A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Sprüche

by George Grove

SPRÜCHE—proverbs, or sentences—are sung in the Lutheran service of the Berlin Cathedral after the reading of the Epistle:

1. On New Year's Day, 'Herr Gott du bist unser Zuflucht.'
2. On Good Friday, 'Um unser Sünden willen.'
3. On Ascension day, 'Erhaben o Herr.'
4. On Christmas day, 'Frohlocket, ihr Volker.'

Mendelssohn set these for 8 part-chorus; and in addition 2 more:—

5. For Passion week, 'Herr gedenke nicht unser Übelthaten.'

6. For Advent, 'Lasset uns frohlocken.'

The six form op. 79 of his works. No. 3 ('Erhaben') begins with the same phrase as his 114th Psalm, op. 51, but there the resemblance ceases. No. 2 is dated Feb. 18, 1844, and no. 5 (in minims and for 4-part chorus) Feb. 14, 1844, and each of the two is inscribed 'vor dem Alleluja'—before the Alleluia. They are mostly short, the longest being only 50 bars in length. Schumann has entitled one of his little PF. pieces 'Spruch'; but on what ground is not obvious.

[ G. ]