Übers Gebirg Maria geht
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| Übers Gebirg Maria geht | |
|---|---|
| Motet by Johannes Eccard | |
_-_De_Visitatie.JPG) De Visitatie (the visitation), topic of the motet, by Frans Francken | |
| Key | E-flat major |
| Text | paraphrase of the Magnificat by Ludwig Helmbold |
| Language | German |
| Scoring | SSATB choir |
Übers Gebirg Maria geht (Over the mountains Mary goes) is a sacred motet by the Renaissance composer and musician Johannes Eccard, who wrote it on a German text by Ludwig Helmbold in two stanzas. The first stanza is a rephrasing of the biblical story of the visit of Mary to Elisabeth, ending in Mary's song of praise known as the Magnificat. The second stanza speaks to present-day listeners, urging them to follow Mary's example and go over the mountains, be inspired, support each other, and sing the Magnificat.
Thirty-three years after Eccard's death, the motet was included in the collection Preußische Festlieder II, published in Berlin in 1644. Originally intended for the feast of the Visitation, it is now often performed during Advent.
The author of the text was Ludwig Helmbold, who was a minister at the Marienkirche in Mühlhausen from 1571. Eccard, who was born in Mühlhausen and returned there during the winter of 1573–74 when he was twenty, became acquainted with Helmbold and set many of his texts to music during the course of his life.[1] Helmboldt's poem in two stanzas is based on the biblical narration from the Gospel of Luke of the visit of Mary to her relative Elisabeth (Luke 1:39–56). Both stanzas end in a short version of the Magnificat. The scholar Schalom Ben-Chorin argues that a young woman educated at the synagogue and celebrating Jewish feasts would have been able to know the verses from the Thora which form the Magnificat.[2]
Mary is depicted as traveling over the mountains ("Übers Gebirg"). Elisabeth greets her as the Lord's mother ("des Herren Mutter"), Mary became cheerful and sang ("Maria ward fröhlich und sang"). At this point a short version of the Magnificat forms the chorus of both stanzas, which follows the beginning closely but then stresses, that he is my Saviour ("Er ist mein Heiland"), who should be feared and who will always be merciful ("fürchtet ihn, er will allzeit barmherzig sein"). The second stanza encourages listeners to follow the example, and also go to the mountains and tell each other, inspired by the spirit (the chorus): My soul magnifies the Lord ("Mein Seel den Herrn erhebet").
