Type of Submission
Podium Presentation
Keywords
Martin Luther, sacred music, liturgical, composer, theology, Reformation, German music culture, music philosophy, J.S. Bach
Abstract
Martin Luther stands at the focal point of the Protestant Reformation, and while history glorifies him as a groundbreaking theologian, little attention is given to his liturgical reformation. Studies that do observe Luther’s hymns, generally focus on Luther’s appreciation for music as a tool to promote the message of the Reformation in the vernacular, thereby neglecting Luther’s systematic understanding of music and its impact on future compositions. Therefore, this article defends Martin Luther’s significant influence on the development of sacred music and his impact on future composers, culminating in the work of J.S. Bach. It first chronologically surveys the history of Luther’s musical upbringing and shows how his training and eventual musical expertise contributed to his philosophy of music. Excerpts from Luther’s writings, music compositions, and hymn lyrics combine to provide a summary of Luther’s theology of music which fueled the composer’s musical output. The melodies of Luther’s hymns are analyzed and compared to other composers of that time period in order to discuss and compare compositional styles. Lastly, Luther’s music and theology are critically compared with those of J.S. Bach, and an inventory is provided of Bach’s theological books which contained works of Luther. Just as he is acclaimed for his theology, Martin Luther should be recognized as an excellent composer and philosopher of music.
Campus Venue
Stevens Student Center, Room 241
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-3-2019 2:00 PM
End Date
4-3-2019 2:30 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
A Musical Reformation: Martin Luther’s Influence on Sacred Music
Cedarville, OH
Martin Luther stands at the focal point of the Protestant Reformation, and while history glorifies him as a groundbreaking theologian, little attention is given to his liturgical reformation. Studies that do observe Luther’s hymns, generally focus on Luther’s appreciation for music as a tool to promote the message of the Reformation in the vernacular, thereby neglecting Luther’s systematic understanding of music and its impact on future compositions. Therefore, this article defends Martin Luther’s significant influence on the development of sacred music and his impact on future composers, culminating in the work of J.S. Bach. It first chronologically surveys the history of Luther’s musical upbringing and shows how his training and eventual musical expertise contributed to his philosophy of music. Excerpts from Luther’s writings, music compositions, and hymn lyrics combine to provide a summary of Luther’s theology of music which fueled the composer’s musical output. The melodies of Luther’s hymns are analyzed and compared to other composers of that time period in order to discuss and compare compositional styles. Lastly, Luther’s music and theology are critically compared with those of J.S. Bach, and an inventory is provided of Bach’s theological books which contained works of Luther. Just as he is acclaimed for his theology, Martin Luther should be recognized as an excellent composer and philosopher of music.
