Break

forth, O beauteous, heavenly light

Johann Schop
Brooke Maskin
MUS_CLAS 205 Conducting 1 Spring 2018

Overview
Composer
Johann Schop was born in Lower Saxony, Germany in 1590, right before the start of the Baroque Period.1
He was invited to play for Duke Friedrich Ulrich in the Hofkapelle at Wolfenbüttel in 1614 on multiple
instruments such as the trombone, lute, cornett, but most notably the violin. From this experience, he was
hired and kept this position for a long period of time. Schop maintained a high reputation through his
violin playing and became the leading violinist in Hamburg as well as the Kappelmeister, keeping this job
until his death. In 1615, he moved to Copenhagen to join the orchestra under the rule of King Christian
IV, and he became friends with an English viol player and composer named William Brade.2 He was an
extremely versatile musician through his German tradition and was the leader for the earliest German
violin music in the mid-17th century. He composed many works, varying from dance pieces, to suites,
sacred concertos, solo songs, and hymn tunes. Schop made great use of the English dance forms like the
galliard, lacrimae, and pavan. He frequently wrote the hymns in dedication towards the townsman that he
lived with or his friend Johann Rist.

Schop’s “Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light” demonstrates many aspects of his compositional
style, including the sacred text used, the hymnal melody, and the Baroque style of the melody. Although
this piece of music was harmonized by Bach, even without the harmonization, it is clear that this melody
is more Baroque than Renaissance or even Classical.

Composition
“Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light” for a capella SATB Chorus was published by G. Schirmer
Inc. in 1935. It was later harmonized and arranged by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1734.3 This specific
edition is edited by Carl Deis, who put in the beat value as quarter note equals forty beats per minute.
Johann Rist was the author of the text used for this piece (1641) and John Troutbeck was the English
translator for the German text. This piece does exist in other formats and editions, including much older
texts that have been conserved from when Schop first wrote out the original melody. Although the title is
“Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light,” it is one of two hymn tunes from Bach’s “Two Chorales

1
(n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2018, from http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Schop.htm
2
Lewis, U. D. (n.d.). Johann Schop | Biography & History. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johann-schop-mn0001857980/biography
3
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #343. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2018, from https://hymnary.org/hymn/PsH/343
from the Christmas Oratorio.” The title does not have any implications; however, it does refer to Jesus
growing up and being a savior and hope for everyone.

This piece opens with a pickup quarter note beat on beat four in 4/4 time, with the SATB chorus singing
the text in unison, but differently notes and rhythms, unaccompanied except for in rehearsal. For the
majority of the hymn, the sopranos and altos are in unison in terms of rhythmic value. In contrast, the
tenors and basses have different rhythmic and melodic parts, but they are still singing the text in unison.
The piece stays in 4/4 time for the entire duration, and there are no rhythmic changes like accel. or rit.
There are only dynamic swells; crescendos and decrescendos, creating a sweeping affect pairing perfectly
with the text. Every two measures on beat three, there is a quarter note fermata, which causes a pause in
the line of text. Some fermatas, depending on the conductor’s interpretation, may be longer or shorter in
comparison to the text. In measures 11-12, there is a large crescendo leading to the climax of the piece,
which is marked allargando at fortissimo. The final two measures of the piece are the quietest portions of
the hymn, where there is a decrescendo from measure 15-16, ending with a pianissimo dynamic level.

Historical Perspective
This piece was composed during the heart of the Baroque Era in 1641. This hymn was written for the
Epiphany season, which is like a continuation for the Christmas season, lasting forty days. The three
central events highlighted during the Epiphany season include the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus,
and Jesus’ miracle and the marriage at Cana. “Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light” was written
only a few years before Schop’s death, a time where he was focusing heavily on hymnal tunes. Many
composers during this time period were also focusing on spiritual and religious themes to incorporate into
their music, more specifically Church music, since it was such a dominant force in European history. In
the Baroque style, it is often found that there is a Basso Continuo, one mood throughout the entire piece,
and modes were replaced by the Major/Minor key system. Additionally, many forms were introduced for
composers to incorporate into their works, such as binary, ternary, fugal, etc. Nearly all of the previously
mentioned styles of Baroque music are used in Schop’s simple melody and are further emulated through
Bach’s arrangement and harmonization in the style of a Bach chorale. The expression of this piece
reflects the solemn and holiness represented in many other hymnals.

Score Analysis
Melody
The melody is prominent throughout the piece in the soprano line, although every voice could serve as its
own melody if it was sung by itself. This piece is divided into a total of four musical ideas or phrases,
and within these phrases are subphrases. The first phrase is the first four measures of the hymn, which is
shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. First Melodic Phrase in Reduced Notation (Soprano Line)

This is the main motif and phrase for the entirety of the piece. Its contour gently crescendos and
decrescendos, showing movement in the phrase as well as with the use of the fermata being the peak of
the phrase. The tonality stays within the key of G Major, using passing tones and neighbor tones in the
alto, tenor, and bass lines to create more virtuosic motion and motifs. During the second half of the hymn
(in the B section), the melody becomes slightly more chromatic as it moves to supertonic (ii) and the
submediant (vi) scale degrees. Originally, this was the entire hymnal, sung monophonically. It wasn’t
until J. S. Bach added harmonization and created sub melodies to accompany and support the melody.
Figure 2 below demonstrates the various sub melodies in the alto, tenor, and bass voices as well as their
roles in how they affect the harmonic structure of the melody.

Figure 2. Melodic Phrase and Subphrases in Measures 1-4

Same contour as
soprano voice, but
different pitches
(Major third beow).

(For tenor line)

This is the only
syncopated
rhythm, making
this line stand out
but also
harmonically
support the
melody.
 Many passing tones used
for less tonic to dominant
motion, making the
phrase more expressive.

Harmony
J. S. Bach’s harmony does follow the traditional harmonic structure of Bach chorales (since Bach did
harmonize this hymn) and he is known for composing “perfect” compositions structurally. There are
times throughout the work where there are suspensions, creating slight dissonance and resolutions. The
bass voice usually sings tonic and dominant notes, however, in this hymn, Bach incorporates many
passing tones, making the phrase virtuosic. Figure 3 demonstrates how Bach uses a traditional Cadential
6/4 progression as well as a I – IV – V progression.

Figure 3. Traditional Harmonic Progression (I – IV – V and Cadential 6/4)

As the piece progresses, Bach begins to modulate to other keys within the key of G Major, such as the
supertonic (ii) and the submediant (vi). There are many chromatic passing tones that are placed within
the harmonies in order to modulate to these tonal centers. In the B section of the hymn, it begins in the
dominant of G Major which is D Major (V chord). Figure 4 shows how through Bach’s craftsmanship
and creativity, he successfully modulates to the supertonic, (ii) which is a minor, using many
chromaticism’s and passing tones.

Figure 4. Chromatic Modulation with Annotated Roman Numeral Analysis in Measures 8-10

There is a moment when Bach creates suspensions between the soprano and alto lines, forming
consonance and dissonance against the two moving lines. Additionally, the bass during this measure is
moving in stepwise motion, fluidly keeping the chord progression moving in a more authentic way
compared to simply sounding the dominant and tonic notes. Figure 5 shows the relationship between the
suspension in the alto line in comparison with the rest of the voices, as well as where the suspension leads
to regarding the harmonic modulation.
Figure 5. Suspension and Harmonic Modulation in Measures 13-14

3-2 suspensions in the

alto voice, creating
consonance and
dissonance.

Within two measures, the

hymn modulates back to
the dominant (V) from the
previous subdominant (vi).

Rhythm
This piece is in 4/4 time at a marked tempo of “adagio” which means a slow tempo between largo and
andante. The actual tempo marking is quarter note equals forty, which is quite slow. The meter remains
constant throughout the entire piece, however, there can be slight modification to the time during the con
espressione portion from measures 9-12. If this piece is taken at quarter note equals forty, it is important
that the conductor conducts it in eight, or a subdivided four pattern. The biggest difference rhythmically
between two conductors leading this piece is how much time each person will give for every fermata.
This is not specified in the piece, but it should be determined beforehand with the conductor’s knowledge.

When Bach harmonized this simple, monophonic melody, he created different variations of the melody,
creating polyphonic rhythms and some syncopation. In Figure 6, measure 7 is shown because there are
different rhythms in each of the four parts, creating a polyphonic sound.
Figure 6. Polyphony in Measure 7

Four quarter notes

One quarter note,

two eight notes, 2
quarter notes

Four eighth
notes, two quarter
notes

Consistent eighth
notes

In Figure 7, it shows the syncopation of the tenor line in the second measure (which also occurs in the
fifth measure).

Figure 7: Syncopation of Tenor Line in Measure Two

Dynamics
In this piece, the voices always share vertical dynamics, either doing a group crescendo or a decrescendo
into a fermata. The dynamic contour does not vary at all, with Bach writing in extremely quick, yet
gradual dynamic changes over the course of a measure or two. At the beginning of the piece, the starting
notes are indicated at forte and the loudest dynamic occurs at the climax of the piece in measure 12 at a
fortissimo level. The softest dynamic heard is in measure 16, where all voices decrescendo into a final,
tonic fermata. During the con espressione portion of the song (measures 9-12), the dynamics are up to the
conductor to manipulate even further than printed on the page, therefore the conductor may choose to get
much softer, or perhaps more bold and powerful.

Form and Structure
This hymn is written in bar form, or AAB form. This kind of form was used by medieval German
minnesingers who wrote secular, monophonic songs. The melody of the single stanza, the A section, has
the same melody throughout, and the B section has a different melody. The phrasing of the hymn is
identical for each four-bar phrase. However, the structure of the B form differs from the A form in which
there are more modulations to different tonal center in the B section. The A sections are only four
measures long, with subphrases being two measures in duration. Consequently, the B section is eight
measures long, still constituting of four-measure phrases, but harmonically contrasting with the A section.

SECTION MEASURE EVENT AND SCORING

A 1-2 First half of the first phrase of text. First fermata on beat 3 of
measure two (V), with a crescendo into the fermata. The sopranos
and altos sing in unison rhythmically and in major thirds
harmonically while the tenors and basses singing polyphonic rhythm.
3-4 Second half of the first phrase of text. Decrescendo into the second
fermata as well as a Cadential 6/4 in the bass, ending on tonic (I).
The text phrase ends with a semicolon. All four voices are singing
different rhythms (polyphonic).
A 5-8 Exact repeat of the first four measures (A section), both harmonically
and rhythmically.
B 9-10 New theme and tonal center (in ii or a minor). Con espressione
section of the music. Fermata on beat three of measure 10 (ii). The
tenors and basses are singing in unison rhythmically while the
sopranos and altos are singing polyphonically in terms of rhythm.
11-12 Crescendo into the fermata of measure 12 beat three, the most
triumphant and climactic part of the hymn at fortissimo with
allargando marking. The fermata is a vi chord, or the relative minor
of G Major. The basses are the only voice moving up chromatically.
The tenors and altos are other harmonization of the main melody in
the soprano.
13-14 Gradual decrescendo into measure 14 and the fermata (V). Each of
the voices are singing polyphonically in terms of the rhythm, with the
basses being the only voice to have steady eighth notes throughout the
entire measure (measure 13).
15-16 At a piano dynamic, decrescendo into measure 16 to a pianissimo
level. All voices singing polyphonically in terms of the rhythm,
leading to the final I chord, ending in tonic (G Major).

Orchestration
“Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light” is a piece written for a four-part chorus of mixed voices
which are divided into soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections (SATB). This piece should be performed a
cappella, however, the score contains lines for piano accompaniment which condenses the SATB notation
in the chorus for rehearsal purposes. Most of the piece is homophonic, which was very prominent during
the Baroque period. The sopranos always have the main melody and the altos, tenors, and basses have the
harmonization. This homophony creates a high density of notes and a good portion of dissonance. The
soprano and alto lines are the only two voices that seem to be more monophonic together in terms of
rhythm. Figure 8 shows the first four measures and the relationship between the soprano and alto line to
the tenor and bass line, both rhythmically and structurally.

Figure 8. Homophonic Texture in Measures 1-4

One example of polyphony in this hymn is in measure 13. Figure 9 shows how the polyphonic texture is
established with the basses singing straight eighth notes, the tenors singing two quarter notes, two eighth
notes, and then a quarter note, the altos singing two eighth notes, one quarter note, and then four eighth
notes, and finally the sopranos singing four quarter notes. All four voice parts are singing the same text at
the same time, but the polyphonic rhythm makes the hymn seem much denser.

Figure 9. Polyphonic Texture in Measure 13

Stylistic Considerations
This piece was written during the Baroque era, and this is obvious for two reasons. Firstly, it was written
in 1641 which falls into the Baroque era time period (1600-1750.) Secondly, the Baroque era was led by
the leading composer, J. S. Bach, who aided in harmonizing this melody and creating a beautiful
Christmas hymnal for people to sing and celebrate. Vocal styles such as oratorios, cantatas, and operas
during the 1630s emerged and harmony heightened the status of the music. The stylistic considerations
that must be taken into account are the articulations and expressive terms that Bach wrote for the piece.
The terms he uses include, in order from beginning to end:

• Adagio – slow tempo between largo and andante

• Con espressione (con esp.) – with feeling
• Allargando (allarg.) – growing broader, louder and slower

Each of these terms are only used once throughout the piece. There are noted as well as written (with the
word) crescendos and decrescendos, but more often than not the symbol for these dynamics are used.
During the last four measures of the hymn, the editor named Carl Deis writes in specific accent markings
for the altos, emphasizing the word ‘Satan.’ Since this word is not accented for the other voices, it is
questioned why Deis chose this particular accentuation. The main stylistic device used throughout this
piece is the fermata, and Bach certainly creates a sense of emphasis in terms of relation to the song and
text importance. For example, in measure twelve, when the entire ensemble grows to fortissimo, the
phrase before is “Our confidence and joy shall be,” showing the love and excitement for Jesus through the
text. The phrasing remains the same for the entire hymn, which makes it easy to conduct every line the
same. Therefore, it is important to take note when con espressione is written because then the time can be
altered and milked to create a lovely musical moment.

Textual Analysis and Text Interpretation

Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light (German set by J. S. Bach, English translation by Francis
Browne, May 2009)

Brich an, du schönes Morgenlicht, Break out, O beautiful light of morning,

Und laß den Himmel tagen! And let the heavens dawn!
Du Hirtenvolk, erstaune nicht, You shepherd folk, do not fear
Weil dir die Engel sagen, because the angels tell you
Daß dieses schwache Knäbelein that this weak baby boy
Sol unser Trost und Freude sein, shall be our consolation and joy
Dazu den Satan zwingen subdue Satan
Und alles wiederbringen. And bring peace at last!

Ermuntre Dich written by Johann von Rist (1641) with English translation by John Troutbeck (1832-
1899)
Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light,
And usher in the morning.
O shepherds, shudder not with fright,
But hear the angel’s warning:
This child, now weak in infancy,
Our confidence and joy shall be,
The power of Satan breaking,
Our peace eternal making.

All four voice parts move in unison in terms of singing the text together, even if they may not all be
singing at the same time. The punctuation of the text also helps to determine the phrasing and how to
shape the fermatas. For example, ending a phrase with a comma, compared to a semicolon, or a period.

This text is inspired by Isaiah 9:2-7 and Luke 2, originally written in German by Johann Rist in 1641 in
Leipzig, Germany and translated into English by John Troutbeck around 1885 for an English edition of
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, a collection of six cantatas for Christmastime.4 Rist wrote a twelve-stanza
hymn about the incarnation of Christ. The first stanza remarks on the meaning of Jesus Christ’s birth.
The paradox of a “weak child in infancy” who becomes “our confidence and joy” is extremely important
to this stanza. According to Lutheran theology, this child breaks the power of Satan and gives us “peace
eternal.” Beginning with the lyrics, “Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist,” this text was first published
and seen in Rist’s Himlischer Lieder in 1641.5 Ermuntre Dich was written in triple meter in Himmlische
Lieder with the text. It is speculated that Bach found this song in a different version in Johann Cruger’s
Praxis Pietatis Melica (1647) and arranged it for the second cantata of his Christmas Oratorio in 1737.
The melody was composed by Schop, however, the harmonization of the melody has extremely active
alto, tenor, and bass parts, composed by J. S. Bach in 1734. Since this hymn only has one stanza, not
many people used it to sing. These hymnal melodies had an extremely different feel in the 17th century
compared to when Bach remade them in the 18th century. The rhythm of the melody became much more
consistent, the tempo was a lot slower and the harmony became more complex. Bach used a chorale in
nearly all of his church cantatas.

4
History of Hymns: "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light". (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2018, from
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-break-forth-o-beauteous-heavenly-light

5
BWV 248. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2018, from http://bach.org/education/bwv-248/
Interpretation and Rehearsal Preparation
Interpretation
After careful analysis of the piece, my interpretation of Break Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light has
been crafted around many aspects of this Baroque hymn. For one, this song is from J.S. Bach’s
Christmas Oratorio, giving the text a religious, holy, and spirited sense. The colors throughout the piece
change within every two measures, or with each new fermata. The fermatas match up with the pauses in
the text, emphasizing certain key words and/or points in relation to the story of Jesus and Christmas.
Starting in G Major, the color changes to the relative minor many times (e minor), the dominant (D
Major), the subdominant (C Major), and other chromaticism’s that create a mystical sound and experience
for the ear. Personally, although the tempo is marked at quarter note equals forty, it feels very slow and
dragged out trying to conduct it in eight or subdivided four. After all, J. S. Bach did not live to see a
metronome like we have today, therefore the metronome marking is from a much later publisher or editor.
Conducting the piece in four and increasing the tempo to around quarter note equals seventy-six helps
facilitate more of a story being told with the text. The piece moves much more fluidly and is quite
exciting at this speed. The horizontal dynamics fluctuate quickly, however, it creates a beautiful climactic
effect for each line of text. This piece should be conducted with excitement and dignity.

Anticipated Conducting Challenges

An anticipated conducting challenge may be deciding what kind of fermata to use throughout the piece,
taking into account the text as well as the specific punctuation ending each phrase. For example, there are
fermatas where the text ends with a comma, and other areas where the text ends with a semicolon, or even
a period. All of these create the opportunity for the conductor to make a stylistic choice in terms of the
appropriate fermata to demonstrate and furthermore, the correct cues and cutoffs. In summary,
conductors should make certain that they are aware of the length of the fermatas and their associated note
values. Other potential challenges a conductor may face include cueing the various sections when there
are different rhythms occurring at the same time. Leading into a fermata is the simplest place to cue if
one part holds longer than another. All the conductor has to do is prep to cue a certain section right
before the fermata to accurately have the section come in at the right time. Otherwise, the conductor
should subdivide throughout the entire piece so that each voice will know where the eight note is,
regardless of whether or not they are singing eighth notes. Another challenge the conductor may face is
expressing the con esp. section of the piece because it only occurs for a short amount of time (three
measures.) Something that the conductor can do is, besides conducting “with expression,” is to slightly
alter the tempo of that certain section, stretching and molding the phrases into something much more
impactful and interesting.
Rehearsal and Preparation
It is important that the musicians are confident in their parts so that they don’t have to look at their music,
and instead, can look at the conductor for the different fermatas, cues, and preparations. The conductor
should distinguish how he/she is conducting the piece (in four or in eight?) Furthermore, the musicians
need to have great breath support and control in case the conductor decides to do one connected fermata
and then a definite space fermata, causing the phrase to break instead of continuing. Technical skills for
the musicians that they will need to have in order to successfully perform this piece include excellent
pitch accuracy, diction, and dynamic range. In the bass part, there are a few difficult sections that involve
a full measure of leaping eighth notes, therefore it is crucial that the basses can precisely sing each of the
pitches as well as in time. There are many chromaticism’s throughout the piece and it is extremely
important that the musicians can accurately sing each of them, understanding the relationships between
the chromatic notes and using solfege (or other methods) to aid in singing the correct pitches. At many
points in the hymn, the voices are polyphonic, therefore the singers need to be extremely confident on
their own individual parts and be able to focus on their own line. However, they also need to be great
listeners and listen across the entire ensemble for balance and blend. Particularly in measure thirteen, the
sopranos go up to a high G and it is a prominent note. The sopranos should be able to blend it into the
rest of the group’s sound, even if the choir is at a fortissimo dynamic.

Rehearsal strategies to use while preparing this piece include having pairs of voices sing together to hear
their relationship in terms of rhythm, pitch, and function (melody vs. harmony). For example, the
sopranos and altos have very similar rhythms at the beginning of the piece, and at points, the tenors and
basses share some similar rhythms, yet they function as the harmony, so they can sing together. At many
points during the piece, it is important to stop the choir and go note by note through a chord, catching all
of the chromaticism’s and accents on specific words. In terms of the text, the conductor should listen for
blending of the pronunciation. If a word is not pronounced the same across the ensemble, this will need
to be addressed and demonstrated in a proper manner. The conductor should go over the meaning of the
text and create a visualization for the ensemble so that when they are singing, they understand the purpose
of the song and can sing for the specific image in their minds.

Recordings and Additional Resources

[Andrew Remillard]. (2015, Jul 6). Break forth, o beauteous heavenly light (schop) [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyUvApVOFsw

[bfumcvid]. (2012, Mar 2). Break forth, o beauteous, heavenly light (j. s. bach) [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aUW6aDDRNQ

Brown, F. (2009, May). Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist Text and Translation of Chorale.
Retrieved March 23, 2018, from http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale454-
Eng3.htm

[Gregory Mishkin]. (2017, Dec 13). Break forth o beauteous heavenly light sfhs 12 12 2017 [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQlhDYtiSfM

Mix, R. D. (1957, November 21). Analysis of compositions for mixed chorus as selected by
directors in Minnesota for use in festivals for adjudication (Doctoral dissertation, The
University of Montana, 1957) [Abstract]. 11-12. doi:
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2545&context=etd
ProQuest LLC. (UMI No. EP35340)

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #343. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from
https://hymnary.org/hymn/PsH/343

[Thomas Trimborn]. (2013, Sept 11). Break forth, o wonderous heavenly light [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnUx9GlRyzs
Appendix 1: Synthesis Analysis Chart
References

Bach,"Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light". (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from
http://ttutheory.blogspot.com/2007/12/bachbreak-forth-o-beauteos-heavenly.html

Britannica, T. E. (1998, July 20). Bar form. Retrieved March 23, 2018, from
https://www.britannica.com/art/Bar-form

BWV 248. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from http://bach.org/education/bwv-248/

Hawn, C. M. (n.d.). History of Hymns: "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light". Retrieved
March 23, 2018, from https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-
break-forth-o-beauteous-heavenly-light

OnMusic Dictionary -. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from https://dictionary.onmusic.org/

“I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity and have not witnessed a
violation of the Honor Code.”

- Brooke Maskin