The Rise of Lutheran Congregational Singing in Sixteenth-Century Germany: The Contribution of Lucas Osiander to Chorale Singing

Abstract

A cantus firmus is a fixed melody that originated primarily from plainchant and later became the basis of a larger musical composition. By the sixteenth century, the cantus firmus technique was adapted for numerous polyphonic works, including sacred choral works. The technique involves positioning the melody in the tenor part with multiple voices placed above and below it. This posed a challenge for many Lutheran churches that maintained choirs while seeking to restore congregational singing after the Reformation, since the congregation often could not clearly hear the melody and thus found it difficult to join in. This paper describes two major circumstances during that time, namely the influence of Italian music in sixteenth-century Germany and the development of liturgy and music in the Lutheran Church after the Reformation, which resulted in musical struggles in the church. The paper also explores the work of Lucas Osiander in 1586, in which the melody was repositioned in the top voice (superius). This effort allowed the congregation to sing together with the choir.