Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen | |
---|---|
Christmas hymn | |
First printed in the 1599 Speyer Hymnal | |
Genre | Hymn |
Occasion | Christmas |
Language | German |
"Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" ("A rose has sprung up"), most commonly translated to English as "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" or "A Spotless Rose", is a Christmas carol and Marian Hymn of German origin.
History
The text is thought to be penned by an anonymous author expressing fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1 The piece first appeared in print in the late 16th century. The hymn has been used by both Catholics and Protestants, with the focus of the song being Mary or Jesus, respectively.[1] In addition, there have been numerous versions of the hymn, with varying texts and lengths. In 1844, the German hymnologist Friedrich Layriz added three more stanzas, the first of which, Das Blümelein so kleine, remained popular and has been included in Catholic hymnals.[2]
The tune most familiar today appears in the Speyer Hymnal (printed in Cologne in 1599), and the familiar harmonization was written by German composer Michael Praetorius in 1609.[1]
The English translation "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" was written by Theodore Baker in 1894.[3] A translation of the first two verses of the hymn as "A Spotless Rose" was written by Catherine Winkworth and this was set as a SATB anthem by Herbert Howells in 1919[1] and Philip Ledger in 2002.[4]
Another Christmas hymn, "A Great and Mighty Wonder", is set to the same tune as this carol and may sometimes be confused with it. It is, however, a hymn by St. Germanus, (Μέγα καὶ παράδοξον θαῦμα), translated from Greek to English by John M. Neale in 1862. Versions of the German lyrics have been mixed with Neale's translation of a Greek hymn in subsequent versions such as Percy Dearmer's version in the 1931 Songs of Praise collection.[5]
Lyrics
German original | Literal translation | Baker's version | Winkworth's version | Spaeth's translation with Mattes' 5th verse |
---|---|---|---|---|
[n 1]Es ist ein Ros entsprungen,
|
A rose has sprung up, |
Lo, how a rose e'er blooming, |
A Spotless Rose is growing, |
Behold, a Branch is growing |
Das Röslein, das ich meine, |
The rosebud that I mean, |
The Rose which I am singing, |
Isaiah hath foretold it | |
[n 1]Das Blümelein, so kleine,
|
The floweret, so small |
O Flower, whose fragrance tender |
The shepherds heard the story, | |
This Flow'r whose fragrance tender | ||||
O Saviour, Child of Mary, |
In music
The tune was used by Johannes Brahms as the base for a chorale prelude for organ, later transcribed for orchestra by Erich Leinsdorf, and by Hugo Distler as the base for his 1933 oratorio Die Weihnachtsgeschichte (The Christmas Story). Jan Sandström wrote in 1990 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen for two choirs a cappella, which incorporates the setting of Praetorius in choir one. Weihnachtsmusik (1921) for two violins, cello, piano and harmonium by Arnold Schoenberg is a short fantasy on the tune.
Modern interpretations
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Performed by the chorus of the U.S. Army Band, c. 2010 | |
Problems playing this file? See media help. |
Some notable performances by contemporary popular artists include:
- 2000 – Linda Ronstadt on A Merry Little Christmas
- 2000 – Charlotte Church on Dream a Dream
- 2001 – Sufjan Stevens on Songs for Christmas
- 2009 – Sting on album If on a Winter's Night...
- 2009 – Tori Amos on Midwinter Graces, as "Holly, Ivy and Rose"
In film
- The song is used in the 1970 film Love Story.
- In the opening scene of the 2009 film The Time Traveler's Wife, the protagonist, Henry DeTamble, as a six-year-old child, is travelling in a car with his mother, an opera singer, who sings to him "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen". It is a constant theme throughout the movie. The song is also released with the official soundtrack.
- The song was featured near the end of the 2001 animated British film A Christmas Carol: The Movie.
References
External links
- List of all verses in German, from The Hymns and Carols of Christmas
- Free sheet music of "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" for SATB, Cantorion.org
- "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" (Praetorius): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- 11 Chorale Preludes, Op. 122 (Brahms), No. 8: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, IMSLP
- Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Melchior Vulpius (IMSLP)
- MP3 of Sissel Kyrkjebø singing at a 2005 Christmas concert in Moscow, Internet Archive