, autograph manuscript, 1726 Rodigast's hymn and its melody have been set by many composers, one of the earliest being
Pachelbel, who set it first, together with other hymn, in an organ partita
Musicalische Sterbens-Gedancken (Musical thoughts on dying), published in
Erfurt in 1683. The organ partita, originating "in the devastating experience of the death of Pachelbel's family members during the plague in Erfurt", reflects the use of "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" as a funeral hymn. He set the hymn later as a
cantata, most likely in
Nürnberg after 1695. and he set the first stanza as the first in the set of three wedding chorales BWV 250–252, for
SATB, oboes, horns, strings and organ, intended for use in a wedding service instead of a longer cantata. For his inaugural cantata in Leipzig in 1723,
Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, Bach chose chorales on the fifth and last verses to end the two parts. Referring to contemporary disputes between orthodox Lutherans and Pietists, has suggested that Bach's choice of a popular "spiritual"
pietist hymn instead of a "traditional" Lutheran chorale might have been considered controversial. Indeed, before being appointed as Thomaskantor, Bach had been required by the
Consistory in Leipzig to certify that he subscribed to the
Formula of Accord, and thus adhered to the orthodox doctrines of Luther. , however, comments that, from what is known, "Bach never let himself be drawn into the aggressive conflict between
Kirchen- and
Seelen-Music—traditional church music on the one hand and music for the soul on the other—which had a stifling effect on both sacred and secular musical life elsewhere in Germany." Bach also set the hymn early in his career for organ as the chorale prelude BWV 1116 in the
Neumeister Collection. The hymn title appears twice on empty pages in the autograph manuscript of
Orgelbüchlein, where Bach listed the planned chorale preludes for the collection: the 111th entry on page 127 was to be the hymn of Altenburg; and the 112th entry on the next page was for Rodigast's hymn. In the nineteenth century,
Franz Liszt used the hymn in several compositions. In 1862, following the death of his daughter Blandine, he wrote his
Variations on a theme of J. S. Bach, S180 for piano based on
Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12, with its closing chorale on "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" on the penultimate page above which Liszt wrote the words of the chorale. describes the
Variations as "a wonderful vehicle for his grief" and the Lutheran chorale as "an unmistakable reference to the personal loss that he himself had suffered, and his acceptance of it." The hymn also appeared as the sixth piece (for chorus and organ) in Liszt's
Deutsche Kirchenlieder, S.669a (1878–1879) and the first piece in his
Zwölf alte deutsche geistliche Weisen, S.50 (1878–1879) for piano. It was also set in the first of the chorale preludes, Op.93 by the French organist and composer
Alexandre Guilmant. In 1915 Reger moved to Jena, one year before his untimely death. In Jena he played the organ in the Stadtkirche St. Michael and composed his
Seven Pieces for Organ, Op. 145. The first piece,
Trauerode, is dedicated to the memory of those who fell in the war during 1914–1915: initially darkly coloured, the mood gradually changes to one of peaceful resignation at the close, when the chorale
Was Gott tut is heard. The second piece is entitled
Dankpsalm and is dedicated "to the German people". It begins with brilliant toccata-like writing which alternates with darker more contemplative music. The piece contains settings of two Lutheran chorales: first, another version of "Was Gott tut"; and then, at the conclusion, "
Lobe den Herren". According to , "the acceptance of divine will in the first is answered by praise of the omnipotent God in the second, a commentary on the sacrifice of war in a Job-like perspective."
Sigfrid Karg-Elert included a setting in his
66 Chorale improvisations for organ, published in 1909. == Notes ==