The Classical Music Minute

Martin Luther: Changemaker & Composer

September 13, 2021 Steven Hobé, Composer & Host Season 1 Episode 20
The Classical Music Minute
Martin Luther: Changemaker & Composer
Show Notes Transcript

Description
Martin Luther is best known for having brought about the Protestant Reformation. But Luther was also an avid composer, whose works are still celebrated today. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
The Protestant Reformation was a religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century. Its greatest leaders were Martin Luther and John Calvin. The Reformation had far-reaching political, economic, and social effects on society. It became the basis for the founding of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 

Support the show

Hi, I'm Steven Hobé.

Martin Luther is best known as a pivotal figure in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

But he was also an avid composer who wove his religious beliefs and advocacy work into his music. 

Up to this point, the Catholic Church controlled most religious music in Europe. This was typically plainchant sung in Latin. 

But then Martin Luther came on the scene and shattered these strict conventions.

He believed that music should be accessible to everyone. So, Latin got dumped for communal singing in everyday German. Luther wrote hymns that were catchy tunes and written in a way that everyone could memorize and participate.

Luther knew that through music he could spread his reformist message. And the Catholic Church were somewhat at a loss for how to stop it, especially with the advent of the printing press. 

In the coming centuries, the power and simplicity of Luther’s music would live on, even to this very day.