The Reformation and Music
and the Counter-Reformation
(i.e., the real one?)
Martin Luther (1483–1546) and
Lutheranism
• Ninety-five Theses posted on door of Wittenberg church, 1517
– did not originally intend to divide the Church
– theological concerns – primarily the doctrine of salvation not by
merit or money (indulgences) but by divine grace and faith
– concerns about worship — primarily the exclusion of the
common Christian
• Luther and music
– musician and music lover, played lute and flute
– strong personal support of liturgy
– wrote some music himself
• Johann Walter (1496–1570) — main musical collaborator
Deutsche Messe — 1526
• Mass in German vernacular — for small
congregations as alternative to Latin (Latin could still
be used by educated congregations)
• Modeled on the existing form of the service
• Translated and simplified
Chorale
Strophic hymn text and tune for unison congregational
singing (published from 1524)
Approaches to creating chorales
• New compositions — e.g., “Ein’ feste Burg ist unser
Gott,” text and possibly music by Luther
• Contrafacta, or parodies
– adaptations of Gregorian melodies — e.g.,
• “Christ lag in Todesbanden” from “Victimae paschali laudes”
• “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” from “Veni redemptor
gentium”
– adaptations of secular Lieder — e.g.,
• “O Welt, ich muss dich lassen” from “Innsbruck, ich muss
dich lassen”
Polyphonic settings of chorales
• Chorale melody in tenor with other, free parts — like
Tenor-Lied
• Cantional style — familiar style, with melody in
superius
• Motet style — each phrase treated separately in fuga
or familiar style
Calvinism
• Jean Calvin (1509–1564)
Calvin — worship and music
• Opposed to distracting, sensuous ornamentation and
complexity in worship
–
condemned Roman liturgy more than Luther did
• Not musical
– concern mainly for words; worship focused on teaching
– only monophonic psalms allowed (no nonscriptural songs)
• Louis Bourgeois (ca. 1510–1561) — main musical
collaborator
Calvinist Psalms
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Rhymed, metrical translations from Old Testament
Tunes adapted from chant or secular music
Rhythms based on natural rhythms of speech
Monophonic for congregational singing in church
Later polyphonic settings — not for public worship but for
domestic use (in place of immoral secular chansons)
Psalters (roots of modern American
hymnbooks)
The Anglican Church
• English reformation political as well as
theological
• Alternation for a while of austerity and actual
return to Roman church
– 1534 — Henry VIII separated from Roman church
– 1553–1558 — return to Roman Catholicism under
Mary Tudor
– 1558 — Elizabeth effects final separation
Anglican liturgy
• Similar to Roman, but translated and in some ways
reformed
• Holy Communion — from Mass
• Morning Prayer — from Offices of Matins and Lauds
• Evening Prayer, or Evensong — from Vespers and
Compline
The musical Service
• Music for Ordinary of
– Morning Prayer
– Evensong
– Holy Communion
• Types
– Great Service — imitative, melismatic
– Short Service — familiar style, syllabic
Anthem
• From the word antiphon
• Full anthem
– like motet — choir, mostly imitative, a cappella
• Verse anthem
– solo and choir alternate — uses instruments (organ or
viols) to accompany solo verses
Counter-Reformation — the Council of
Trent, 1545–1563
• Musical issues
– secularisms
– instruments
– obscured words (by composer, singers)
• Reduced number of Sequences from 4500 to 4
• Style — idealized Netherlands ars perfecta (but did not
legislate style)
– polyphonic music salvaged after debate — more familiar style to
clarify text
– a cappella
– simple, relaxed rhythms
– vocal melody
– diatonic, especially cautious use of dissonances
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
(1525–1594)
• Worked in Rome — various churches, including St.
Peter’s
• Master of ars perfecta — later cited as model of
Renaissance style by J. J. Fux
• Works
– Masses — most important
– motets
– few and quite conservative madrigals — which he repudiated
late in his life
• Pope Marcellus Mass as touchstone work for CounterReformation style
Orlande de Lassus (ca. 1532–1594)
• Worked in and wrote in genres and styles of Netherlands,
Italy, Germany
• Secular music including
– Netherlands and French chanson styles
– Italian madrigals
– German Lieder
• Sacred works — madrigalistic style of text treatment,
variety of styles
• Magnum opus musicum — collection of motets
• Other — Masses, motet Passions
Tomás Luis da Victoria (ca. 1549–1611)
• Spanish, studied in Rome with Palestrina
• Passionate approach of Jesuits
• Only sacred works — more expressive (madrigalistic)
style than Palestrina’s
– less smooth rhythms — expressive contrasts
– chromatic harmonies for expression
Parody Mass
• Begins with complete polyphonic piece — motet,
chanson, madrigal — by the Mass composer or another
composer
• Notes adapted to words of Mass Ordinary — alterations
of rhythm, pitches, order of sections
• Usually explores more sophisticated musical possibilities
— both homage to and competition with the original
composer
William Byrd (1543-1623)
• English Catholic (also wrote for Anglicans)
• Mature Netherlands style
• Sacred works
– three Masses — three, four, five parts
– motets
– anthems
Questions for discussion
• How do Luther’s and Calvin’s theological positions on
music in the church echo earlier traditions of thought
about music and religion?
• What stylistic aspects of Lutheran church music can be
attributed to German national tastes and traditions in
music?
• What stylistic characteristics of Lutheran and Calvinist
church music account for the survival of numerous
sixteenth-century works into the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries?