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O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf

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"O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf"
Advent song
A 1630 print from Würzburg
EnglishO Saviour, break the Heavens open
Textby Friedrich Spee (attributed)
LanguageGerman
Published1622 (1622)
Melodyⓘ

"O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf" (O Saviour, tear open the heavens)[1] is a Christian Advent song. The text was first printed in 1622, attributed to Friedrich Spee; the melody was first printed in 1666.

History

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The song was first published in Würzburg in the collection Das Allerschönste Kind in der Welt (The most beautiful child in the world).[2] Its author is not named, but is thought to be Friedrich Spee, due to similarities to his later collection Trutznachtigall. The text was written in the context of the Thirty Years' War, the plague and witch trials.[3] The text was first sung to the melody of Conditor alme siderum.[3] The melody known today appeared first in the Rheinfelsisches Gesangbuch of 1666.[4]

The song is focused on the longing for the arrival of a Saviour. It has been included in both Catholic and Protestant hymnals; in Protestant hymnals sometimes with an added seventh stanza of unknown authorship. It is part of the Catholic Gotteslob as GL 231, of the Evangelisches Gesangbuch as EG 7, in the hymnal of Swiss Reformed churches [de] as RG 361,.[5] in the Methodist hymnal [de] as EM 141, in the hymnal Feiern & Loben [de] as FL 189, and in the Mennonite hymnal [de] as MG 244.

Theme and text

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The song is based on a verse in the Book of Isaiah, in the Latin text from the Vulgate that the author knew "Rorate coeli de super, et nubes pluant justum: aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem" which was set in the Gregorian chant Rorate caeli.[6] The beginning is related to another verse by Isaiah: "Ach dass du den Himmel zerrissest und führest herab, dass die Berge vor dir zerflössen" From the fourth stanza on, the believers appear as a "we" (wir), describing the miserable conditions that need to change.[3]

O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf,
herab, herab vom Himmel lauf,
reiß ab vom Himmel Tor und Tür,
reiß ab, wo Schloss und Riegel für.

O Gott, ein’ Tau vom Himmel gieß,
im Tau herab, o Heiland, fließ.
Ihr Wolken, brecht und regnet aus
den König über Jakobs Haus.

O Erd, schlag aus, schlag aus, o Erd,
dass Berg und Tal grün alles werd.
O Erd, herfür dies Blümlein bring,
o Heiland, aus der Erden spring.

Wo bleibst du, Trost der ganzen Welt,
darauf sie all ihr Hoffnung stellt?
O komm, ach komm vom höchsten Saal,
komm, tröst uns hier im Jammertal.

O klare Sonn, du schöner Stern,
dich wollten wir anschauen gern;
o Sonn, geh auf, ohn deinen Schein
in Finsternis wir alle sein.

Hier leiden wir die größte Not,
vor Augen steht der ewig Tod.
Ach komm, führ uns mit starker Hand
vom Elend zu dem Vaterland.[7]

Added later and first appeared in David Gregor Corner's collection in 1631:

Da wollen wir all danken dir,
unserm Erlöser, für und für;
da wollen wir all loben dich
zu aller Zeit und ewiglich.[7]

Melody and settings

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First print of the melody, Rheinfelsisches Gesangbuch 1666

The melody in Dorian mode appears first in the Rheinfelsisches Gesangbuch of 1666. It may have been composed especially for the text.[3]

\header { tagline = ##f } % Source: https://musescore.com/user/1081191/scores/1409031 \layout { indent = 0 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } } global = { \key d \dorian \time 6/4 \partial 4 } soprano = \relative c' { \global d4 | f2 g4 a2 d,4 | f e2 d2. | a'4 a b c2 f,4 | a g2 f2. | c'4 c c c2 a4 | d2 d4 c2. | a4 a g a2 f4 | g e2 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4=60 d \bar "|." } alto = \relative c' { \global d4 | d2 d4 d (cis) a | d d (cis) a2. | f'4 f f f (e) d | f f (e) a,2. | f'4 e f g (e) f | f2 f4 f (e) \breathe g | f (e) d e2 d4 | d d (cis) a2 \bar "|." } tenor = \relative c' { \global d,4 | a'2 g4 e2 f4 | bes a2 f2 \breathe g4 | c2 f,4 g (c) a | c d (c) a2 (bes4) | c4 b a g2 a4 | a2 bes4 g2 \breathe c4 | d (a) d cis2 a4 | bes a2 fis \bar "|." } bass = \relative c { \global d4 | d (c) bes a (g) f | g a2 d e4 | f (e) d c2 d4 | a bes (c) f2 (g4) | a g f e (c) f | d (c) bes c2 e4 | d (c) bes a2 d4 | g, a2 d \bar "|." } verse = \lyricmode { O Hei -- land, reiß die Him -- mel auf, he -- rab, he -- rab vom Him -- mel lauf, reiß ab vom Him -- mel Tor und Tür, reiß ab, wo Schloss und Rie -- gel für. } \score { \new ChoirStaff << \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "oboe" } << \new Voice = "soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano } \new Voice = "alto" { \voiceTwo \alto } >> \new Lyrics \with { \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER } \lyricsto "soprano" \verse \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "bassoon" } << \clef bass \new Voice = "tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor } \new Voice = "bass" { \voiceTwo \bass } >> >> \layout { } \midi { \tempo 4=120 } }

The hymn was set to music by composers such as Johannes Brahms,[1] Johann Nepomuk David, Hugo Distler and Johannes Weyrauch. Richard Wetz used it in his Christmas Oratorio [de].

References

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  1. ^ a b "O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf, Op. 74, No. 2 (Johannes Brahms)". Free Choral Music. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  2. ^ Härting, Michael, ed. (1979). "Friedrich Spee. Die anonymen geistlichen Lieder vor 1623". Philologische Studien und Quellen (in German). Vol. 63. Berlin: E. Schmidt. pp. 160–162. ISBN 3-503-00594-3.
  3. ^ a b c d Willa, Josef-Anton. "O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf / Ein Flehruf aus der Tiefe" (in German). liturgie.ch. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  4. ^ "O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf". hymnary.org. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  5. ^ Schell, Johanna (2001). "O Heiland reiß die Himmel auf". In Hahn, Gerhard; Henkys, Jürgen (eds.). Liederkunde zum Evangelischen Gesangbuch (in German). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. pp. 3–5. ISBN 9783525503218.
  6. ^ Bautsch, Markus. "Über Kontrafakturen gregorianischen Repertoires – Rorate" (in German). Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  7. ^ a b Version: EG 7; GL 231 (= ecumenical version)

Further reading

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