BECKER PSALTER

German metrical psalter published in 1602 by the Leipzig Theologian 'Cornelius Becker'. This publication was without melodies and meant to be sung on other well-known Lutheran hymns. Becker included in his Psalter earlier Lutheran Psalmparaphrases (e.g. Aus tiefer Not, Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein, Erbarm dich mein, Ein feste Burg ).

Heinrich Schütz welcomed the theological intentions of this new metrical version, and composed the melodies, which he published twice during his lifetime (1628, 1661 (revised and enlarged), together with 4-voiced musical settings. Outside Dresden only a few of these Psalms have become popular.