"Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" is a hymn text relating to the Nativity of Jesus, written by Martin Luther in 1534. The hymn is most often sung to the melody, Zahn No. 346, which first appeared in
1567 publication
1539 melody and first five stanzas in the Straßburger Gesangbuch (1541)
Magnificat (Bach)
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Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, BWV 243, is a musical setting of the biblical canticle Magnificat. It is scored for five vocal parts, and a Baroque orchestra including trumpets and timpani. It is
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
…heilsame Geburt und Menschwerdung unsers Herrn und Heilandes Jesu Christi (1715). Johann Sebastian Bach set the first stanza of "Vom Himmel hoch" as one of four laudes added to the Christmas 1723 version of his Magnificat. He also used the melody three times in his Christmas Oratorio (1734). The chorale Ach, mein herzliebes Jesulein, which uses stanza 13 of Luther's hymn…
First page of Bach's autograph score
Adoration of the Shepherds, Augsburg, around 1730
Traditional D minor setting of Luther's German Magnificat, which is a particular German version of the ninth tone or tonus peregrinus