As little as we know about the actual musical programme for the celebration of Luther’s wedding, we are on the other hand excellently informed about the reformer’s fundamental relationship to music.

It is therefore no surprise that Luther not only possessed these significant theoretical and practical skills, but also had an intensive empathy for music.

However, he also wrote his own texts and melodies; the best known example is surely “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (A Mighty Fortress is Our God) as paraphrase of the text of Psalm 46. He greatly admired contemporary composers, bove all Josquin de Prez; the quote “Josquin / he says / is the master of notes /everyone must do / what he wants / the other songmasters must do as the notes want” has in the meantime become practically a household word. Further more, he was personally acquainted with several composers. He collaborated very closely with Johann Walter was a close friend and correspondent of Ludwig Senfl.

A historically “exact” reconstruction for the music to Luther’s wedding would need a time machine not only to take us back to the year 1525, but also to make us into people of that time. For that the programme presented here keeps far more to “the probable and necessary” in the sense of a historically informed Aristotelian manner, which ensures a characteristic element that has been freed of fortuities.

As little as we know about the actual musical programme for the celebration of Luther’s wedding, we are on the other hand excellently informed about the reformer’s fundamental relationship to music.

It is therefore no surprise that Luther not only possessed these significant theoretical and practical skills, but also had an intensive empathy for music.

However, he also wrote his own texts and melodies; the best known example is surely “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (A Mighty Fortress is Our God) as paraphrase of the text of Psalm 46. He greatly admired contemporary composers, bove all Josquin de Prez; the quote “Josquin / he says / is the master of notes /everyone must do / what he wants / the other songmasters must do as the notes want” has in the meantime become practically a household word. Further more, he was personally acquainted with several composers. He collaborated very closely with Johann Walter was a close friend and correspondent of Ludwig Senfl.

A historically “exact” reconstruction for the music to Luther’s wedding would need a time machine not only to take us back to the year 1525, but also to make us into people of that time. For that the programme presented here keeps far more to “the probable and necessary” in the sense of a historically informed Aristotelian manner, which ensures a characteristic element that has been freed of fortuities.



1
Fanfare
Composer: Anonymous

01:09
2
Introitus: Psalm 119 V. 46-47/V1 Loquebar de testimoniis
Composer: Heinrich Isaac

03:54
3
Missa Nisi dominus aedificaverit domum Kyrie
Composer: Ludwig Senfl

05:29
4
Missa Nisi dominus aedificaverit domum Gloria
Composer: Ludwig Senfl
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