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Early collections of choir music drew on the work of both Catholic and Lutheran composers. Among others, they included Johann Walter, the first cantor of the Lutheran church, and lesser-known composers such as:
The second half of the 16th century saw significant contributions from composers such as:
Among those setting the course for Lutheran music in the early 1500s, two musicians stand out for their unique contributions. The first is Johann Walter (1496-1570), Luther's friend and musical adviser. He was the first cantor of the Lutheran church, and its first composer. He wrote a wide variety of liturgical music for the needs of the Lutheran church and its schools. Thoroughly grounded in the contrapuntal musical art of the early Renaissance, his musical models included such composers as Josquin Des Pres, Heinrich Isaac, and Ludwig Senfl. As a young man, Walter published the Geystlich gesangk-Buchleyn in 1524 under the guidance of Martin Luther. This was a collection of 43 pieces for three to five voices arranged according to the church year. Luther said the songs were: "…to give the young-who should at any rate be trained in music and other fine arts-something to wean them away from love ballads and carnal songs and to give them something of value in their place . . ." (LW 53:31ff.). Walter also assisted Luther as he prepared the music for his German Mass (1526). Walter served chiefly at Torgau (1517-48) and Dresden (1548-54), and then returned to Torgau for his final years. Walter wrote two settings of the Passion story (Matthew and John) and psalm settings, both polyphonic and simple settings of the Magnificat, together with a variety of other music for use in the Lutheran service. He also was an influential teacher--his choirs including, at various times, the fathers of such prominent musicians as Michael Praetorius and Leonhard Schroeter, as well as Georg Otto, the teacher of Heinrich Schuetz. Walter also was a poet who wrote a rhymed homage to music, Lob und Preis der loeblichen Kunst Musica (In Praise of the Noble Art of Music) in 1538. In it he developed an entire theology of music generally following Luther's remarks. According to Walter, the reason God had given the art of music to humanity was so that God's "unmerited free grace . . . might be kept fresh in human memory." The second significant musician of early Lutheranism was Georg Rhau (1488-1548). He was a composer, musical theorist, and at one time, cantor at the Thomas church in Leipzig. Rhau was a predecessor of Johann Sebastian Bach, chiefly noted for his work publishing music for early Lutheran church liturgical services. Between 1538 and 1545, Rhau published 15 choral music collections to provide for early Lutheran church needs. There were four publications of music for the Mass, six publications for vespers, and five publications for a variety of other purposes. Two works are of particular interest. Rhau's Symphoniae iucundae (1538) is a collection of 52 motets for the Sundays of the church year by various old masters and most likely was intended for amateur singers, not professional choirs and cantors. Martin Luther's Preface to this volume frequently was quoted in support of music. Rhau's Newe deudsche geistliche Gesenge . . . fuer die gemeinen Schulen, was a collection of 123 compositions by various composers for three to six voices for school use. This collection was to "develop in young people an understanding of church music and ability to perform it, and thus to give church music an increasingly artistic character." It offers a unique insight into the worship music taught and sung in early Lutheranism.
Both of these volumes contain music by many composers whose music rarely, if ever, is heard today. These obscure composers included:
Better known composers were Heinrich Isaac, Ludwig Senfl, and Josquin des Prez. Together, they made a significant contribution to the lively heritage of music in early Lutheranism. Rhau's contribution to Lutheran music was based on his understanding and appreciation of the liturgy, where his published music would find its home. His devotion to providing music related to the chorale melodies of the Reformation. Rhau's publications uniquely reflected the standard choral repertoire of 16th Century Lutheranism. Important German composers from the late 1400s and early 1500s who were influential in the development of the early Reformation music include:
Composers of the following generation whose life spans the second half of the 1500s include:
The following important composers born at the end of the 16th Century began the transition into the 17th Century:
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