Stephan Langenberg

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

The cantata Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott was composed with the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (2017) in mind. Musically and textually, the hymn of the same name is at the center of the composition. The work contains pieces whose styles can be assigned to different eras of music history. It begins with a pre-Reformation hymn with a Latin text. The choir then depicts the upheaval caused by the ideas of the Reformation by means of Sprechgesang. The development towards the chorale Ein feste Burg forms a turning point, which is consolidated through the use of modern compositional techniques. This is followed by a musical interpretation of the hymn text Ein feste Burg with different timbres and moods. The combination of recitatives with modern sounds and the combination with soulful a cappella choral movements strives towards a voluminous, powerful finale.
The work is conceived in such a way that the accompanying ensemble can be thinned out, amplified or varied at any time. In the absence of a local trombone choir or wind ensemble, the wind parts can be taken over completely by the organ.
Stephan Langenberg's Reformation cantata was awarded a prize in the composition competition for the theme year "Reformation and Music 2012" organized by the EKD and the State Music Councils of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.