Martin Luther and the pipe organ in worship (or not).

This past weekend, as I was beginning to practice my organ repertoire for this Reformation Sunday, I was reminded of a masterclass during my undergraduate years in which the instructor informed us of Luther’s statement about the organ:

“The organ in worship is the sign of Baal.”

Of course, most of us needed an explanation of who/what Baal is, and why this was such a terrible thing.

I encountered this Luther quote several more times during my education and career, and it always rankled, especially those times it was coupled with a follow-up:

“The Roman Catholics borrowed it from the Jews.”

(Sad to say, the anti-Roman, anti-Semitic tone helped boost the quote’s credibility as coming from Luther.)

Moreover, the anti-organ quote seems to run 180 degrees counter to Luther’s generally positive view of music in general, and of using all human industry and skill in praise of God, not to mention his “what is not prohibited is permitted” approach. So, in my own kind of “tribute” to the 500th anniversary, I did a bit of digging.

It did not take long to learn that, like Augustine’s supposed quote “The one who sings [well] prays twice,” this quote is found in no primary Luther source. I found a rather succinct summary that debunks it.

My Bach partita in a few weeks will seem just a bit more exquisite!

Alan Hommerding

Alan Hommerding has been with World Library Publications (WLP) since 1991, most recently as Liturgical Publications Editor for the WLP division of GIA Publications. He is also a composer of numerous published choral and instrumental works, and is well-known as an author of hymn texts. Alan has served the North American Academy of Liturgy as convener of the liturgical music seminar, and as a member of the executive group for the Catholic Academy of Liturgy. He has been a regular contributor to the PrayTell blog since 2016.

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7 responses to “Martin Luther and the pipe organ in worship (or not).”

  1. Karl Liam Saur

    Alternatively, maybe he was just referring to the village 35km NNE of Aachen….

    Reply
  2. Joseph Burgio

    Of course there is nothing worse than a bad organist. I wonder if that might be the origin of the quote. But, if that were an actual quote, how could the proliferation of chorale preludes based on Ein ‘Feste Burg be explained? I am playing three settings (Scheidt, Hanff, & Walcha) on Reformation Sunday, at Edgebrook Lutheran Church.

    Reply
  3. John Seboldt

    Nasty words. True, the organ’s development in Luther’s time supported its prime use: playing alternatim versets. I think there are some words of disdain for organists who played bawdy tunes in their versets, so his attitude toward the organ was neutral at best. Fortunately Luther’s organic dismissal did not win out over time, so we get the tradition that Joseph Burgio refers to, which is a POST Luther development of the organ, its literature, and function, even [gasp] the idea of it leading congregational song. Remember that playing chorales with assembly is an idea that only developed slowly over the course of the 17th century, and even in Bach’s time chorales were sung unaccompanied in Leipzig.

    Reply
    1. Caroline Wellman

      I had an amazing class in Protestant Reformers when I was an undergrad (and also a church organist on weekends). His Reformation counterpart, Ulrich Zwingli, was the one who hated organs. He actually nailed the organs shut. At some point later, they were literally torn apart (using a hatchet or something similar). My memory’s fuzzy, but it may have been a century or more before that changed. Zwingli’s objection was that music was a distraction. It still breaks my heart to think of organs being destroyed.

      Reply
  4. Jeff Armbruster

    Ummm…Bach was a virtuoso organist. He was far more admired in his day for his organ playing than for his compositions. Organists were prized at court and Church all throughout Germany in his time. Churches had wonderful, big, advanced organs built for them. And yes, folks, we’re talking about Lutheran Churches. So…how do you square that? Bach was a devotee of Luther. (So was/is the Lutheran Church that hired him.) Listen to his Cantatas. Seriously. Listen to his Cantatas.

    Reply
  5. Alan Johnson

    Luther wasn’t famous for being moderate in expressing his opinions.

    Reply
  6. BEV STERK

    He believed & said the very opposite… compilation via GROK

    Notable quotes from Martin Luther about the organ and music in general:

    About the importance of music (often quoted in connection with the organ’s role in church):
    “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits.”
    (From a 1538 foreword to a collection of motets)

    Specifically defending the use of the organ in worship against radical reformers who wanted to banish it:
    “The organ in the worship of God is an ensign of praise… We should not be frightened away from it by the papists’ abuse.”
    (Table Talk, recorded by students; also echoed in his writings against Karlstadt and the iconoclasts)

    Another strong defense of the organ:
    “I am not of the opinion that all the arts shall be crushed to earth and perish through the Gospel, as some fanatics pretend; on the contrary, I would gladly see all the arts, especially music, in the service of Him who has created and given them.”
    (Letter to Catholic composer Ludwig Senfl, 1530)

    A frequently cited remark (from his Table Talk):“
    A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”

    Although some radical Protestant groups (Zwinglians, later some Calvinists) banned organs from churches, Luther and the Lutheran tradition kept and cherished the organ as a central instrument of worship. Summary: Yes, Luther personally played the organ, defended its use vigorously, and saw it as a God-given instrument to beautify worship and proclaim the Gospel.

    Reply

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