Christian Keymann Biography

Christian Keymann (also Christian Keimann; 27 February 1607 – 13 January 1662) was a German hymnwriter. He is known for writing the chorale "Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht" in 1658, which served as the base for Bach's chorale cantata Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht, BWV 124, and other compositions.

Career

Keymann was born in Pankratz, Habsburg Bohemia, in 1607, the son of Zacharias Keimann, a Lutheran pastor. From 1627 to 1634, he studied at the University of Wittenberg. After graduation he worked at the gymnasium of Zittau, first as *ociate director, then as rector in 1638. He died of a stroke in 1662.

Hymns

Two of his most popular hymns were translated into English; "O rejoice, ye Christians, loudly" ("Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle") found in Chorale Book, No. 33, and "Jesus will I never leave" ("Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht") found in United Brethren's Hymn Book, No. 464. Donald G. Bloesch in his book The struggle of prayer (1980) describes it as a "moving hymn". His hymns in general have been described as "being of genuine poetic ring, fresh, strong, full of faith under manifold and heavy trials, and deeply spiritual".

Music

Keymann collaborated with composer Andreas Hammerschmidt who created tunes for Keymann's hymns. In 1646, a collection of hymns Mnemosyne sacra was published by Keymann in Leipzig, including five tunes by Hammerschmidt. In 1658, the collection Fest-, Buß- und Danklieder (Songs for feast, repentance and thanks) was printed in Zittau, containing the hymn "Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht" (I will not let go of my Jesus).

In 1725, Johann Sebastian Bach based his chorale cantata for the first Sunday after Epiphany on this entire hymn, but he also used single stanzas in other cantatas, from the same chorale in Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! BWV 70, Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 98 and Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154. In the first (1727/1729) version of his St Matthew P*ion, Part I was concluded with the final stanza of the chorale, "Jesum laß ich nicht von mir" (Jesus I'll not let leave me). He used a stanza from "Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle" (Be joyful, all ye Christians, 1646), also on a melody by Hammerschmidt, in Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40.

Max Reger based three compositions on "Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht", a chorale prelude (Op. 67 No.26, 1902), a composition for soprano, mixed choir, violin, viola and Organ (1905), and again a chorale prelude (Op. 135a No. 17, 1914). Sigfrid Karg-Elert wrote a chorale improvisation for organ (Fughetta), Op. 65 No 49.

References

    Sources

    • Christian Weise: Memoria Christiani Keimani. Zittau 1689
    • Heinrich Julius Kämmel: Christian Keimann Programm Zittau 1856
    • Theodor Gärtner (ed.): Quellenbuch zur Geschichte des Gymnasiums in Zittau. vol. 1, Leipzig 1905, p.:88-90
    • Walther Killy (ed.): Literaturlexikon. Autoren und Werke deutscher Sprache (15 volumes). Gütersloh, Munich: Bertelsmann-Lexikon-Verlag, 1988–1991 (CD-ROM: Berlin 1998, ISBN:3-932544-13-7)
    German Wikisource has original text related to this article:ADB:Keimann, Christian
    • Literature by and about Christian Keymann in the German National Library catalogue
    Hymnodists
    and
    hymnologists
    • Mikael Agricola
    • Johann Georg Albinus
    • Albert von Brandenburg
    • Michael Altenburg
    • Anna Sophia II
    • Johann Sebastian Bach
    • Emilie Juliane of Barby-Mühlingen
    • Martin Behm
    • Sigmund von Birken
    • Carl Boberg
    • Birgitte Cathrine Boye
    • Hans Adolph Brorson
    • Johan Nordahl Brun
    • Joachim a Burck
    • Dieterich Buxtehude
    • Christian Cappelen
    • Elisabeth Cruciger
    • Johann Crüger
    • Simon Dach
    • Wolfgang Dachstein
    • Nikolaus Decius
    • Paul Eber
    • Ludmilla Elisabeth
    • Princess Eugénie
    • Jacobus Finno
    • Paul Fleming
    • Johann Franck
    • Michael Franck
    • Melchior Franck
    • Salomon Franck
    • Frans Michael Franzén
    • Erik Gustaf Geijer
    • Paul Gerhardt
    • Bartholomäus Gesius
    • Johannes Gigas
    • N. F. S. Grundtvig
    • Britt G. Hallqvist
    • Andreas Hammerschmidt
    • Claus Harms
    • Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg
    • Christian Fürchtegott Gellert
    • Johann Heermann
    • Ludwig Helmbold
    • Valerius Herberger
    • Nikolaus Herman
    • Johannes Hermann
    • Sebald Heyden
    • Anders Hovden
    • Konrad Hubert
    • Bernhard Severin Ingemann
    • Justus Jonas
    • Sigfrid Karg-Elert
    • Christian Keymann
    • Balthasar Kindermann
    • Thomas Kingo
    • Børre Knudsen
    • Johann Kolross
    • Johann Balthasar König
    • Julius Krohn
    • Magnus Brostrup Landstad
    • Ludvig Mathias Lindeman
    • Elias Lönnrot
    • Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern
    • Matthias Loy
    • Sigurd Lunde
    • Martin Luther
    • Wilhelmi Malmivaara
    • Hemminki of Masku
    • Felix Mendelssohn
    • Johann Matthäus Meyfart
    • Georg Neumark
    • Erdmann Neumeister
    • Philipp Nicolai
    • Johann Pachelbel
    • Hallgrímur Pétursson
    • Michael Praetorius
    • Christian Heinrich Postel
    • Adam Reusner
    • Bartholomäus Ringwaldt
    • Martin Rinkart
    • Johann Rist
    • Christian Knorr von Rosenroth
    • Daniel Rumpius
    • Johan Runeberg
    • Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
    • Lina Sandell
    • Carl Schalk
    • Martin Schalling
    • Heinrich Scheidemann
    • Johann Hermann Schein
    • Benjamin Schmolck
    • Cyriakus Schneeg*
    • Johann Schop
    • Johann Balthasar Schupp
    • Heinrich Schütz
    • Nikolaus Selnecker
    • Eyvind Skeie
    • Haquin Spegel
    • Lazarus Spengler
    • Paul Speratus
    • Philipp Spitta
    • Paul Stockmann
    • Jesper Swedberg
    • Jiří Třanovský
    • Melchior Teschner
    • N. Samuel of Tranquebar
    • Zachris Topelius
    • Leonard Typpö
    • Jaroslav Vajda
    • Gottfried Vopelius
    • Philipp Wackernagel
    • Johan Olof Wallin
    • Johann Walter
    • Michael Weiße
    • Georg Weissel
    • Olle Widestrand
    • Carl David af Wirsén
    • Catherine Winkworth
    • Johannes Zahn
    • Luther § Hymnodist
    • Hymns by Luther
    • Lutheran hymn
    • In continental Europe
    • Lutheran chorale
    • Chorale setting
    • Chorale cantata

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