Protestant Services

LUTHERANISM

Sacred music for Protestant churches in Germany during the second half of the 16th century was quite similar to that for Catholic usage, especially in the performance of motets. These vocal compositions set in harmony were very popular with both groups. There were, however, alterations in the contents of Protestant sacred music. Texts in honor of the Virgin Mary were changed to emphasize Christ, and motets in honor of the various saints were omitted from Protestant services. Most importantly, many Latin texts were translated into German even when Latin remained in the liturgy in the larger cities and in universities. Many composers wrote sacred music for both Catholic and Protestant use. Ludwig Senfl (c. 1486-1542/43), who worked chiefly for Emperor Maximilian I, also composed motets for Duke Albrecht of Prussia, who embraced Lutheranism, and two motets for Martin Luther. A Latin composition by Senfl on unity and brotherhood was performed when the Augsburg Diet convened in 1530 (see chapter 2, on religion), in the futile hope that religious factions might be reconciled.

Martin Luther (1483-1546), a lutenist and singer of some repute, wrote both the words and music for his hymns. The composer Johann Walther (1496-1570) collaborated with Luther to make plainsong that would be appropriate for words in German. Unlike music for the Catholic mass, in which the organ became increasingly prominent, Luther’s church music relied on the human voice. Through Lutheran music, the a capella (voices only) chorale grew in popularity, with entire congregations’ joining in to sing the hymns. For Luther, words and music, as well as the manner of singing, derived from one’s native language. In addition, Luther demanded that practical musical training be included in pastoral education.

CALVINISM

Although Jean Calvin (1509-64) evidently had no formal musical training, he gathered from his humanistic education that music has the potential to affect behavior. Calvinist church music became as strictly severe as the religion itself. No musical instruments were permitted, the music was monophonic because polyphony was thought to detract from the text, and the text had to be in the vernacular. In 1542 the so-called First Genevan Psalter made monophonic settings of the Psalms widely available to Calvinist congregations. The relationship between music and text was even more basic than in Lutheran music, as the melody followed syllables of the words. Subsequent publications of the Calvinist Psalter became popular in Germany and the Netherlands and eventually were used by Lutherans as well. Polyphonic versions of the Psalter were used in private, domestic worship, usually as chorales in four voices.

Music