Chorale setting
Encyclopedia
A chorale setting is any of a very wide variety of musical compositions, almost entirely of Protestant
origin, which use a chorale
as their basis. They are vocal, instrumental, or both. Although the bulk of them are German
in origin, and predominantly Baroque
in time period, chorale settings also exist from other countries and times.
The Protestant Reformation
resulted in an enormous change in musical practice in northern Europe. Plainchant, associated with the Catholic
church, was largely replaced with choral music sung in the vernacular language—usually German
—and the corresponding musical forms from Catholic countries, such as the motet
, were also replaced with forms which used as their basis the chorale melodies instead of the plainsong from which much of the motet repertory was derived.
Not only the musical forms, but the individual tunes of the Catholic Church were replaced by reformers, although there was often a close relation between the original and the replacement. Composers, including Martin Luther
himself, both composed new tunes for the German chorale texts, and adapted specific plainchant melodies. These chorale tunes were set musically in an extraordinary number of ways, from the time of the Protestant Reformation to the present day.
Chorale settings are of the following principal types:
Boundaries between different items on this list can be very vague, especially in the early Baroque era. Some of these forms are exclusively instrumental (such as the chorale prelude, chorale fugue, chorale fantasia, chorale partita or variations, chorale ricercare/canzona) while the others are a cappella vocal (some chorale motets) or for voices and instruments (chorale cantata
, chorale concerto
, chorale mass
, chorale monody
, some chorale motets). Many of the instrumental forms are almost exclusively for organ
, the single most important liturgical instrument in Protestant church music from the Reformation until recent times.
Some of these forms continue to be used by composers up to the present day, particularly the chorale prelude, and the chorale mass.
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
origin, which use a chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
as their basis. They are vocal, instrumental, or both. Although the bulk of them are German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in origin, and predominantly Baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
in time period, chorale settings also exist from other countries and times.
The Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
resulted in an enormous change in musical practice in northern Europe. Plainchant, associated with the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church, was largely replaced with choral music sung in the vernacular language—usually German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
—and the corresponding musical forms from Catholic countries, such as the motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
, were also replaced with forms which used as their basis the chorale melodies instead of the plainsong from which much of the motet repertory was derived.
Not only the musical forms, but the individual tunes of the Catholic Church were replaced by reformers, although there was often a close relation between the original and the replacement. Composers, including Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
himself, both composed new tunes for the German chorale texts, and adapted specific plainchant melodies. These chorale tunes were set musically in an extraordinary number of ways, from the time of the Protestant Reformation to the present day.
Chorale settings are of the following principal types:
- Chorale cantataChorale cantataIn music, a chorale cantata is a sacred composition for voices and instruments, principally from the German Baroque era, in which the organizing principle is the words and music to a chorale. Usually a chorale cantata is in multiple movements or parts. Most chorale cantatas were written between...
- Chorale canzona (usually called a Chorale ricercare)
- Chorale concertoChorale concertoIn music, a chorale concerto is a short sacred composition for one or more voices and instruments, principally from the very early German Baroque era...
- Chorale fantasiaChorale fantasiaChorale fantasia is a type of large organ composition based on a chorale melody. The term also applies to large-scale vocal Chorale settings in such works as the St Matthew Passion and Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 of Johann Sebastian Bach.-History:Chorale fantasias first appeared in...
- Chorale fugue
- Chorale mass
- Chorale monodyChorale monodyIn music, a chorale monody was a type of a sacred composition of the very early German Baroque era. It was for solo voice and accompanying instruments, usually basso continuo, and was closely related to the contemporary Italian style of monody...
- Chorale motetChorale motetThe chorale motet was a type of musical composition in mostly Protestant parts of Europe, principally Germany, and mainly during the 16th century. It involved setting a chorale melody and text as a motet....
- Chorale partitaChorale partitaA chorale partita is a large-scale multimovement piece of music based on a chorale and written for a keyboard instrument. It represents a fusion of two forms of keyboard music: the north German chorale prelude and the Italian variation canzona...
(usually interchangeable with chorale variations) - Chorale preludeChorale preludeIn music, a chorale prelude is a short liturgical composition for organ using a chorale tune as its basis. It was a predominant style of the German Baroque era and reached its culmination in the works of J.S. Bach, who wrote 46 examples of the form in his Orgelbüchlein.-Function:The liturgical...
- Chorale ricercare
- Chorale variations (usually interchangeable with chorale partitaChorale partitaA chorale partita is a large-scale multimovement piece of music based on a chorale and written for a keyboard instrument. It represents a fusion of two forms of keyboard music: the north German chorale prelude and the Italian variation canzona...
)
Boundaries between different items on this list can be very vague, especially in the early Baroque era. Some of these forms are exclusively instrumental (such as the chorale prelude, chorale fugue, chorale fantasia, chorale partita or variations, chorale ricercare/canzona) while the others are a cappella vocal (some chorale motets) or for voices and instruments (chorale cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
, chorale concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
, chorale mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
, chorale monody
Monody
In poetry, the term monody has become specialized to refer to a poem in which one person laments another's death....
, some chorale motets). Many of the instrumental forms are almost exclusively for organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, the single most important liturgical instrument in Protestant church music from the Reformation until recent times.
Some of these forms continue to be used by composers up to the present day, particularly the chorale prelude, and the chorale mass.