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• 7 Christmas Hymns after Georg Rhaw (1544)

7 Christmas Hymns after Georg Rhaw (1544)

for 4 voices or instruments.

These seven pieces are taken from Georg Rhau´s Neue deutsche geistliche Gesänge für die gemeinen Schulen, published in Wittenberg in 1544, one of the earliest large collections of Lutheran hymns in polyphonic settings. In spite of the title, the collection does contain a few pieces to Latin texts, such as the Dies est laetitiae printed here. The attributions for no. 3 and 6 are from manuscripts in Dresden.
The settings vary in their approach to the given melodies. Typically the tune is in the tenor, though sometimes, as in no. 4, it is the top part that has the melody. In no. 7 all parts join in imitating phrases from the tune, while In dulci jubilo is largely homophonic.
In this edition the original note values have been halved throughout, except for In dulci jubilo, in which they have been quartered. Editorial accidentals are shown in the usual way, that is printed small above the stave, applying to the one note only. For the sake of convenience, the original note values are taken as applying to the whole bar.