Christ lag in Todes Banden

"Christ lag in Todes Banden"
Hymn by Martin Luther
"Christ lag ynn todes bande", with the melody derived by Luther and Walter from an older Easter hymn, in the choral hymnal Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn of 1524
English	Christ lay in death's bonds
Occasion	Easter
Language	German
Melody	by Luther and Johann Walter
Published	1524
Tune

"Christ lag in Todes Banden" ("Christ lay in death's bonds") is an Easter hymn by Martin Luther. It was published in 1524 in both the Erfurt Enchiridion and Johann Walter's choral hymnal Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn. The title and first line are sometimes rendered Christ lag in Todesbanden.

Text

Martin Luther in 1526, the author of the hymn text, who, with Johann Walter, also adapted the melody from an older model

The seven verses^[1] of Luther's hymn celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, with particular reference to a struggle between Life and Death. The third verse quotes from 1 Corinthians 15, saying that Christ's Atonement for sin has removed the "sting" of Death. The fifth verse compares the sacrifice with that celebrated by Jews in the Pascal Lamb at Passover. The sacrificial "blood" ("Its blood marks our doors") refers to the marking of the doors before the exodus from Egypt. The final stanza recalls the tradition of baking and eating Easter Bread, with the "old leaven" alluding again to the exodus, in contrast to the "Word of Grace", concluding "Christ would ... alone nourish the soul."

In the current Protestant German hymnal, Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG), it appears in modernised language as EG 101.

First verse

Christ lag in Todes Banden Für unsre Sünd gegeben, Er ist wieder erstanden Und hat uns bracht das Leben; Des wir sollen fröhlich sein, Gott loben und ihm dankbar sein Und singen halleluja, Halleluja!

Christ lay in death's bonds handed over for our sins, he is risen again and has brought us life; For this we should be joyful, praise God and be thankful to him and sing allelluia, Alleluia

Melody

Comparison of the tunes of three Easter hymns:
"Victimae Paschali Laudes"
"Christ ist erstanden"
"Christ lag in Todes Banden"

The melody as set by Luther seems to have strong correlations with parts of the Eucharistic sequence for Easter, Victimae paschali laudes,^[2] believed to have been written by Wipo of Burgundy in the 11th century. This was transformed, gradually into a "Leise", a devotional German pre-Reformation song with a number of stanzas, but maintaining strong characteristics of plainsong. A new version was published in the Erfurt Enchiridion of 1524 and adapted the same years by Johann Walter in his choral hymnal Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn. This was subjected to many minor alterations in later hymnbooks, but the melodic shape remained the same in later additions, which include the addition of passing notes and modification of rhythmic patterns to conform the chorale to emerging styles, and to fit the chorale into a regular time signature.

Musical settings

As the prominent Lutheran hymn for Easter, it appears in several compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, both vocally as for organ:

• Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, an early chorale cantata for Easter, opens with a sinfonia, followed by seven movements, using each of the original seven verses by Luther, and with the melody as a cantus firmus.

Melody from soprano part of Bach's setting of the seventh and final verse in BWV 4

• The cantata Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158, uses the fifth verse of Martin Luther's chorale in a four-part chorale in the fourth and final movement.
• Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 277, BWV 278 and BWV 279 are three different four part chorale settings published separately.
• Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 625, is a chorale prelude from the Orgelbüchlein, with the chorale melody in the soprano part of the right hand, accompanied by a continuous semiquaver movement in the other parts.^[3] This piece lasts roughly 90 seconds^[4]
• Fantasia super "Christ lag in Todes Banden", BWV 695, is a chorale prelude from the Kirnberger chorale preludes (BWV 690–713), consisting of a two-part fughetta above the chorale melody in the bass ^[5]
• Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 718, is chorale prelude, which uses the chorale tune as a cantus firmus through a range of textures, alternating between triplet and semiquaver movement.^[6]

References

1. ""Christ lag in Todesbanden", text and translation". bach-cantatas.com. 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
2. ""Christ ist erstanden", comparison of Easter sequence and chorale melodies". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
3. "Free score of BWV 625 at imslp.org" (PDF). imslp.org. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
4. "Free Audio file at imslp.org". imslp.org. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
5. "Free score of BWV 695 at imlsp.org" (PDF). imslp.org. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
6. "Free score of BWV 718 at imslp.org" (PDF). imslp.org. Retrieved 13 September 2010.

Literature

Andreas Marti: 101 – Christ lag in Todesbanden (in German). In: Gerhard Hahn, Jürgen Henkys (eds): Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch. No. 12, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2005, ISBN 3-525-50335-0, pages 56–62.

External links

•  German Wikisource has original text related to this article: Christ lag yn todes banden