Latin contrafacta of Lutheran choral
  • Paolo
    Posts: 22
    I did research on Latin contrafacta of German polyphonic chorales. Among these, the Latin version of 'Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott,' (Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord! ) which should be the following:
    'Veni, Sancte Spiritus, Deus et Dominus, reple tuorum corda fidelium gratia tua; accende in eis ignem amoris tui, qui per diversitatem linguarum omnium populos in unitate fidei congregasti. Kyrie eleison, Alleluja, Alleluja.'
    However, it seems to me that the text does not fit the music. Is anyone aware of a chorale composition with a Latin text that is metrically congruent? My research points to Praetorius as the author who wrote chorales with texts in both Latin and German, but I did not find any score.
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 120
    Like other Lutheran chorales, this one is based on a Latin chant: The Magnificat Antiphone "Veni Sancte Spiritus" that you can find on p. 307 of the Antiphonale Monasticum (Solesmes 2005). The Cantus database lists 109 concordances. The full text of the antiphone is
    Veni sancte spiritus reple tuorum corda fidelium et tui amoris in eis ignem accende qui per diversitatem linguarum cunctarum gentes in unitatem fidei congregasti alleluia alleluia

    Unlike other Luther chorales like "Nun komm der Heiden Heiland" (based on "Veni redemptor gentium"), it is not based on the medieval chant melody and uses a different meter, which makes it impossible to use the original text with a polyphonic setting of Luther's chorale. In this case, neither the translation of the antiphone nor the melody are by Luther: He only added two further stanzas. Melody and text of the first stanza predate Luther and are from 1480 (at the latest).

    If you are looking for a Pentecostal chorale by Luther that can be sung with the original Latin text, have a look at "Komm Gott Schöpfer Heilger Geist" that is based on "Veni creator spiritus" and even has the same meter. There is a homophonic setting by Sethus Calvisius and elaborate motet-like settings by Balthasar Resinarius and Johann Eccard. If your hymnal for the congregation includes this chorale, you could, e.g., sing the Latin version by the choir alternatim with the congregation, who thereby, as a collateral benefit, understands what the choir is singing.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Palestrina
    Posts: 569
    Has anyone done a concordance of Lutheran chorales that were originally entirely Latin-texted? I could see these being nifty indeed in the context of the (Roman) Latin liturgy… in either form!
  • Paolo
    Posts: 22
    Has anyone done a concordance of Lutheran chorales that were originally entirely Latin-texted?

    I found a Latin metric concordance of the choral "Nun ruhen alle walden", which is one of my favorites. The first two of its nine stanzas are:

    Quiescunt silvae cunctae,
    Et pecudes adiunctae,
    Cum vici, tum urbium;
    Sed vigila, mi anime,
    Et laude prompta maxime
    Lauda Creatorem omnium.

    Sol abiit recessit,
    Sed lumen mihi crescit,
    Iesus, lux mentium;
    Is splendor orbis terris
    E tenebris ac guerris
    Adducit ad palatium

    Gemini explains:
    This translation is historically attributed to Johann Leonhard Frisch (or included in collections of sacred hymns translated into Latin in the 17th and 18th centuries, a time when the use of academic and liturgical Latin was still very much alive in Lutheran circles for didactic or choral purposes). The translation attempts to retain the original rhythmic structure (the same as the hymn Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen ), thus allowing the Latin text to be sung to exactly the same melody as the four-part German chorale harmonized by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach.

    Liturgical Use: In educated Protestant communities of past centuries, it was not uncommon for school or academic choirs to sing Latin versions of German chorales to keep alive the practice of the Latin language."
  • Paolo
    Posts: 22
    If you are looking for a Pentecostal chorale by Luther that can be sung with the original Latin text, have a look at "Komm Gott Schöpfer Heilger Geist" that is based on "Veni creator spiritus" and even has the same meter.

    I did and posted it:
    https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/23388/pentecost-hymn-latin-039veni-creator039-with-bach039s-music-039komm-gott-schoepfer-heiliger-geist039#Item_2