rssHow dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there's no help in the truth. - Sophocles
2010, April 18
Cantata BWV 12
JS Bach Cantata BWV 12: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen
(Weeping, lamenting, worrying, hesitating)
Third Sunday after Easter (Jubilate) April 22, 1714
Weimar Cantatas
Scoring: Oboe, Trumpet, Violin I II, Viola I II, Bassoon, Continuo
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
Bärenreiter vol 4; p 533
Reading: Epistle 1 Peter 2:11-20
Reading: Gospel John 16:16-23
Words: Probably by Solomo Franck
Bach Bibliography
- Sinfonia, Chorus Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, Recitativo Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich
- Arie Kreuz und Krone sind verbunden
- Arie "Ich folge Christo nach, Arie Sei getreu, Choral "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan
- 1 Sinfonia, 2 Chorus; Cantus Cölln, Konrad Junghänel
- 3 Recitativ; Cantus Cölln, Konrad Junghänel
- 3 Recitativ; John Eliot Gardiner
Discussion
If you love woodwinds and brass, you will love Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen. Green (p 25) says the oboe part is quite difficult and exposed, combining long phrases and highly ornamented figurations. Green also states that the string parts are accessible to intermediate players.
The Sinfonia (Leonhardt) is a lovely piece of music which stands alone. The second chorus was reworked and used in the Crucifixus B minor Mass, BWV 232.
The third movement is a plaintive and melodic alto recitative. The first violin plays a rising C major scale, which the alto picks up in the middle of measure five, singing "in das Reich Gottes eingehen", into the Kingdom of God. This third movement is a setting of part of Acts 14:22. The John Eliot Gardiner recording brings out the violin part.
Notice that while the violin is playing the C major scale upward, the basso continuo is playing a varied C major scale downward.
The oboe is an obbligato instrument in the fourth piece, an alto aria; the bassoon can also be heard in its continuo part. The next piece, a bass aria features independent violin parts.
The sixth piece, a tenor aria includes a trumpet playing a varied form of the chorale "Jesu meine Freude". A four part chorale ends the piece, with an independent line for oboe and trumpet, which may have been written for violin in an earlier version.
Charles S. Terry (p162) discusses the origins of this final chorale melody.
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Final chorale melody notes from Bach cantatas.com
The few religious works that have survived from the early years of Bach's career take us into a stylistic world that is deeply impregnated by the rich and varied musical tradition of Middle Germany, which within a short period almost entirely disappeared from the consciousness of contemporary composers, due to the Italianate stylistic reform in the second decade of the eighteenth century.
Considered in a historic perspective, the overcoming of the stylistic conventions and the abandoning of the aesthetic postulates of a work do not, however, mean that it is inferior in quality. Thus in our present musical estimation, Bach's early cantatas on an equal footing with the vocal works of his maturity. --Peter Wollny
Peter Wollny is head of research at the Bach Archive in Leipzig, General Editor of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Collected Works, Editor of the Wilhelm-Friedemann-Bach-Ausgabe, Editor of the Bach-Jahrbuch and of the Jahrbuch Mitteldeutsche Barockmusik. His numerous publications include editions in the Neue Bach Ausgabe series, books and articles on the Bach family and on the history of 17th and 18th-century music.
Instruments and voices for each part
| Section | Instruments, voices | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sinfonia | Oboe, Violin I,II Viola I,II and continuo (NBA: bassoon and organ) | |
| 2 Chorus | SATB Violin I,II Viola I,II, bassoon, and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 3 Alto Recitativ | Violin I,II Viola I,II bassoon, and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 4 Alto Aria | Oboe and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 5 Bass Aria | Violin I,II and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 6 Tenor Aria | Trumpet and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 7 Chorale | SATB Oboe, Trumpet, Violin I,II Viola I,II and continuo (NBA: bassoon and organ) |
References
Emmanuel Notes BWV 12.
Emmanuel Translation BWV 12.
Discussion from Bach Cantatas Website.
Recordingsfrom Bach Cantatas Website.
John Eliot Gardiner Cantatas, PDF index.
John Eliot Gardiner Cantatas Recording.
Classical.net discussion, Simon Crouch.
London Bach Society Database entry BWV 12
2010, April 11
Cantata BWV 182
JS Bach Cantata BWV 182 Himmelskönig, sei willkommen
(King of Heaven, be Thou welcome)
Palm Sunday or the Annunciation
Weimar Cantatas
Scoring: Recorder, violin concertante, violin, viola I,II, violoncello, continuo
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
Bärenreiter vol 3; p 615
Reading: Epistle Philipians 2:5-11
Reading: Gospel Matt 21:1-9
Dürr (p 258) states that this is probably Bach's first cantata written after his appointment to Weimar.
C.S. Terry vol 2, p 460 discusses the chorale 'Jesu deine Passion' in the seventh part. The words and music are identical with BWV 159.5
Instruments and voices for each part
| Section | Instruments, voices | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sonata | Recorder, violin concertato, violin ripieno, viola I,II and continuo (NBA: violone, violoncello and organ) | |
| 2 Chorus | SATB, recorder, oboe, violin, viola I,II, violoncello, violone and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 3 Recitativ | Bass, and continuo (NBA: violone, violoncello and organ) | |
| 4 Aria | Bass, oboe, violin, viola I,II and continuo (NBA: violone, violoncello and organ) | |
| 5 Aria | Alto, recorder and continuo (NBA: violone, violoncello and organ) | |
| 6 Aria | Tenor and continuo (NBA: violone, violoncello and organ) | |
| 7 Chorale | SATB, recorder, oboe, violin I,II, viola I,II, violoncello and continuo (NBA: organ) | |
| 8 Chorus | SATB, recorder, violin I,II, oboe, viola I,II, violoncello and continuo (NBA: organ) |
The music
The final chorus is taken with dignity, and is very sedate in the Harnoncourt recording. Rifkin ups the tempo and the chorus is very invigorating. Whittaker (p 155) says of this chorus: It is the gayest of dancing processions.
- Sonata, Chorus, Recitativ (Titled BWV 183 on videos but is actually BWV 182)
- Aria, bass
- Aria, alto
- Aria, tenor; Chorale fantasia
- Chorus
References
Emmanuel Notes BWV 182.
Emmanuel Translation BWV 182.
Discussion from Bach Cantatas Website.
Recordings from Bach Cantatas Website.
John Eliot Gardiner Cantatas, PDF index.
John Eliot Gardiner Cantatas Recording.
Classical.net discussion, Simon Crouch.
London Bach Society Database entry BWV 182
2010, April 04
St. Matthew Passion Resources
Three recordings of the St. Matthew Passion for the Easter season, some books and a list of web links.
It is very easy to start listening to the Passion, but it is hard to limit an essay to a particular focus. It is such a very large, complex piece and spans so many years of Bach's writing that it is easy to go off on a tangent. I am going to content myself today with just listing a few resources.
The music
You can't go wrong with any of these recordings.
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Books I have ordered:
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References
The German text of Matthew chapters 26 and 27
The English (King James) text of Matthew chapters 26 and 27
German text with English translation of St. Matthew Passion
BWV 244.65 Bass aria Mache dich by Matthew Brook from John Butt's recording
BWV 244.39 Erbarme dich by Michael Chance on YouTube
Guided tour through St Matthew Passion Minnesota Public Radio, an excellent program
Another English translation
Bach Choir of Bethlehem article
Conservapedia article
Bach Cantatas.com article by William Hoffman
Bach Cantatas.com article by Joshua Rifkin
Emmanuel Music notes
Kennedy Center program notes
2010, March 31
Fourteenth Anniversary
Another web anniversary
Paul Klee: Fruits on Red
1930 Watercolor on silk
61.2 x 46.2cm
Today is the fourteenth anniversary of my first Bach website. Though March is going out like a lion, and this painting is about fruit, a more autumnal theme, I like it to celebrate today.
Paul Klee was a professional painter who played violin in an amateur quartet. Many of his paintings have a musical theme or a reference to music.
I hope you like this painting as much as I do.
