Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht, BWV 124
Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht | |
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Thomaskirche, Leipzig | |
Occasion | First Sunday after Epiphany |
Chorale | "Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht" by Christian Keymann |
Performed | 7 January 1725 Leipzig : |
Movements | 6 |
Vocal | SATB choir and solo |
Instrumental |
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Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht (I will not let go of my Jesus),[1] BWV 124,[a] is a church cantata written by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the first Sunday after the Epiphany and first performed it on 7 January 1725. It is based on the hymn "Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht" by Christian Keymann.
History and words
Bach wrote the chorale cantata in his second year in Leipzig for the First Sunday after Epiphany.[2] The prescribed readings for the Sunday were taken from the Epistle to the Romans, speaking of the duties of a Christian (Romans 12:1–6), and from the Gospel of Luke, the finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41–52).
A year earlier, on the same occasion, Bach had reflected Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154, from the point of view of a person who had lost Jesus. This cantata text is based on the chorale in six stanzas by Christian Keymann (1658).[3] The text of the hymn begins, as in the former work, with an idea close to the gospel: the Christian does not want to let go of Jesus, as his parents had wished not to lose their 12-year-old boy, but then the chorale pursues the thought of being united with Jesus after death. An unknown poet kept the first and the last stanza, and paraphrased the inner stanzas to a sequence of as many recitatives and arias. Bach first performed the cantata on 7 January 1725, one day after Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123, for Epiphany.[2]
Scoring and structure
The cantata in six movements is scored for four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, a four-part choir, horn to play the cantus firmus with the soprano, oboe d'amore, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.[2]
- Chorus: Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht
- Recitative (tenor): Solange sich ein Tropfen Blut
- Aria (tenor): Und wenn der harte Todesschlag
- Recitative (bass): Doch ach! welch schweres Ungemach
- Aria (soprano, alto): Entziehe dich eilends, mein Herze, der Welt
- Chorale: Jesum laß ich nicht von mir
Music
In the opening chorus the soprano and the horn present line by line the cantus firmus, a melody by
Recordings
- Bach Cantatas Vol. 1 – Advent and Christmas, Karl Richter, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Lotte Schädle, Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Theo Adam, Archiv Produktion 1967
- Die Bach Kantate Vol. 21, Hänssler1980
- J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk – Sacred Cantatas Vol. 7, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Tölzer Knabenchor, Concentus Musicus Wien, soloists of the Tölzer Knabenchor, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Thomaschke, Teldec 1980
- Bach Edition Vol. 20 – Cantatas Vol. 11, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Ruth Holton, Sytse Buwalda, Knut Schoch, Bas Ramselaar, Brilliant Classics1999
- Bach Cantatas Vol. 18: Berlin / Weimar/Leipzig/Hamburg / For Christmas Day & for Epiphany / For the 1st Sunday after Epiphany, Peter Harvey, Soli Deo Gloria2000
- J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 12, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Lisa Larsson, Annette Markert, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 2000
- J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 32, Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Yukari Nonoshita, Robin Blaze, Andreas Weller, Peter Kooy, BIS 2005
Notes
- ^ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
References
- ^ a b c d Dellal, Pamela. "BWV 124 – Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ OCLC 523584.
- ^ "Meinen Jesum laß' ich nicht / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2005. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht". Bach Cantatas Website. 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ a b Gardiner, John Eliot (2010). Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 32, 63, 65, 123, 124 & 154 (Media notes). Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website). Retrieved 31 December 2018.
Sources
- Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht, BWV 124: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht BWV 124; BC A 30 / Chorale cantata (1st Sunday of Epiphany) Bach Digital
- Cantata BWV 124 Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, bach-cantatas website
- BWV 124 Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht English translation, University of Vermont
- BWV 124 Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht text, scoring, University of Alberta
- Chapter 34 BWV 124 Meinen Jesum Lass ich nicht / My Jesus, I shall not abandon you. Julian Mincham, 2010
- BWV 124.6 bach-chorales.com