Born November 9, 1483 (d. February 18, 1546), in Eisleben in present-day Germany, Martin Luther was a German priest, theologian, author, musician, hymnwriter, professor, and former Augustinian friar. He was the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, and his theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism and is considered one of the most influential figures in Western and Christian history. Luther's influence (both theological and musical) was strongly felt by a number of composers, including Johann Sebastian Bacc (who, deeply rooted in the Lutheran tradition, wove Luther's chorales into cantatas, organ chorale preludes, and passions) and Felix Mendelssohn, among many others.
On Tuesday afternoon's Classical Music with Foley Schuler, we'll celebrate the anniversary of Luther's birth with Bach's cantata, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott ("A Mighty Fortress is Our God") BWV 80), as well as Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5, in which Mendelssohn uses that same chorale of Luther as the central pillar in this work, fittingly subtitled the "Reformation."
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and stories behind the music—every weekday afternoon from 1 until 4 on Blue Lake Public Radio.
