Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
| "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" | |
|---|---|
| Lutheran hymn | |
First publication in Nicolai's 1599 Freudenspiegel deß ewigen Lebens | |
| English | How lovely shines the morning star |
| Catalogue | Zahn 8359 |
| Written | 1597 |
| Text | by Philipp Nicolai |
| Language | German |
| Melody | by Nicolai, reminiscent of a 1538 tune |
| Published | 1599 |
| ⓘ | |
"Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" (German pronunciation: [viː ʃøːn ˈlɔɪ̯çtət deːɐ̯ ˈmɔʁɡn̩ˌʃtɛʁn] ⓘ; lit. 'How lovely shineth the morning star') is a Lutheran hymn by Philipp Nicolai written in 1597 and first published in 1599. It inspired musical settings through centuries, notably Bach's chorale cantata Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1, but also vocal and instrumental works by Baroque composers, Peter Cornelius, Felix Mendelssohn, Max Reger, Hugo Distler, Ernst Pepping, Mauricio Kagel and Naji Hakim.