Anyone studying the work of hymnologists in the early 18th century will come across many different names. We have traced their publications, which already reveal the cohesion and intensive co-operation of this group, which called itself “Lieder-Freunde“. Important names include Johann Christoph Olearius from Arnstadt, Georg Heinrich Götze from Lübeck (who supported Buxtehude in his evening music ‘Abendmusiken’!) and Johann Martin Schamelius from Naumburg.
Lydia Vroegindeweij studied the strong relationship between the text and music in Bach’s choral cantatas and the work of these early hymnologists and explored the question. Is the relationship between Bach and these Lieder friends documented anywhere? The most verifiable relationship to Bach’s work can be found in Schamelius’ hymnal commentaries ‘Evangelischer Lieder-Commentarius’. He wrote an autobiography, which was published by his son-in-law after his death, but unfortunately it offers no concrete evidence.
A hint in a mourning poem?
NOTES. The information in this post was updated on 24 June 2024 following new information.
A poem of mourning appears to have been written after Schamelius’ death in 1742, extensively singing the praises of his work as a hymnologist. It includes the names of the ‘Lieder-Freunde’ he worked with.
For a while, it seemed that this contained Bach’s name. Unfortunately, only a secondary source was initially available, cited in Andreas Lindner’s dissertation on Schamelius (Andreas Lindner, Leben im Spannungsfeld von Orthodoxie, Pietismus und Frühaufklärung. Johann Martin Schamelius, Oberpfarrer in Naumburg (1998)). The original is in fact in the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek in Weimar, and that was irreparably damaged during the disastrous fire in 2004. On Lydia’s request to the librarian in Weimar, the message unfortunately came that the document was no longer available.
But then it turned out that the authority of the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig had better entrances: the damaged document surfaced and what did it show…. it did not say ‘Bach’ but ‘Dach’. It was about the poet Simon Dach (1605-1659). So the secondary source contained a spelling error and was subsequently also wrongly interpreted by its author as ‘Johann Sebastian Bach’.
Very disappointing, but fortunately this is only a detail in the larger investigation into the Lieder-Freunde’s mission to save the song heritage. And in this, the relationship with Bach’s chorale cantatas is as relevant as ever.
