Bach’s place in Lutheran Church history is very important. He is connected directly with the Reformation through the chorale, which Luther so much encouraged as a means of spreading the new views of religion. Bach was a strict Lutheran; and the chorale, or hymn to be sung by the congregation, was perhaps the most important expression of Lutheran religious feeling. The words will explain this perhaps better than anything else, if we take an example at random from the Leipziger Gesangbuch, in literal prose translation--_e.g._ No. 171: “A strong castle is our God; a good defence and weapon; he freely helps us in all trouble that can meet us. The ancient wicked enemy is in earnest; his cruel armour is great power and much deceit: there is none like him on the earth.
“We can do nothing of our own power, we are soon lost: but there fights for us the right man, whom God himself has chosen. Dost thou ask his name? Jesus Christ is his name, the Lord of Sabaoth. There is no other God; he is bound to win the day.
“And if the world were full of devils, who would devour us, we need not fear much, for we shall conquer. The prince of this world, however sour he may appear, can do nothing against us: a word is able to slay him,” &c.
This is one of the chorales assigned to the Festival of the Reformation, and one can imagine with what force it would appeal to those disposed towards Luther’s teaching. Its well-known melody was composed by Luther, and it was used by Bach as the foundation of a cantata which is considered by Zelter to have been composed in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Reformation in 1717, but the composer re-arranged it in 1730. The orchestra contains three trumpets, one flute, two oboes, one oboe di caccia, two violins, viola, violoncello, organ and figured bass.
The first chorus set to the words of the first verse has the following vigorous opening, the orchestra playing an independent accompaniment. (For convenience of English readers we quote from Novello’s octavo edition.)
A stronghold sure our God remains, A shield and hope unfailing ][57]
This is worked in bold fugato (both chorus and orchestra taking the subject or the counter-subject), for thirty-six bars, which are then repeated, note for note, to the words: “In need His help our freedom gains, o’er all we fear prevailing.”