This edition was prepared by Ross Jallo — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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Jesus Christus, unser Heiland by Michael Praetorius — Lyrics
Jesus Christus, nostra salus,
quod reclamat omnis malus,
nobis in sui memoriam
dedit in panis hostiam.
O quam sanctus panis iste,
tu solus es, Jesu Christe,
panis cibus sacramentum,
quo nunquam majus inventum.
Hoc donum suavitatis
caritasque deitatis,
virtus et eukaristia,
communionis gracia.
Ave deitatis forma,
Dei unitas norma,
in te quisque delectatur,
qui te fide speculatur.
Non est panis, sed es Deus
homo liberator reus,
qui in cruce pependisti
et in carne deficisti.
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About Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
Michael Praetorius was a prolific German composer and organist of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. This motet, Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, is written for double choir (SATB.SATB), a common practice for grander sacred works of the era, allowing for antiphonal effects and richer textures. The text, sung in Latin and German, focuses on the Eucharist, reflecting on Jesus Christ as our salvation and the sacredness of the bread and wine as his body and blood. It speaks of the sacrament as a gift of divine love and grace, a food for angels, and the ultimate fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The powerful double choir setting would have been ideal for imparting the profound theological message of the text in a grand liturgical setting.
