[New Rendition] Michael Praetorius: Gott der Vater wohn uns bei (1605)

This Lutheran hymn is based on an essential Catholic tenet of the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. This magnum opus for 8 voices was Michael Praetorius' Protestant German re-imagining of the Northern Italian polychoral motet developed by Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi, and later imported by Hans Leo Hassler to Germany. It is not clear whether or not instruments were used in the performance of such pieces, but the iconography on the cover of Musae Sioniae (whence this particular motet comes) illustrates a large (albeit fanciful) ensemble consisting of church organ, brass band, string band, harp and a heavenly host of singing angels.

This "performance" separates the eight voices into a SATB Chorus with boy sopranos (in the left gallery) and lower pitched AATB Chorus II (in the right gallery), a church organ in the center, string band (low to the ground on the left side) and brass band (to the right). The singing voices in this video were rendered using the Vocaloid 4 software with the MAIKA Spanish language voice encoders. The instrumental sounds were created with Music Studio 2 on an iPhone to double the "singers." The string ensemble consists of 2 violins, 2 viols (with harpsichord and violone as continuo parts). The brass ensemble consists of cornetto, 3 sackbuts (with pipe organ doubling the bass). In this latest rendition, I added slight dynamic range to the two upper voices in each chorus, made all the lines more legato and removed the additional background echo of the chorus. This recording is best heard on a good set of headphones that can effectively separate the left and right stereo fields. The two choruses join together in tight vertical formation on the words "mit allen rechten Christen" (with all true Christians) and again at the end on "Amen. Das sei wahr" (Amen. Let this be done).
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German text

Gott der Vater wohn' uns bei
Und laß uns nicht verderben.
Jesus Christus wohn' uns bei
Und laß uns nicht verderben.
Heiliger Geist der wohn uns bei,
Und laß uns nicht verderben,
Mach' uns von allen Sünden frei
Und hilf' uns selig sterben.
Vor dem Teufel uns bewahr,
Halt' uns bei festem Glauben,
Und auf dich laß uns bauen,
Aus Herzens Grund vertrauen,
Dir uns lassen ganz und gar;
Mit allen rechten Christen
Entfliehen des Teufels Listen,
Mit Waffen Gottes uns rüsten.
Amen! Amen! das sei wahr,
So singen wir, Alleluja!

Translation

God, our Father, stay with us,
Let us never be corrupted.
Jesus Christ, stay with us,
Let us never be corrupted.
Holy Ghost stay with us,
Let us never be corrupted
Free us from all sins
And give us a blessed death.
Save us from the Devil
Keep us firm in faith.
And let us trust in you
With humble hearts.
Let us flee completely,
with all true Christians
The devil's trickery
With God's armor and shield.
Amen, amen! Let this be done.
So sing we, Halleluia!

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Illustrations

1. "Gott der Vater wohn uns bei," Cantus part, Musae Sioniae, Volume 1, Michael Praetorius, 1605
2. Glory of the angels, detail of musical angels from a fresco under the dome of S. Gregorio Magno, Cappella di S. Silvia, Rome, Guido Reni, 1609
3. Musicians at the court of Danish King Christian IV, Rosenborg Castle, c1613; note the cornetto and trombones in the right and bottom
4. Church musicians and heavenly host, cover of Musae Sioniae, 1607, Praetorius
5. St. Cecilia and the host of angels performing a sacred concert, Jacques Stella, 1626
6. Martinikirche, Halberstadt, the church which now houses the so-called Praetorius organ by David Beck.
7. The "Praetorius organ" by David Beck, completed c1596 and originally kept at the Chapel of Gröningen castle, later transferred to Martinikirche in 1770. A sketch of this organ can also be found in the encyclopedic figures published by Michael Praetorius
8. Singers and brass players performing from a gallery, detail from a fresco, Giovanni Bernardo Carlone & Giovanni Battista Carlone, c1630
9. Angel emerging from side of the Praetorius organ