Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott, BWV 127
Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott | |
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last Judgement, oil painting by Pasquale Catti | |
Occasion | Estomihi |
Chorale | "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott" |
Performed | 11 February 1725 Leipzig : |
Movements | 5 |
Vocal | |
Instrumental |
|
Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott (Lord Jesus Christ, true Man and God),
History and words
Bach held the position of Thomaskantor (director of church music) in Leipzig from 1723. During his first year, beginning with the first Sunday after Trinity, he wrote a cycle of cantatas for the occasions of the liturgical year. In his second year he composed a second annual cycle of cantatas, which was planned to consist exclusively of chorale cantatas, each based on one Lutheran hymn.[2]
Bach composed the chorale cantata Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott for
The prescribed readings for the Sunday were taken from the
Bach first performed the cantata on 11 February 1725.[2] It is the second to last chorale cantata of his second annual cycle, the only later one being Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1, for the feast of Annunciation which was celebrated even if it fell in the time of Lent.[6]
Scoring and structure
The cantata in five movements is richly scored for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, trumpet, two recorders, two oboes, two violins, viola and basso continuo.[2][3][7]
- Chorale: Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott
- Recitative (tenor): Wenn alles sich zur letzten Zeit entsetzet
- Aria (soprano): Die Seele ruht in Jesu Händen
- Recitative and aria (bass): Wenn einstens die Posaunen schallen – Fürwahr, fürwahr, euch sage ich
- Chorale: Ach, Herr, vergib all unsre Schuld
Music
The opening chorale is structured by an extended introduction and interludes. These parts play on a concertante a
Bach chose a rare instrumentation for the first aria, the oboe plays a melody, supported by short chords in the recorders, in the middle section Sterbeglocken (funeral bells) are depicted by pizzicato string sounds. Movement 4 illustrates the
The closing chorale is a four-part setting with attention to details of the text, such as movement in the lower voices on "auch unser Glaub stets wacker sei" (also may our faith be always brave)[1] and colourful harmonies on the final line "bis wir einschlafen seliglich" (until we fall asleep contentedly).[1][2]
BWV 127/1 (variant)
A reworked and transposed version of the cantata's opening movement opens the second part of the
Recordings
The selection is taken from the listing on the Bach-Cantatas website.[11]
- J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 67, 108 & 127, 1958
- J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 127 & BWV 171, Süddeutscher Madrigalchor, South West German Chamber Orchestra, Herrad Wehrung, Georg Jelden, Jakob Stämpfli, Cantate 1961
- Die Bach Kantate Vol. 40, Hänssler1980
- J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk · Complete Cantatas · Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 31, Gustav Leonhardt, Knabenchor Hannover, Collegium Vocale Gent, Leonhardt-Consort, soloist of the Knabenchor Hannover, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond, Teldec 1982
- J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 11, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Sibylla Rubens, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 1999
- Bach Cantatas Vol. 21: Cambridge/Walpole St Peter / For Quinquagesima Sunday (Estomihi) / For Annunciation / Palm Sunday / Oculi, John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, Choir of Clare College, Cambridge & Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, English Baroque Soloists, Ruth Holton, James Oxley, Stephan Loges, Soli Deo Gloria 2000
- Bach Edition Vol. 20 – Cantatas Vol. 11, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Ruth Holton, Nico van der Meel, Bas Ramselaar, Brilliant Classics2000
- J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 34 – (Cantatas from Leipzig 1725), Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Carolyn Sampson, Gerd Türk, Peter Kooy, BIS 2005
- J. S. Bach: Jesus, deine Passion – Cantates BWV 22, 23, 127 & 159, Philippe Herreweghe, Collegium Vocale Gent, Dorothee Mields, Jan Kobow, Peter Kooy, Harmonia Mundi France 2007
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f Dellal, Pamela. "BWV 127 – Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4.
- ^ a b c d Wolff, Christoph (1999). The Leipzig church cantatas: the chorale cantata cycle (II: 1724–1725) (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. p. 4. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ Vernier, David. "Jesu, Deine Passion – Bach: Cantatas Bwv 22, 23, 127 & 159 / Herreweghe, Mields, White, Et Al". arkivmusic.com. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
- ^ "Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ a b Mincham, Julian (2010). "Chapter 44 BWV 22 Jesu nahm zu sich die Zwölfe / Jesus took the twelve to Him". jsbachcantatas.com. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ Bischof, Walter F. (2010). "BWV 127 Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott". University of Alberta. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott / Examples from the Score / Mvt. 1 – The Chorale Melody and Text". Bach Cantatas Website. 2004. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b c Gardiner, John Eliot (2006). Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 1, 22, 23, 54, 127, 159 & 182 (Media notes). Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website). Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ Bach Digital Work 00155 at www
.bachdigital .de - ^ Oron, Aryeh (2016). "Cantata BWV 127 Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
Sources
- Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott, BWV 127: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott BWV 127; BC A 49 / Chorale cantata (Estomihi) Bach Digital
- BWV 127 Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott English translation, University of Vermont
External links
- Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott, BWV 127: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)