Geistliches Lied op. 30

In the Geistliches Lied op. 30 for four-part mixed choir and organ (or piano for three to four hands), Johannes Brahms sets a text by the Baroque poet Paul Fleming (1609–1640) to music. Although the piece was composed in April 1856, it only premiered as late as July 1865 in the church of St. Jakobi in Chemnitz. This is probably due to changes that were proposed by Joseph Joachim. In February 1864, Brahms sent it together with Op. 29 to Breitkopf & Härtel where it was published in July 1864. The subtitle in brackets in the autograph „Doppel-Canon in der None“ („Double canon in the ninth“) was not printed on it, although it closely captures the essence of this composition of about three minutes.