Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131

Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (Out of the depths I call, Lord, to You),

The cantata was commissioned by the minister of one of the churches in Mühlhausen, the city where Bach worked at the time. It was possibly written for a special occasion. The text is based on Luther's German version of Psalm 130 and also incorporates the words of a chorale. Bach's music integrates melodies from the chorale into larger structures. Bach also shows his interest in counterpoint, something which was characteristic of him throughout his career.

History and words

A note on the

Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir has been described as possibly Bach's first surviving cantata.[4]^[5] For it to be the first, it has to be assumed not only that it predates other cantatas written in Mühlhausen (we know that he wrote at least one other there), but also that there is not a surviving cantata from his previous post at Arnstadt. It seems likely that Bach was composing choral music at Arnstadt. Although Bach was only 22 when he took up the appointment at Mühlhausen, the performance of a work of his own composition appears to have been part of the selection process.^[6] Recent scholarship suggests that another surviving cantata Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 could have been composed at Arnstadt.^[7]

The

Bach's ability as a composer was recognised by the city council of Muhlhausen who paid for the printing of the cantata Gott ist mein Konig, BWV 71.[11] They may also have arranged the publication of a later cantata now lost. None of the other cantatas was published in the composer's lifetime. Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir was first published in 1881 as part of the

The singers are accompanied by an instrumental group consisting of oboe, bassoon, violin, two violas and basso continuo.^[16] As in the case of the singers, the question arises as to whether Bach used one or more players per part. The oboe and the violin are given some important solos, suggesting that there may well have been only one of each. Ton Koopman, for example, uses one oboist and one violinist in his recording. The role of the violas is more to provide accompaniment, filling in harmonies and sometimes doubling vocal lines. The bassoon sometimes supports the continuo section, doubling its bass line, and sometimes plays an independent line.^[13]

Musical forms

Bach used some musical forms which reappear in later cantatas. For example, two of the choral movements have a fugue, a style of composition in which Bach excelled. Also, the two movements for soloists are developed as a type of chorale fantasia with the soloist singing the psalm text and an upper voice singing the chorale in long notes as a cantus firmus.^[18] Craig Smith called the chorale settings "a window on the future". However, he criticised the structure of the cantata, saying that it offers evidence that at this stage in his career the composer had difficulty with large forms.^[13] On the other hand, the musicologist Julian Mincham regards the piece as being different from later cantatas rather than inferior to them.^[18]

Structure and scoring

Bach structured the cantata in five movements, three choral movements interspersed by an arioso and an aria. In both solo movements, a chorale stanza sung simultaneously by the soprano intensifies the Psalm text. He scored it for two soloist (tenor and bass), a four-part choir, and a small Baroque instrumental ensemble of oboe (Ob), bassoon (Fg), violin (Vl), two violas (Va), and basso continuo.^[19]

In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the

Movements of Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131

No.	Title	Text	Type	Vocal	Winds	Strings	Key	Time
1	Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir	Ps. 130:1–2	Chorus	SATB	Ob Fg	Vl 2Va	G minor	3/4
2	So du willst, Herr, Sünde zurechnen	Ps. 130:3–4 Ringwaldt	Arioso e chorale	B S	Ob		G minor
3	Ich harre des Herrn, meine Seele harret	Ps. 130:5	Chorus	SATB	Ob Fg	Vl 2Va	E♭ major G minor
4	Meine Seele wartet auf den Herrn von einer Morgenwache	Ps. 130:6 Ringwaldt	Aria e chorale	T A			C minor	12/8
5	Israel hoffe auf den Herrn; denn bei dem Herrn	Ps. 130:7–8	Chorus	SATB	Ob Fg	Vl 2Va	G minor

Recordings

The following entries are taken from the listing on the Bach Cantatas Website.^[21] Choirs with one voice per part (OVPP) and ensembles playing period instruments in historically informed performances are marked by green background.

See also

• The Fugue in G minor, BWV 131a is a transcription for organ of the fugue from the closing movement of the cantata. Although the work has an BWV number, it is not certain that the arranger was Bach.

Notes

References