Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut

"Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut" (Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good) is the beginning of two Lutheran hymns. One is a penitential hymn, written in 1588 by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, who possibly also created the melody.[1] The other is an anonymous communion hymn, probably based on the former, which appeared first in 1713. Johann Sebastian Bach's used the penitential hymn several times, including the chorale cantata Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, BWV 113, based on the hymn.

"Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, du Brunnquell aller Gnaden"
Lutheran hymn
EnglishLord Jesus Christ, you highest good, you fountain of all mercy
CatalogueZahn 4486
Textby Bartholomäus Ringwaldt
LanguageGerman
Published1588 (1588)
"Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, der du uns hast geladen"
Lutheran hymn
EnglishLord Jesus Christ, you highest good, who invited us
Occasioncommunion
LanguageGerman
Published1713 (1713)

History

Penitential hymn

Bartholomäus Ringwaldt wrote the lyrics of the penitential hymn in 1588, and possibly also created the melody. He wrote eight stanzas, beginning "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, du Brunnquell aller Gnaden" (Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good, you fountain of all mercy).[1][2]

Communion hymn

An anonymous poet, who was probably inspired by Ringwaldt's song, wrote a communion hymn of three stanzas, beginning "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, der du uns hast geladen" (Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good, who invited us), taking not only the first line, but also the rhyme of the second from Ringwaldt's hymn. Its theology follows writing by Johann Arndt, who had written in Sechs Bücher vom wahren Christentum that God is good and the highest good, which can be tasted in his sacrament. The song appeared first in Chemnitz in 1713 in the hymnal Vollständiges Chemnitzer Gesangbuch. The melody refers to Ringwaldt's song.[3]

This hymn is part of the Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch as EG 219.[3]

Musical settings

Alternative melodies for both songs are the one of "Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir" and others during the 17th and 18th century.[3]

Based on Zahn 4486, "Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist"

Bach used several stanzas of the penitential hymn. His settings are based on the Zahn No. 4486 hymn tune, that is one of the melodies composed for "Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist".[4][5] Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, one of his early cantatas is a setting of Psalm 130, containing two stanzas of the hymn which are juxtaposed in the manner of a chorale fantasia with an aria.[6] He used a stanza for Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168,[7] and he based Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, BWV 113, one of his chorale cantatas, on the complete, partly rephrased hymn.[8][9] The chorale cantata was first performed on 24 August 1724, the eleventh Sunday after Trinity that year.[10] Bach composed a chorale prelude, BWV 1114, which became part of the Neumeister Chorales, rediscovered in 1985 by Christoph Wolff.[11]

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References
  1. "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2006. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  2. "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, Du brunnquell aller gnaden". hymnary.org. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  3. Schmidt, Berhard; Lauterwasser, Helmut (2016). Evang, Martin; Alpermann, Ilsabe (eds.). 219 – Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut. Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch, Heft 22. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. pp. 11–16. ISBN 978-3-64-750345-5.
  4. BWV2a (1998), p. 480
  5. Zahn, Johannes (1890). Die Melodien der deutschen evangelischen Kirchenlieder. III. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann. pp. 89–91.
  6. Dürr, Alfred (2006). The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text. Translated by Richard D. P. Jones. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-929776-2.
  7. "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut BWV 168/6 ChS". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 2019-05-24.
  8. "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut BWV 113/8 ChS". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 2019-05-24.
  9. "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut". Bach Cantatas Website. 2005. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  10. "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut BWV 113; BC A 122 / Chorale cantata (11th Sunday after Trinity)". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 2019-03-11.
  11. Cummings, Robert. "Johann Sebastian Bach / Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, chorale prelude for organ (Neumeister Chorales No. 26), BWV 1114 (BC K187)". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
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