Martin Luther: Father of ProtestantismThe Protestant Reformation was not a sudden event in time nor can it be linked to only

one person. A humanist movement had been circulating in Europe as people desired to give

value to all humans.1 The feeling-based movement was impacting art and religion in a significant

way, and many artists and theologians were feeling the pull of the society to adopt humanist

thoughts or ideas. Out of this time came the Protestant Reformation stirred by people who were

unhappy with the uneven distribution of value between the priests of the Roman Catholic Church

and the educated people as compared to the common, uneducated people. Many composers and

theologians were wrestling with these ideas and producing works of music and literature that

challenged the older ways. The humanist movement opened up the door for new thoughts to

permeate the European societies and prepared the way for rising oppositions. Martin Luther was

among the early reformers and when his oppositional viewpoints were not accepted by the

Roman Catholic Church authorities, his ideology and followers eventually became Protestantism.

Martin Luther: Childhood to Adulthood

Eisleben, Saxony was the birthplace of Martin Luther on November 10, 1483, but soon

the nearby town of Mansfeld became the hometown of the young German.2 A hard-working

miner who made a modest living as a layman, Luther’s father eventually was elected to the

highest office of the town. Unlike the educational training of his father, Luther was sent to the

appropriate Latin schools throughout his life and eventually attained both a bachelor’s degree

and a master’s degree from the University of Erfurt. Historians agree that Luther had a strict

1 See Joachim Kremer. Change and Continuity in the Reformation Period: Church Music in North German Towns, 1500 - 1600. Music and Musicians in Renaissance Cities and Towns. Fiona Kisby. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2001, pg. 118. 2 A more detailed look into the society that surrounded Martin Luther while growing up can be found in a book by Bernhard Lohse, and Robert C. Schultz. Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work. Illustrated ed. Fortress Press, 1986, pg. 20.

upbringing, as was customary in that time and Luther himself spoke of the harsh discipline he

had received though he admitted his parents meant well.3 Luther most likely grew up learning

short prayers from his mother, though he also learned a dose of mythology that was plaguing the

region.4 His early experiences with spirituality and religion stayed with him throughout his life

and created problems for him later in his life.

Though his father hoped Martin would become a lawyer, Luther left law school shortly

after starting so he could join the local Augustinian monastery (Black Cloister of the Augustinian

Hermits in Erfurt) in 1505.5 After being caught in a storm and making a plea to God for his life

in exchange for his commitment to monastic service, Luther wrestled with his plea and knowing

whether it was binding.6 He decided to stick with his promise, and Luther was a diligent student

of theology in his time there. A trip to Rome to help plead for the reorganization of the

Augustinian order enlightened Martin to the practices of the larger Roman Catholic Church,

especially in regards to materialism seen through actions of the priests and the selling of

indulgences. When Luther returned and attained his doctorate in Theology, he was asked to teach

sacred scripture at the University of Wittenberg.7

Taking Action: 95 Theses

Prompted by his visit to Rome and by the worldliness of the Italian clergy, Martin Luther

began to seek change from within the Roman Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517, Luther

3 Ibid., 21.4 Luther’s mother would have been a main source of the superstitions and mythology of the time. Her upbringing and her personal beliefs including religious background and local folk tales developed a view of life that she taught to Luther. Ibid.5 Though many believe Luther chose this monastery for its asceticism, Luther actually chose this one because he believed there existed the same theology of scholarship as his liberal arts faculty and he wished to continue his studies in much the same way as he had already begun. Ibid., 23.6 Luther’s oath may not have been carefully thought out before saying it but it certainly showed that he had at least thought of the idea beforehand. Upon surviving the incident, Luther sought counsel from many of his teachers who gave conflicting answers. Ibid.7 Ibid., 27.

posted a document on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg known as the 95 Theses.8 This

document specifically challenged the practices of the Church by introducing the idea of being

saved by grace, by highlighting the deception behind the selling of indulgences, and by pointing

out a few other dishonorable practices of the Catholic clergymen. His 95 Theses were quickly

published and sent around for many people to read, and the Catholic authorities sought swift

action to remedy their internal opposition.

Luther was concerned with more than just the clergy and their practices. He wanted to see

change within the mass and to the overall organization of the church. Concerned with the

education of the German population, he sought to bring back congregational hymn-singing and

to introduce vernacular versions of the Bible and liturgy so that the average lay-person could

understand the services and the word of God.

Musical Training and Influence on Worship

Though Martin Luther’s musical training is less well-known, it is general knowledge that

he received free room and board for the duration of his college days from a lady who admired

his voice (which is believed to have a been a soft, tenor voice), though he also was accomplished

on the flute and lute.9 During that time, it was common for young men to travel and perform

together to make some extra money. Much of his work and some of his theological beliefs show

a natural understanding of music theory. Experiences within the Augustinian order as well as his

visit to Rome would have exposed him to many composers including the accomplished Josquin

des Prez and humanist composer Ludwig Senfl, both of whom were well-respected by Luther.

8 See Joachim Kremer. Change and Continuity in the Reformation Period: Church Music in North German Towns, 1500 - 1600. Music and Musicians in Renaissance Cities and Towns. Fiona Kisby. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2001, pg. 118. 9 See Robin A. Leaver. “Luther, Martin.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/17219 (accessed January 11, 2009).

Martin Luther seemed to have a positive, theological understanding of music.10 He considered

music to be an “excellent gift of God” and stated that “I place music next to theology and give it

highest praise.”11 He believed music was the partner of preaching as a means of proclaiming the

Word of God.12

Later, as the Protestant Reformation was making headway in changing church services to

match the beliefs of Luther and other reformers, Luther became very particular about his music

and was often concerned with the clarity of the message when conveyed through sung worship.13

Luther’s lack of formal, musical training did not stop him from writing his own music for use

within the worship services.

With the intention of changing the Roman Catholic Church from within, Luther began to

work towards change in many ways. He translated the entire Bible into German so that the

people could begin to hear and even read the word of God in their own language. He challenged

the Catholic system and wrote two new forms of the masses, Formula Missae (1523) and

Formula Concordiae (1577).14 With the need for change in the style and use of music, Luther

also began contributing musically through writing, revising, composing, and arranging hymns for

the new evangelical worship service. German chorales, liturgical chants, and congregational

singing became the fresh styles and newly emphasized ideas.

10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. 12 Luther gave the spoken word a central place in the sacred services, but music was recognized as another means of preaching the word. See Joachim Kremer. Change and Continuity in the Reformation Period: Church Music in North German Towns, 1500 - 1600. Music and Musicians in Renaissance Cities and Towns. Fiona Kisby. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2001 (119).13 Liturgical buildings and the music heard in them became concerns of Luther in regards to protecting the clarity of the message of the gospel. Audibility was the most significant aspect of Luther’s criterion. See Robin A. Leaver. The Reformation and Music. European Music 1520 - 1640. James Haar. Rochester, NY: The Boydell Press, 2006.14 See Robin A. Leaver. “Lutheran Church Music.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.lib.ucf.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/46760 (accessed November 18, 2008).

For the smaller towns and cities, the Deutsche Messe (1526) was written and music was

given a fundamental role. Out of the thirty-nine pages of the document, thirty-one contained

musical notation.15 Created as a simplified version of the traditional order, this mass consisted of

three parts instead of nine and established the principle of congregational, hymned alternatives to

the traditional liturgical Ordinary Mass settings. The music contained in the Deutsche Messe was

meant for people who could not read difficult music, but could easily learn the music through

listening and singing along. The belief was that people would remember the words and meanings

more if they could participate in the music of the service. Martin Luther also wrote specific

hymns for each of the six parts of the catechism.16

When the new, Lutheran style of music was not adopted by the authorities of the Catholic

Church, Luther continued to adjust the services, which were by then becoming a new branch of

Christianity, by reorganizing the order of mass and introducing new music. He kept much of the

liturgical mass, with some new developments, especially the inclusion of congregational singing

(one of the most important benefits of the Reformation movement), and he continued to

emphasize the role of music as the way to proclaim the gospel.

Lutheran Chorales played an important role in the congregational singing of Lutheran

music. Luther’s most famous chorale is known as Ein’ feste Burg (1529), and is based on Psalm

46.17 This four-stanza chorale is in bar form, AAB (see Example 1). Folk music of the time was

generally monophonic, featuring four to eight lines of poetry and with a simple, melodic

structure such as that of the German bar form (AAB), a melodic system that repeating twice then

15 See Robin A. Leaver. “Luther, Martin.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/17219 (accessed January 11, 2009). 16 See Robin A. Leaver. The Reformation and Music. European Music 1520 - 1640. James Haar. Rochester, NY: The Boydell Press, 2006, (379-80).17 See J. Peter Burkholder and Claude V. Palisca. Norton Anthology of Western Music: Volume 1: Ancient to Baroque. Eighth ed. New York City: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006 (223).

followed by a distinctive and unrepeated melodic system.18 Simple, melodic, and monophonic,

the tune was designed to be easy to remember and would allow the congregation to learn the

Psalm effectively. The common nature of bar form also gave the music a familiarity with secular

tunes.

With some outside assistance, Lutheran songs became a common form of worship and

entertainment for the followers of Martin Luther. Johann Walter and George Rhau were some of

Luther’s musical assistants.19 Walter (1496 – 1570) published Geystliches gesangk Buchleyn in

1524, which became the first Lutheran chorale book. Between 1538 and 1545, Rhau published

16 volumes of liturgical settings (both Latin and German texts) selected for their sustainability in

Lutheran worship. These men were instrumental in helping Luther collect his music and the

music he deemed appropriate for his services and making it available for the music to learn,

practice, and use.

18 See Rebecca Wagner Oettinger. Music as Propaganda in the German Reformation. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Co., 2001.19 See Robin A. Leaver. “Luther, Martin.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/17219 (accessed January 11, 2009).

Example 1: Martin Luther chorale, Ein’ feste Burg (1529)

Luther also found a place for polyphonic singing to be used to draw the youth of his

community into the church rather than into inferior pleasures. He found that the youth of his era

were enjoying the polyphonic song settings and he wanted to appeal to their tastes. Of his

polyphonic, spiritual songs set for multiple voices, Luther states in his foreword to the

Wittenburg Gesangbuch (1524):

These, further, are set for four voices for no other reason than that I wished that the young (who, apart from this, should and must be trained in music and in other proper arts) might have something to rid them of their love ditties and wanton songs and might, instead of these, learn wholesome things and thus yield willingly, as becomes them, to the good.20

Luther was well-known as a compositional master-mind and was often credited in hymnals for

his numerous contributions.21 One of his polyphonic songs, set to Psalm 118 titled Non moriar,

sed vivam is an example of Luther’s musical genius. This four-voiced song with the tenor

holding the cantus firmus, the pre-existing melody that forms the basis of a polyphonic

composition, is still fairly simple and would allow a congregation to easily sing along with it (see

Example 2).

A New Christianity

Luther’s ideals were not welcomed with open arms by the Roman Catholic authorities. In

fact, Martin Luther and the Protestant movement faced severe opposition. With growing

populations accepting and following Luther’s ways, the Church tried to respond through

forcefully banning Protestant services and the singing of Lutheran songs in public. Eventually,

the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated Luther and he was forced to live in relative

20 See Martin Luther. Excerpt from Wittemberg Gesangbuch. Translated by Oliver Strunk. New York City: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998. 21 See Robin A. Leaver. Luther's Liturgical Music: Principles and Implications. Lutheran Quarterly Books. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.

seclusion toward the end of his life. However, the changes he brought about would long outlast

his life. The newly developed branch of Christianity of his followers would eventually become

Protestantism and lead to many more sects, one being the Lutheran Church. Theology adopted by

Luther continued to form the selection of music for use in the religious services:

The combination of Luther’s theology of music, his provision and promotion of hymns and chants, his encouragement of congregational, vocal and instrumental liturgical music, and his concern for music in schools, laid the foundation for the distinctive tradition of Lutheran church music.22

There was a continued emphasis on congregational hymn singing as a central way of involving

the entire congregation in the service and this style eventually carried over to the developing new

America to become a central musical genre that would develop many new styles. Luther’s

movement and his bold opposition separated the Church into Catholicism and Protestantism and

left continuing separation between the sets of beliefs.

22 See Robin A. Leaver. “Luther, Martin.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/17219 (accessed January 11, 2009).

Example 2: Martin Luther motet, Non moriar, sed vivam

Summary

Martin Luther came along in a time when humanism was already challenging the

traditions of European culture, especially art and religious views. Though his childhood did not

show clear signs of what he would do with his life, a few distinct choices including leaving law

school to join a monastery and visiting Rome led to Luther’s discontent with the Roman Catholic

Church and the practices therein. His quest to change the Church from within was seen in the

posting of his 95 Theses, as he challenged the selling of indulgences and the practices of the

clergymen. When his viewpoints were widely accepted by the people and not by the Catholic

authorities, he continued to pursue change and a large population chose to follow him. Along

with other reformers of the day, Luther began operating under a new branch of Christianity

known as Protestantism. Within his reorganizations of the mass, he contributed an abundance of

musical pieces including congregational hymns, German chorales, and liturgical chants. He also

contributed to change through seeking clarity in music, by emphasizing the clarity of the words

as well as the structure of the buildings, and he reached out to the common layperson by

translating the masses into German, the common spoken language of the day. With Luther’s

massive contributions to the establishment of the Protestant branch of Christianity, he has

continued to be a respected figure in many Protestant branches and his theology of music has

influenced countless musical genres over the centuries since his death. Some churches still sing

songs that Luther wrote and contributed to the sacred literature as a foundational source of

proclamation of the word of God.

Selected Bibliography

Atlas, Allan W. Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400 - 1600. The Norton Introduction to Music History. New York City: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998.

Brown, Howard M.. Music in the Renaissance. Prentice-Hall History of Music Series. H. Wiley Hitchcock. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1976.

Kremer, Joachim. Change and Continuity in the Reformation Period: Church Music in North German Towns, 1500 - 1600. Music and Musicians in Renaissance Cities and Towns. Fiona Kisby. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Leaver, Robin A. “Luther, Martin.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/17219 (accessed January 11, 2009).

Leaver, Robin A. The Reformation and Music. European Music 1520 - 1640. James Haar. Rochester, NY: The Boydell Press, 2006.

Lohse, Bernhard, Robert C. Schultz. Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work. Illustrated ed. Fortress Press, 1986.

Luther, Martin. Wittemberg Gesangbuch. Translated by Oliver Strunk. New York City: W.W. Norton and Company, 1998.

Marshall, Robert L, and Robin A. Leaver. “Chorale.” In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/05652 (accessed November 18, 2008).

Perkins, Leeman L.. Music in the Age of the Renaissance. New York City: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1999.

Source Readings in Music History. Revised ed. Oliver Strunk. New York City: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1998.

Varickayil , Robert . "Social Origins of Protestant Reformation." Social Scientist 8, no. 11 (1980): 14-31.