Lutheran chorale

A congregational hymn of the German Lutheran church with a fixed melody and text known to the entire congregation. Buxtehude's organ works frequently use these as structural foundations — the listener was expected to know the associated words and theology.

Know the text of the chorale before playing. The rhythm of the melody is often derived from natural German word stress; knowing the text prevents rhythmically inert performances. Ornamentation in Buxtehude's chorale lines elaborates the devotional affect of specific words — 'Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern' should shimmer; 'Ein feste Burg' should be solid and confident.