Dietrich Bonhoeffer, By gentle (gracious) Powers – Notes on the first musical setting by Paul Winter скачать в хорошем качестве

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, By gentle (gracious) Powers – Notes on the first musical setting by Paul Winter

The poem's first musical setting, titled "New Year's Prayer," was written by Paul Winter in a prisoner-of-war camp around the turn of the year 1946/47. Who is the man who wrote this first tune? Research for the Melodies project had led me to this new trail at the end of November 2024, and I tried to learn more about the composer. The one-sided media coverage then prompted me to delve deeper into the topic and write down my thoughts, as my perspective was very different from that in the public discussion. Exchanging ideas with some of those who still knew Paul Winter confirmed my desire to share this perspective. I had also read a lot about how much injustice went unpunished in post-war Germany because, especially in the denazification proceedings, the decision-makers themselves were not without guilt. This led to important positions, especially in administration and the judiciary, continuing to be occupied by people who still carried the "virus of National Socialism." With these comments, I don't claim to know the truth. I simply want to share the personal answers I've found for myself to my questions: What motivates a former high-ranking officer in the German Wehrmacht to put the last great "sermon" of a victim of the Nazi dictatorship into music? These are very personal thoughts that aim to broaden our perspective on the inner turmoil of an entire wartime generation, a story also of guilt and forgiveness, of the grace upon which each and every one of us depends. The melody of the recital song, composed while a prisoner of war, speaks volumes to me – that it is possible to leave the burden of a hard time behind if one relies on the promise of God's faithfulness, which Dietrich Bonhoeffer describes so impressively in his poem "Von guten Mächten." Just as this poem, regardless of its musical setting, can only be grasped in its full depth if one knows about Dietrich Bonhoeffer's fate, the place, and the background of its creation, this musical setting is closely connected to Paul Winter's experiences. In the melodies, I recognize both the darkness of that time and the longing for liberation and, ultimately, the arrival at the security that only God can give us. - - Five manuscripts are archived as part of Paul Winter's legacy under the title "Neujahrsgebet" (New Years Prayer) at the Bavarian State Library in Munich. Now that the sheet music has been copied and the legal issues have been resolved, I am pleased to be able to present the melody here:    • "Von guten Mächten", Dietrich Bonhoef...   Notes on the translation of the text: It is puzzling that Paul Winter usually refers to the author of the text as Fritz or Fr. Bonhöffer. Had he encountered the name earlier, he for sure wouldn't have made this mistake. The translation of the text from the printed version is not without mistakes, particularly in the sentence structure in the fifth verse and in the content of the sixth. However, one error in the printed version, which was also present in the typewritten transcript, has been corrected: the accidentally repeated word "breitet" (spreading) in the sixth verse has been corrected to "weitet" (widening): a clear indication of the mental "processing" of the text's content. The capitalization of the address to God was applied more consistently than in the printing, and the "euch" (You) in the first verse is capitalized in both cases (like it was usually done in personal letters). Paul Winter probably never published his musical setting. "Von guten Mächten" only became popular as a song after his death. I think for Paul Winter it was a valuable reminder of a time of personal upheaval – but everyone can form their own opinion. - - This musical setting, so close to the fateful years of the war, is for me a contemporary testimony in two senses: in the text, the firm conviction that, despite all the turmoil of the times, God's faithfulness carries us through the depths of life, and in the melody, how, through compassion and understanding of what is happening, the soul can open and become free for the great gift of forgiveness, which each of us needs. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life testimony in the booklet "The Testimony of a Messenger," in which the poem was first printed, reached Paul Winter in 1946 thanks to ecumenical efforts for pastoral care for prisoners of war. One of the first fruits of this is the melody, which was written in the Allendorf POW camp. Especially in these days, this may serve as an additional reminder that Dietrich Bonhoeffer's message is alive and full of power. God bless you every new day!