Singing Repentance In Lutheran Germany During The Thirty Years War (1618–1648)

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the Thirty Years War (1618–48), it was widely understood within Germany that sin had brought the wrath of God to the Empire in the form of war. In order to instil peace, Christendom needed to demonstrate its repentance; this article illustrates the role that music played in this process. Focusing on Lutheran Saxony and the free-imperial city of Nuremberg, I analyse music’s liturgical role in specially mandated Days of Prayer and Repentance alongside newly composed penitential works by local composers such as Melchior Franck and Johann Staden. I argue that music played a vital role in the penitential project that consumed Lutheran Germany during the Thirty Years War: (1) it conveyed orthodox messages about the urgent need for repentance; (2) it fostered the affective dimensions of sincere repentance; and (3) it demonstrated faithful Christians’ repentant attitudes to God.