Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a

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Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen

Durchlauchtster Leopold (Most illustrious Leopold),

Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen. The cantata is one of a series of congratulatory works which Bach wrote for this employer. Some of them are lost, while others such as Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück, BWV 66.1
can be reconstructed because Bach reused the music later. Durchlauchtster Leopold is unusual in surviving in a complete state.

History and words

Bach composed the cantata as a congratulatory cantata, also termed

holograph
manuscript survives in Berlin, but cannot be dated exactly. The libretto shows a date of "before 22 December 1722".[4]

Bach may have begun the work when he was appointed Prince Leopold's Kapellmeister in 1717, according to Alfred Dürr. If this hypothesis is correct, Bach would potentially have had a few months to compose a work for the prince's birthday, but even relatively simple music could have required some haste given the circumstances in which he left his job in Weimar, being imprisoned by his employer for not following correct resignation procedures. Bach was released on 2 December and was still in the process of moving to Köthen on 10 December 1717.

The unknown poet wrote eight movements. Only two of them, 1 and 5, are

allegorical figures, as for example in the cantata for New Year's Day Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a, but are not marked in the text.[5][6]

In 1724 Bach used six of the eight movements to form his cantata Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173.2, for Pentecost Monday, and in 1725 he took movement 7 for his cantata for Pentecost Tuesday Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175.[5][7]

Publication

The cantata was published in 1887 in the first complete edition of the composer's works, the

Bach-Gesellschaft-Ausgabe.[2]

Scoring and structure

The cantata is scored for two vocal soloists (

flauto traverso, bassoon, two violins, viola and basso continuo including violone and harpsichord. The last movement is marked chorus, but was probably performed by the two soloists.[5]

  1. Recitative (soprano): Durchlauchtster Leopold
  2. Aria (soprano): Güldner Sonnen frohe Stunden
  3. Aria (bass): Leopolds Vortrefflichkeiten
  4. Aria (soprano, bass): Unter seinem Purpursaum
  5. Recitative (soprano, bass): Durchlauchtigster, den Anhalt Vater nennt
  6. Aria (soprano): So schau dies holden Tages Licht
  7. Aria (bass): Dein Name gleich der Sonnen geh
  8. Chorus (soprano, bass): Nimm auch, großer Fürst, uns auf

Music

Bach composed varied music for the rather monotonous text. Movement 1 is accompanied by the strings and leads to a virtuoso

polonaise. Its two parts begin both with an instrumental concerto which is then repeated with embedded voices.[5]

Recordings

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-8108-3933-5
    .
  2. ^ a b Work 00211 at Bach Digital website.
  3. ^ a b "Durchlauchtster Leopold, serenata for 2 voices, flute, bassoon, strings & continuo, BWV 173a". AllMusic. 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  4. ^ Grob, Jochen. "BWV 173a". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  5. ^
    OCLC 523584
    .
  6. ^ a b Julian Mincham (2010). "Chapter 89 BWV 173a Durchlauchtster Leopold". The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Durchlauchtster Leopold". Bach.de (in German). 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.

External links

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