Musical Offerings ⦁ 2021 ⦁ Volume 12 ⦁ Number 2 57 church music for years to come, setting apart a style of Protestant worship that is distinctly different from the Catholic practice. Throughout Luther’s lifetime, music itself changed substantially. The sixteenth century brought about changes to compositional approaches and performance practices. The Reformation occurred during the Renaissance period; during this time, composers explored the relationship between language and music and the emotional effects thereof. Music became more expressive and dramatic, eventually leading to the rise of opera and the dramatic arts. Luther grew up and developed his compositional style with the influence of the Renaissance, leading to his desire for larger, more expressive, and more polyphonic writing. Three music theorists from Wittenberg also influenced music during Luther’s lifetime; Georg Rhau, Martin Agricola, and Nicolaus Listenius worked to compose new music and introduce a universal approach to music theory and education.35 Agricola published Ein kurtz deudsche Musica, or A Brief German Music, which was the first textbook that was designed for teaching music in schools.36 Luther shared this passion for music education and advocated for its standardization himself. Luther also was deeply inspired by the music of Josquin des Prez and his ability to achieve unprecedented levels of musical expression. Though this was not demonstrated in Luther’s monophonic hymns, his chorales and motets that gained popularity in the 1520’s reflected his inspiration he gained from Josquin. Luther himself played a prominent role in developing the Lutheran style of music that is still recognizable today. Much of the music he wrote was not entirely new, but was inspired by pre-existing traditions. He wrote thirty six hymns; “five are original, seven are metrical versions of psalms, eight are metrical expansions of passages of Scripture, ten are adaptations of Latin hymns, and the rest are modifications and improvements of already existing German hymns.”37 Due to his differing theological standpoint, Luther rejected the hymns that centered on the Virgin Mary, the saints, or the rituals of the mass.38 Though Luther was a conservative Reformer and sought to keep as much traditional music as possible, he also wanted to maintain his theology and found few lyrics 35 Schilling, 4. 36 Schilling, 4. 37 Grew, 72. 38 Leaver, 69.
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