Fünf Choralkantaten WoO V/4

Chorale Cantata “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen” WoO V/4 No. 2

for soli (S, A, T, B), mixed voice choir, congregational singing, strings and organ

Content

Chorale Cantata “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen”

Text: Jakob Baumgarten

Creation

Komponiert in München, Ende November/Anfang Dezember 1903

Status

–

Dedication

–

Performance medium

Soprano solo; Alto solo; Tenor solo; Bass solo; Mixed choir [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass]; Congregational singing [Voice]; [Strings, Organ]

Work collection

Fünf Choralkantaten WoO V/4
Other parts:

Original work

Versions

1.

Reger-Werkausgabe	Bd. II/7: Vokalwerke mit Orgelbegleitung und weiteren Instrumenten, S. 130–160.
Herausgeber	Alexander Becker, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefan König. Unter Mitarbeit von Dennis Ried und Stefanie Steiner-Grage.
Verlag	Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart; Verlagsnummer: CV 52.814.
Erscheinungsdatum	Juni 2019.
Notensatz	Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart.
Copyright	2019 by Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart and Max-Reger-Institut, Karlsruhe – CV 52.814. Vervielfältigungen jeglicher Art sind gesetzlich verboten. / Any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. / All rights reserved.
ISMN	M-007-18850-4.
ISBN	978-3-89948-318-5.

Chorale Cantata “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen”

Work

[O wie selig seyd ihr doch ihr Frommen…]

by Jakob Baumgarten

Version of

[O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen…]

by Simon Dach

1. Composition

1.1.

Two weeks after the publication of the first chorale cantata WoO V/4 no. 1, Reger suggested a sequel to his publisher Lauterbach & Kuhn on 26 November 1903 (see Reger and the Chorale Cantata). Friedrich Spitta brought to Reger’s attention “the antiphonal singing of the devout departed and those left behind on earth” (review), in which two texts by the poets Simon Dach and Jakob Baumgarten are interwoven. Spitta had reproduced this “antiphonal singing” in his treatise “Kritiken und praktische Winke für Bußtag, Totenfest und Advent” in the Monatschrift für Gottesdienst und kirchliche Kunst as an example, had suggested the text for a Totensonntag cantata to composers, and given suggestions for the musical form: “Joh. Crüger’s splendid melody to our hymn […] should probably be able to attract a composer to develop the contrast between the earthly and the heavenly congregation in ever new and deeper ways, conceivably also to use the effect which would be achieved through this, so that the congregation sings to the organ accompaniment, but that the choir of the blessed is swirled around by string instruments.” Reger largely followed Spitta’s suggestions.

The second chorale cantata “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen” thus comes close to the “ideal concept of the liturgical interplay of choir, congregation, officiant”.¹ Unlike the aim pursued by Spitta and Smend of reclaiming sacred music for the liturgical context for Reger, however, an appropriate performance of his work was of paramount importance. Reger gave his views about the scoring to Karl Straube: “But double string quintet scoring is a bit too thin! 4 Ist violins, 4 IInd violins, 3 violas, 2 celli, 2 double basses! If that is not possible, then the double scoring will suffice; but the piece sounds that much better the greater the number of strings there are.” (Brief vom 26. August 1905)

Progress on the composition was rapid, and by 3 December 1903 Reger reported on the completion of the new work in a letter to the critic Josef Hofmiller. Three days later he submitted the engraver’s copy for printing and added: “[…] naturally the same as easy as it can be; I have made the scoring exactly according to the suggestion at the time by Prof Dr Spitta in Monatsschrift für Gottesdienst u. kirchliche Kunst.” (Article) As earlier with the first chorale cantata, Reger suggested a royalty of 100 marks, and added to the listing of the “Chorale settings” still to be written in the same letter mentioning a further contribution for Trinity just once, “of course all of the easiest performability”. With these works, Reger predicted, the publisher would “earn a lot of money & even do so very soon”. (Brief vom 6. Dezember 1903).

2. Publication

2.1.

The printing of the second chorale cantata went rather slowly. Only after repeated enquiries and after the third chorale cantata “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” WoO V/4 no. 3 had been submitted for printing months earlier did Reger receive the proofs of the autographic score on 11 June 1904 (see Postcard to Lauterbach & Kuhn)². Twelve days later he sent this back with the comment: “I am in full agreement with this way of producing the scores!” (Letter dated 23 June) On 9 October Reger was finally able to confirm the receipt of a whole pile of new publications. These included both the second and the third chorale cantatas, about which the composer acknowledged: “the presentation of the same is […] simply perfectly beautiful & I thank you once again most kindly for the same; please use these covers now in the future for all my new works!” (Brief)

Bereits am 30. September, kurz vor der Veröffentlichung durch den Verlag, besprach die Kantate in der gemeinsam mit . Vermutlich hatte er für die am 19. November, dem »Sonnabend vor dem Totensonntag« des Jahres , geplante Uraufführung die Partitur vorab erhalten. Während diese Aufführung jedoch nicht belegt ist, fand die früheste nachgewiesene Aufführung des Werks ein Jahr später am in der unter der Leitung von mit dem statt. On 30 September, shortly before the publication of the work, Walter Fischer reviewed the cantata in the Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung together with WoO V/4 no. 1. He had presumably received the score in advance of the first performance planned for 19 November 1904, the “Saturday before Totensonntag”. However, whilst there is no evidence of this performance, the earliest recorded performance of the work took place a year later on 22 November 1905 in the Kreuzeskirche Essen, conducted by Gustav Beckmann with the Protestant Church Choir Essen.

3.

Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.

See Konrad Klek, »Friedrich Spitta (1852–1924)«, in Gottesdienst als Feld theologischer Wissenschaft im 20. Jahrhundert, Vol. 1, ed. Benedikt Kranemann and Klaus Raschzok, Münster 2011 (= Liturgiewissenschaftliche Quellen und Forschungen, Vol. 98), p. 1109.

“For scores and orchestral parts where a small print run necessitated a cheap process, people often used autography. The music was written with a greasy ink on well-sized paper, so that a reproducable copy was created which – as in music engraving – was transferred to the lithographic plate in the process.” (Geschichte des deutschen Buchhandels im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. Das Kaiserreich 1871–1918, Part 2, ed. Georg Jäger, Frankfurt a.M. 2003, p. 24f.).

1. Reception

Unlike the first chorale cantata, Fischer admired the performance of “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen” as “a task which can only be carried out well by a capable choir and a similar orchestra”, as the choral writing, although “completely free [of] ornamental decoration”, is demanding. Fischer also praised the “deep religious edification” which manifested itself through Reger’s musical treatment of the text, and came to the conclusion that “the effect must be one of literally overbearing power when well executed” (review).

2.

Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.

This text is currently only available in German.

1. Stemma

Die in Klammern gesetzten Quellen sind verschollen.

2. Quellenbewertung

Der Edition liegt als Leitquelle der Erstdruck zugrunde. Als zusätzliche Quelle wurde die Stichvorlage herangezogen.

3. Sources

Object reference

Max Reger: Chorale Cantata “O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen” WoO V/4 No. 2, in: Reger-Werkausgabe, www.reger-werkausgabe.de/mri_work_00211.html, version 3.1.4, 11th April 2025.

Information

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