◄ O Tannenbaum

► Macht hoch die Tür . . .


14. O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf
(Lyrics & melody: Friedrich von Spee, 1623)

Friedrich von Spee's hymn is a war-time Christmas song, a call for redemption in times of deep despair and bitter misery – and still relevant today.

The organ-chorale sounds out in gloomy d−minor with harsh dissonances reminiscent of blues harmonies, with the melody progressively broken up and dispersed among the four voices.