Herr Christ d.[er] einige Gottessohn. [H.S.]
  Zellerfeld Tablature Ze1

(Hieronymus Jordan, Braunschweig, ca 1635–45?)


This early work attributed to Scheidemann is based on the sole specimen of writing by a woman among the early Protestant repertory of religious song – and what a contrast this sweet, gracious text makes with some of the dully doctrinaire writings of some of her male colleagues. Elisabeth Cruciger, its author, was of noble birth and spent time in an abbey before becoming aware of, and joining, the Protestant cause. After leaving the religious life and before her marriage she dwelt for a time in the household of Johannes Bugenhagen, a close associate of Luther, with whom she was also friendly. She specified that her text should be sung to the tune of a familiar folk song, ‘Mein Freud möcht sich wohl mehren’.


Scheidemann’s set of variations is not only cast very much in the style of his teacher Sweelinck but, as Pieter Dirksen has pointed out, the continuous form, the voicing, and many specific passages of figuration are probably modelled directly upon the older master’s ‘Ich ruf zu dir’. As with ‘Ich ruf zu dir’, the four variations may be assumed to correspond to stanzas 2–5 of the five-stanza text, and to invite the playing of a simple harmonization beforehand to represent the first stanza: as with Sweelinck’s ‘Ich ruf zu dir’ on this site, I have chosen one by Scheidemann’s father, David, from the Hamburg Melodeyen Gesangbuch (1604). Scheidemann’s figuration is much more unified within each variation than Sweelinck’s, and as a consequence the work does not show the obvious signs of text-painting evident in Sweelinck’s. 


Though the piece can be played without pedal, its notation does not present the kind of clues to a manual-only performance that we find in that of the Sweelinck work (see the notes elsewhere on this page), and I have chosen to play the melody in the pedal in the two middle variations. The work was transposed from F to G (thus exceeding the keyboard compasses of its time and place of composition) in the only modern edition it has received (this is true of several pieces in Fock’s edition for Bärenreiter: caveat emptor); I present it here restored to its original final of F. 



Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn
 Vaters in Ewigkeit,
 Aus sein Herzen entsprossen,
 Gleichwie geschrieben steht,
 Er is der Morgensterne,
 Sein Glänzen streckt er ferne
 Vor andern Sternen klar;





Lord Christ, the only Son of God
 the Father in eternity,
 sprung from his heart,
 as it stands written:
 He is the Morning Star,
 who makes his radiance shine far
 beyond all other stars;




Für uns ein Mensch geboren
 Im lezten Teil der Zeit,
 Dass wir nicht wärn verloren
 Vor Gott in Ewigkeit,
 Den Tod für uns zerbrochen,
 Den Himmel ausgeschlossen,
 Das Leben wiederbracht: 





He was born for us a man
 in the last part of time
 that we would not be lost
 from God for ever,
 he has broken death for us,
 opened up heaven,
 brought back life.




Lass uns in deiner Liebe
 und Kenntnis nehmen zu,
 dass wir am Glauben bleiben,
 dir dienen im Geist so,
 dass wir hier mögen schmecken
 dein Süßigkeit im Herzen
 und dürsten stets nach dir. 





Grant us that in your love
 and knowledge we may increase,
 that we may remain in the faith,
 serve you in spirit in such a way
 that we may here taste
 your sweetness in our hearts
 and constantly thirst for you.




Du Schöpfer aller Dinge,
 du väterliche Kraft,
 regierst von End zu Ende
 kräftig aus eigner Macht.
 Das Herz uns zu dir wende 
 und kehr ab unsre Sinne,
 dass sie nicht irrn von dir.





You creator of all things,
 you fatherly power,
 you rule for ever and ever
 mighty in your own strength.
 Turn our hearts to you
 and turn away our minds 
 so that we do not stray from you.




Ertöt uns durch dein Güte,
 erweck uns durch dein Gnad.
 Den alten Menschen kränke,
 dass der neu’ leben mag
 und hier auf dieser Erden
 den Sinn und alls Begehren
 und G'danken hab zu dir.





Stifle us with your goodness,
 awaken us through your grace,
 weaken the old man
 so that the new man may live
 and here on this earth
 devote our minds and all our desires
 and thoughts to you.
program notes
