ ist erstanden” is scored for a choir of trombones, a choir of viols, organ, and two groups of singers. The brass instruments highlight the triumphal nature of Easter and the piece closes with a joyful chorus of Alleluias.
MUSIC TRACK
Auferstehungshistorie: Heinrich Schütz
Dresdner Kammerchor
Carus | 83.256 (2013)
Heinrich Schütz
Tr. 2 Christ ist erstanden, SWV 470 (5:08)
Heinrich Schütz’s setting of “Christ ist erstanden” sung by the Dresden Chamber Choir.
Our final setting of “Christ ist erstanden” comes from a collection of organ music by Johann Sebastian Bach called The Little Organ Book. The book contains 46 chorale preludes for organ organized by liturgical season. Bach intended it as a method to show organists how to improvise on any hymn tune. For “Christ ist erstanden”, Bach writes three verses to demonstrate multiple ways an organist could play this tune.
MUSIC TRACK
Bach and the North German Tradition
Martin Neu
Audite | Audite92.547 (2010)
Tr. 11 Christ ist erstanden, verse 1 (1:10)
Tr. 12 Christ ist erstanden, verse 2 (1:13)
Tr. 13 Christ ist erstanden, verse 3 (1:34)
Three verses of “Christ ist erstanden” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Little Organ Book played by Martin Neu.
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Early music can mean a lot of things. What does it mean to you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org, where you’ll also find playlists and an archive of past shows.
You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.
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(1:00) Mid Break Music Bed
MUSIC TRACK
Bach and the North German Tradition
Martin Neu
Audite | Audite92.547 (2010)
Tr. 11 Christ ist erstanden, verse 1 (1:10)
Welcome back. This hour, we’re exploring two of the oldest Easter tunes and the many ways composers used them to create new music. We began with the chant “Victimae paschali laudes” and its German descendant, “Christ ist erstanden.”
We turn our attention to the chant “Christus resurgens” which means “Christ, rising again.” The version we’ll hear was intended to be sung as part of the processional for Easter Vespers and has been reconstructed from manuscript sources by musicians at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Sections of plainchant alternate with sections of 3-part polyphony.
MUSIC TRACK
Surrexit Christus
Ensemble Grégorien
Hortus | HORTUS073 (2010)
Anonymous
Tr. 12 Christus resurgens – Dicant (5:47)
The chant “Christus resurgens” sung by Ensemble Grégorien and recorded in the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Many composers across Europe wrote motets based on “Christus resurgens.” We’ll hear two settings written at the beginning of the 17th century but from different parts of the continent. First, we’ll listen to English composer Peter Philips’ 5-voice motet. The vocal texture remains consistent throughout the entire motet regardless of the text. In contrast, we’ll hear Andreas Hackenberger’s 10-voice setting. Andreas Hackenberger was a Pomeranian musician who lived in what is now Poland. His motet on “Christus resurgens” uses a larger choir and each section of the text has a distinctive character.
MUSIC TRACK
Peter Philips: Cantiones Sacrae / Quinis Vocibus
The Tudor Consort
Naxos | 8.555056 (2001)
Peter Philips
Tr. 16 Christus resurgens (3:16)
MUSIC TRACK
Andreas Hakenberger: 55 Motets from the Pelplin Tablature
Polish Chamber Choir
Naxos | 8.573743-44 (2018)
Andreas Hakenberger
Tr. 17 The Pelplin Tablature: Christus resurgens à 10 (2:50)
The Tudor Consort performed the motet “Christus resurgens” by Peter Philips, followed by Andreas Hackenberger’s version sung by the Polish Chamber Choir.
The Latin text of “Christus resurgens” became the basis for the anthem “Christ Rising Again” as the Church of England began replacing its Latin liturgy with English. Thomas Tallis, one of the most important English composers of the 16th century, wrote a 5-voice motet on “Christ Rising Again.”
MUSIC TRACK
The Complete English Anthems: Thomas Tallis
Tallis Scholars
Gimel | CDGIM 007 (1986)
Thomas Tallis
Tr. 11 Christ Rising Again (4:31)
The Tallis Scholars sing sang the motet “Christ Rising Again” by Thomas Tallis.
Our featured release this hour is the album Byrd 1589: Songs of Sundrie Natures recorded by the English vocal consort Alamire and released in 2023. We’ll hear our final setting of “Christ Rising Again.” William Byrd scores his motet for two soprano soloists and a 6-part choir with instrumental accompaniment.
MUSIC TRACK
Byrd 1589: Songs of Sundrie Natures, Disc 1
Alamire, Fretwork, Skinner
Inventa Records | 5060262793503 (2023)
William Byrd
Tr. 5. Lord Hear My Prayer (1:33)
MUSIC TRACK
Byrd 1589: Songs of Sundrie Natures, Disc 2
Alamire, Fretwork, Skinner
Inventa Records | 5060262793503 (2023)
William Byrd
Tr. 17 Christ Rising Again (5:53)
The motet “Christ Rising Again” by William Byrd, performed by Alamire.
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Harmonia is a production of WFIU and part of the educational mission of Indiana University.
Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.
Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. You can follow us on Facebook by searching for Harmonia Early Music.
The writer for this edition of Harmonia is Chelsey Belt.
Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia.
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