Composers

Johann Walter

Voice
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass
Mixed chorus
Religious music
Song
Sacred songs
Chorale
Motet
Sacred choruses
Choruses
Sacred hymns
Hymn
Passion
by popularity

#

21 Lateinische und Deutsche Gesänge

A

Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh dareinAllein auf Gottes WortAus tieffer Not

B

Beati immaculati in viaBonum est homini

C

Christ lag in TodesbandenChristum wir sollen loben schonCottidie apud vos eram

D

Dein armer hauf, Herr, thut klagenDeus misereatur nostriDeus qui sedes super thronumDis sind die heiligen zehn gebotDurch Adams fall ist ganz verderbt

E

Ein neues Lied wir heben anErbarm dich mein, o Herre GottEs ist das Heil uns kommen herEs spricht der Unweisen Mund wohlEs woll uns Gott genädig sein

F

Festum nunc celebreFröhlich wollen wir Alleluja singen

G

Gelobet seist du, Jesu ChristGeystliche gesangk-BuchleynGott der Vater wohn uns beiGott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet

H

Herr Christ, der einig Gottes sonHilf Gott, wie ist der menschen not

I

In dulci jubiloIn Gott gelaub ichIn tribus spiritus meus

J

Jesus Christus unser HeilandJesus Christus, unser Heiland, der den Tod überwandtJohannes-PassionJoseph Lieber Joseph mein

K

Kom heiliger geist, Herre GottKomm Gott schöpfer

L

Lumen ad revelationem gentium

M

Matthäus-PassionMensch, wiltu legen seliglichMit fried und freud ich far dahinMitten wir im leben sind

N

Nu bitten wir den heiligen geist à 5Nu bitten wir den heiligen geist à 6Nu freut euch lieben Christen gmeinNu kom, der heiden Heiland

T

Two and three part instrumental canons

V

Verbum Domini manet in aeternumVivo ego dicit Dominus

W

Wer Gott nicht mit unsWir gleuben al an einen GottWol dem der in Gottes furchte sieht
Wikipedia
Johann Walter, also known as Johann Walther or Johannes Walter (original name: Johann Blankenmüller) (1496 – 25 March 1570) was a Lutheran composer and poet during the Reformation period.
Walter was born in Kahla, in present-day Thuringia, in 1496. According to a document filed with his will, he was born with the surname of Blanckenmüller, but adopted out of poverty by a citizen of Kahla, and given an education at Kahla and Rochlitz under his new name: Johann Walter.
He began his career as a composer and bass cantor in the chapel of Frederick the Wise at the age of 21. It was a position he would hold until Frederick's death in 1525. By this time, he was the director of the chapel and had become an outspoken musical spokesman for Lutherans. Walter edited the first Protestant hymnal for choir, Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn, in Wittenberg in 1524, with a foreword by Martin Luther himself; and for the German-language Deutsche Messe produced in 1527.
Following the conclusion of his appointment to Frederick's chapel, Walter became cantor for the Torgau town choir in 1525, a post he would hold until 1548, when he was named court composer for Moritz, Duke of Saxony in Dresden.
Walter did not remain in Dresden very long, and by 1554 he had accepted a pension from the duke and returned to Torgau, where he remained for the rest of his life. He died on 25 March 1570.
While in Dresden, Walter composed a responsorial Passion in German. In earlier musical versions of the Passion story the entire narrative was a succession of polyphonic motets, but Walter used a monophonic reciting tone for the Evangelist and dramatis personae, reserving for the people and disciples simple falsobordone (chordal) polyphony.
Finnish ensemble Kuninkaantien muusikot (Musicians of the King's Road) has performed the Passion as a part of its early passions cycle. The performance took place in Turku Cathedral in 2017, the year of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Walter wrote his motets and lieder, often of high quality, in two distinct styles. For the first style he employed a polyphonic manner derived from the Franco-Flemish school, in particular showing the influence of Josquin des Prez and Heinrich Isaac. In the tenor voice of these compositions was a cantus firmus sounding as an unbroken succession of sustained notes or as a melody fragmented into short sections separated by rests. Above and below the cantus firmus were counterpoints that sometimes imitated the tenor but more often moved independently of it. In either case the melodic flow of four or more voices avoided simultaneous rests.
For the second style Walter rejected imitative or independent voice-leading for chorale writing in which each fragment of the cantus firmus rested simultaneously with the other parts. In a few such cases he placed the borrowed tune in the top voice, thereby inaugurating the favorite manner of chorale setting of the succeeding two centuries.
Some of his more famous chorale settings include:
The asteroid 120481 Johannwalter is named in his honour. He is also commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod as a musician on April 24.