Philipp Nicolai (10 August 1556 – 26 October 1608) was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer. He is most widely recognized as a hymnodist.[ Philipp Nicolai, Hymnwriter (justus.anglican.org)]
Life
Philipp Nicolai was born at
Mengeringhausen in Waldeck, where his father was a Lutheran pastor. His early education include studies at
Kassel,
Hildesheim and
Dortmund. He studied theology at the University of Erfurt where he was a pupil of
Ludwig Helmbold.
[ Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608 (STEM Publishing)]
In 1583, he was ordained to the Lutheran ministry and was appointed minister at Herdecke. He was subsequently expelled during the Counter-Reformation. In 1588, he became pastor at Altwildungen in Hesse. He graduated with a Doctorate Degree in Theology from the University of Wittenberg in 1594. In 1596, he became the minister at Unna in Westphalia. In 1601, he was elected chief pastor of St. Catherine's Church ( Katharinenkirche) in Hamburg.[ Philipp Nicolai (Hymns and Carols of Christmas.com)][ Nicolai, Philipp, D.D.(Hymnary.org)]
Nicolai died in Hamburg on 26 October 1608, at age 52.
Work
He was the author of two famous
: "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" and "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern", sometimes referred to as the King and Queen of Chorales, respectively. These two
have inspired many composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, whose chorale cantatas
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1, and
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, are based on them.
Bach's
pipe organ transcription of the latter, as published in the Schübler Chorales, has become world famous. Nicolai is supposed to be the last example of the
Meistersinger tradition, in which words and music, text and melody stem from one and the same person.
[ Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, translated by: Catherine Winkworth as Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying][ King and Queen of Chorales (Christian Classics Eternal Library)]
Philipp Nicolai is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October together with Johann Heermann and Paul Gerhardt.
Other sources
-
Glover, Raymond F. (1990) The Hymnal 1982 Companion, Volume One (Church Publishing Inc)
-
Crump, William D. (2013) The Christmas encyclopedia (McFarland & Company, 3rd ed.)
Further reading
