Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184
Erwünschtes Freudenlicht | |
---|---|
Thomaskirche, Leipzig | |
Occasion | Third day of Pentecost |
Performed | 30 May 1724 Leipzig : |
Erwünschtes Freudenlicht (Desired light of joy), BWV 184, is a
Bach structured the Pentecost cantata in six movements and scored it for three solo voices, a four-part choir and Baroque instrumental ensemble of two flutes, strings and continuo. Unusually for Bach's church cantatas, the work is not concluded by a chorale: a setting of the final stanza of the hymn "O Herre Gott, dein göttlichs Wort" by Anarg zu Wildenfels is instead in the penultimate position, followed by a chorus. The dance influence from the secular model is reflected in the passepied-like second movement, the minuet of the fourth, and the gavotte of the last.
History and text
Bach composed this cantata for
The Bach scholar Alfred Dürr points out many similarities to Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173: both were adapted from secular models, both written for Pentecost in Bach's first year in Leipzig, and both revived in 1731.[1] While the model for the other cantata survived (the congratulatory cantata Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a), the model for Erwünschtes Freudenlicht is mostly lost, with only a few instrumental parts extant.[1] It was a duet cantata, with several dance movements.[6]
The prescribed readings for the feast day were from the
Bach first performed Erwünschtes Freudenlicht in Leipzig on 30 May 1724, as a rough adaption of BWV 184a.[1] He performed it there again on 3 June 1727 and 15 May 1731.[2]
Music
Scoring and structure
Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists (
Bach structured the cantata in six movements. A chorale movement, which ends most of his cantatas originally conceived for church use, is here penultimate movement, followed by the only chorus. The first movements are for the soloists: recitatives, a duet and an
No. | Title | Text | Type | Vocal | Winds | Strings | Key | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Erwünschtes Freudenlicht | anon. | Recitative | T | 2Ft | G major | ||
2 | Gesegnete Christen, glückselige Herde | anon. | Duet aria | S A | 2Ft | 2Vl Va | G major | 3/8 |
3 | So freuet euch, ihr auserwählten Seelen | anon. | Recitative | T | ||||
4 | Glück und Segen sind bereit | anon. | Aria | T | Vl solo | B minor | 3/4 | |
5 | Herr, ich hoff je, du werdest die | von Wildenfels | Chorale | SATB | 2Ft | 2Vl Va | D major | |
6 | Guter Hirte, Trost der Deinen | anon. | Chorus | SATB | 2Ft | 2Vl Va | G major |
Movements
1
The opening recitative, "Erwünschtes Freudenlicht" (Desired light of joy),
2
The duet aria is written for soprano and alto voice: "Gesegnete Christen, glückselige Herde, kommt, stellt euch bei Jesu mit Dankbarkeit ein!" (Blessed Christians, enraptured flock, come, dwell with Jesus with thankfulness!).[11] It is a da capo aria in triple time with long ritornello episodes.[1] The musicologist Julian Mincham describes it as "retaining a little more of the spirit of the rustic dance".[10] The Bach scholar Klaus Hofmann called it a passepied.[6] The movement was probably already a pastorale in the secular model, and suits the image of the Good Shepherd and his flock.[1] John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, believes that the music was actually danced to in the secular version heard in Köthen.[12]
3
The third movement is a
4
The fourth movement is a tenor aria: "Glück und Segen sind bereit, die geweihte Schar zu krönen" (Happiness and blessing are prepared to crown the consecrated flock).
5
The penultimate movement is a four-part setting of a chorale stanza:[10] "Herr, ich hoff je, du werdest die in keiner Not verlassen" (Lord, I hope that you will not leave in any distress).[13] This is unusual for Bach, as typically his church cantatas place the chorale as the final movement.[10]
6
The closing chorus, "Guter Hirte, Trost der Deinen, laß uns nur dein heilig Wort!" (Good Shepherd, solace of Your followers, leave us Your holy Word alone!),[11] is a gavotte, basically a duet of soprano and bass, expanded by the choir in the refrains.[12] Bach reused the music of this movement to conclude Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213, composed for the birthday of Crown Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony on 5 September 1733.[14]
Recordings
- Gächinger Kantorei / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling. Die Bach Kantate. Hänssler, 1977.
- Knabenchor Hannover & Collegium Vocale Gent, Gustav Leonhardt. J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk · Complete Cantatas / Vol. 42, Teldec, 1987.
- Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Ton Koopman. J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 7. Erato, 1997.
- Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium, Pieter Jan Leusink. Bach Edition Vol. 14. Brilliant Classics, 2000.
- Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner. Bach Cantatas Vol. 27. Soli Deo Gloria, 2000.
- Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki. J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 20. BIS, 2001.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 367.
- ^ a b c "Cantata BWV 184 Erwünschtes Freudenlicht". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ a b Leonhardt, James. "Johann Sebastian Bach / Cantata No. 184, "Erwünschtes Freudenlicht," BWV 184 (BC A88)". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ Paczkowski 2017, p. 137.
- ^ a b Paczkowski 2017, p. 162.
- ^ a b Hofmann, Klaus (2001). "Erwünschtes Freudenlicht (Awaited light of joy), BWV 184" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. pp. 9–10.
- ^ a b Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 364.
- ^ a b Dürr & Jones 2006, pp. 364–366.
- ^ a b "BWV 184 Erwünschtes Freudenlicht". University of Alberta. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mincham, Julian. "Chapter 60 BWV 184 Erwünschtes Freudenlicht / The long desired light of joy". The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d Dellal, Pamela. "BWV 184 – Erwünschtes Freudenlicht". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ a b c Gardiner, John Eliot (2008). Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 129, 165, 175, 176, 184 & 194 (Media notes). Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website). Retrieved 8 June 2019.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 366.
- ^ Paczkowski 2017, p. 138.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4.
- Paczkowski, Szymon (2017). Polish Style in the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach. ISBN 978-0-8108-8894-4.
External links
- Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Erwünschtes Freudenlicht BWV 184; BC A 88 / Sacred cantata (3rd Day of Pentecost) Bach Digital
- fragment BWV 184a; BC G 8 / Secular cantata (unknown purpose) Bach Digital
- Literature by and about Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184 in the German National Library catalogue
- BWV 184 Erwünschtes Freudenlicht English translation, University of Vermont
- Luke Dahn: BWV 184.5 bach-chorales.com