Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin | |
---|---|
Purification | |
Chorale | "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" by Martin Luther |
Performed | 2 February 1725 Leipzig : |
Movements | 6 |
Vocal |
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Instrumental |
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In the format of the chorale cantata cycle, an unknown librettist retained the first and last of Luther's four stanzas while paraphrasing the inner stanzas. In this cantata, he also used the original text of the second stanza, interspersed with his words, as the third movement, a recitative, after he paraphrased the same ideas for the second movement, an aria. The librettist derived text for two more movements from Luther's third stanza. Bach structured the cantata in six movements, framing four movements for soloists by a chorale fantasia and a closing chorale. He scored the work for three vocal soloists, a four-part choir, and a Baroque ensemble consisting of horn, flauto traverso, oboe, oboe d'amore, strings and basso continuo. The opening chorus has been compared to the opening movement of Bach's St Matthew Passion. In the third movement, Bach sets the single lines from the hymn's second stanza differently from the commentary in the librettist's words, but unifies both elements by a continuous "motif of joy" in the accompaniment.
Background
Chorale cantata cycle
In 1723,
Bach took office in the middle of the liturgical year, on the first Sunday after Trinity. In Leipzig, cantata music was expected on Sundays and on feast days, except during the "silent periods" ("tempus clausum") of Advent and Lent. In his first twelve months in office, Bach decided to compose new works for almost all liturgical events. These works became known as his first cantata cycle. The following year, he continued that effort, composing a cycle of chorale cantatas, with each cantata based on one Lutheran hymn, including Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, for these occasions.[2][3] The choice of hymns to use in the series of chorale cantatas was probably made according to the wishes of a local minister, who based the choice upon the prescribed readings and his plans for sermons.[3]
Luther's hymns
In the 16th century Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, emphasised the importance of hymn singing in church services and at home, authoring many hymns, including "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin".[3]
Bach composed an early chorale cantata on a hymn by Luther, Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, probably in 1707. During his chorale cantata cycle, Bach used a hymn by Luther as the basis for a cantata on nine occasions. Additionally, he performed Christ lag in Todes Banden again during that cycle.[4]
The following table shows the cantatas that Bach performed based on hymns by Luther during the chorale cantata cycle, comprising nine new compositions and the repeated performance of the Easter cantata. The first column gives the cantata number with a link to the article about it, and the following column gives the hymn of the same name on which it is based. The third column shows the liturgical occasion, and the fourth the date of the performance, which is the first performance for all but the Easter cantata.
No. | Hymn | Liturgical occasion | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2
|
"Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" | Second Sunday after Trinity | 18 June 1724 | [5] |
7
|
"Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam" | St. John's Day | 24 June 1724 | [6] |
10
|
"Meine Seel erhebt den Herren" | Visitation | 2 July 1724 | [7] |
38
|
"Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir" | 21st Sunday after Trinity | 29 October 1724 | [8] |
62
|
"Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" | First Sunday of Advent | 3 December 1724 | [9] |
91
|
"Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" | Christmas | 25 December 1724 | [10] |
121
|
"Christum wir sollen loben schon" | Second Day of Christmas | 26 December 1724 | [11] |
125 | "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" | Purification | 2 February 1725 | |
126
|
"Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort" | Sexagesima | 4 February 1725 | [12] |
4
|
"Christ lag in Todesbanden" | Easter | 1 April 1725 (repeated) |
[4] |
Bach used Luther's hymns in other works during his career. He had included "
Bach's chorale cantata structure
Bach followed a specific structure for most of the cantatas in this cycle. He deviated from using the
Readings, hymn and cantata text
During Bach's time in Leipzig, three
When Luther wrote his hymn on Simeon's canticle ("With peace and joy I depart in God's will"),[17] he devoted one stanza to each of the four verses of the biblical text. The first verse discusses peaceful acceptance of death (Luke 2:29), the second gives as a reason for that the meeting with the Saviour (Luke 2:30), the third is focused on Christ's return for all people (Luke 2:31), and the fourth sees the Second Coming as a light for the heathen and glory for Israel (Luke 2:31). The lines are of different length, with a metre of 8.4.8.4.7.7, stressing single statements in the short lines.[18]
The tune first appeared in 1524 in Johann Walter's choral hymnal Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn.[19] Luther wrote commentary on his hymn:
As [Simeon] means, Praise and thanks be to God that I have lived to see this day, I will now gladly die, now my death will be delightful, because God has fulfilled what He called me to do. Why will you so gladly die, dear Simeon? 'For my eyes have seen your Salvation.'[20] (Als wolt er [Simeon] sagen / Gott sey lob und danck / daß ich diesen Tag erlebet habe / ich will nun gerne sterben / nun soll mir der Tod lieblich seyn / denn es ist erfüllet / das mir verheissen war. Warum wiltu aber so gerne sterben / lieber Simeon? 'Denn meine Augen haben deinen Heyland gesehen.')[21]
Bach first used the hymn as part of his early funeral cantata Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106 (Actus tragicus), the alto singing the first stanza, juxtaposed to a bass arioso, "Heute wirst du mit mir im Paradies sein".[22] He returned to it twice for his first Leipzig cantata cycle. The first stanza was the basis for his cantata for the 16th Sunday after Trinity of 1723, Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95, along with the first stanza of the funeral hymn "Christus, der ist mein Leben" in the opening movement for tenor. The second occasion was in 1724, in the Purification cantata, Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83, which he closed with the fourth and final stanza, "Es ist das Heil und selig Licht".[19][23]
For Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, a librettist retained the first and last stanzas and paraphrased the two inner stanzas to four movements. The second movement, based on Luther's second stanza, is focused on Simeon's perspective as a means of how to anticipate one's own death. The third movement interweaves Luther's complete text with a free recitative. The Bach scholar
Bach led the first performance with the Thomanerchor in the morning service at the Nikolaikirche on 2 February 1725, and reprised it in the vesper service in the Thomaskirche, as was usual in Leipzig on high holidays.[26] Bach performed it at least one more time after 1735.[27]
Music
Structure and scoring
Bach structured the cantata in six movements. The first and last are set for choir as a
In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the
No. | Title | Text | Type | Vocal | Winds | Strings | Key | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin | Luther | Chorale fantasia | SATB | Co Ft Ob | 2Vl Va | E minor | 12 8 |
2 | Ich will auch mit gebrochnen Augen | anon. | Aria | A | Ft Oa | B minor | 3 4 | |
3 |
|
|
Recitative e chorale | B | 2Vl Va | |||
4 | Ein unbegreiflich Licht | anon. | Aria (Duetto) | T B | 2Vl | G major | ||
5 | O unerschöpfter Schatz der Güte | anon. | Recitative | A | ||||
6 | Er ist das Heil und selig Licht | Luther | Chorale | SATB | Co Ft Ob | 2Vl Va | E minor |
Movements
1
The opening chorus, "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin in Gottes Willen" (With peace and joy I depart in God's will),
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin |
With peace and joy I go on my way |
The soprano sings the cantus firmus in long notes.[33] Hofmann notes that the Dorian mode within the instrumental concerto in E minor adds a "slightly archaic flavour".[24] The lower voices participate in the instrumental motifs for lines 1, 2, 3 and 5, but lines 4 and 6 are treated differently. In accordance to the text, "sanft und stille" (calm and quiet) and "der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden" (death has become my sleep), they are performed softly (piano), in homophony, chromatic, and modulating to distant keys.[34] Dürr notes the movement's "extremely dense, highly expressive texture"[34] with motifs independent from the hymn tune but derived from its beginning.[34] The Bach scholar Richard D. P. Jones observes that the movement foreshadows Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen, the opening chorus of Bach's St Matthew Passion, in key, 12/8 metre and "much more".[35]
2
The alto aria, "Ich will auch mit gebrochnen Augen nach dir, mein treuer Heiland, sehn." (Even with broken eyes, I will look for You, my loving Savior.),[1] is a sarabande with slow dotted rhythms.[35] The vocal line is accompanied by the flute and oboe d'amore, on a foundation of repeated notes in the continuo, marked "legato".[25] The phrase "gebrochne Augen" (broken eyes) is pictured by a broken vocal line, with flute and oboe d'amore playing dotted rhythm to the "almost trembling declamation" of the voice.[33] Hofmann notes the movement's "emotions of grief and lamentation",[24] while Dürr writes: "Rich suspension appoggiaturas, and other ornaments, reveal that an expressive interpretation of this movement lay particularly close to the composer's heart."[34]
3
The bass recitative begins with a thought of the librettist, "O Wunder, daß ein Herz vor der dem Fleisch verhaßten Gruft und gar des Todes Schmerz sich nicht entsetzet!" (O wonder, that a heart before the flesh-abhorred tomb, and even the pain of death does not recoil!).[1] The text continues with the beginning of the hymn's second stanza, "Das macht Christus, wahr' Gottes Sohn, der treue Heiland" (Christ, God's true son, does this, the loving Savior).[1] The pattern of comment and original is retained throughout the movement in a hybrid text that holds in single lines the complete text of the second stanza:
Das macht Christus, wahr' Gottes Sohn, |
This is the work of Christ, God's true son, |
Bach sets the recitative and chorale elements differently, rendering the librettist's text in "rhythmically free diction of recitative"[24] and the chorale as arioso. He unifies the movement by a continuous motif in the strings, called Freudenmotiv by Dürr, which "always indicates an underlying mood of happiness".[24][36] The chorale tune is unadorned but for the last line, "im Tod und auch im Sterben" (in death and also in dying), where the music is extended by two measures and coloured in chromatic and rich ornamentation, and the strings cease to play the constant motif and accompany in "tranquil notes".[34]
4
The tenor and bass duet "Ein unbegreiflich Licht erfüllt den ganzen Kreis der Erden" (An unfathomable light fills the entire orb of the earth)[1] is focused on the light mentioned by Simeon, expressed in a joyful mood.[1] Hofmann notes: "The playful character is shown by the extended, circling coloratura on the word 'Kreis' ('circle' or 'orb'), and the baroque sound effect of statement and response unfolds to the words 'Es schallet kräftig fort und fort' (Powerfully there rings out time after time.)"[16] Jones comments that the trio sonata of two violins and continuo which accompanies the voices "in its vigour and fluency perhaps represents the powerful, continuous sound to which the text refers."[35]
5
The alto expresses in a secco recitative "O unerschöpfter Schatz der Güte" (O uncreated hoard of goodness),[1] which Hofmann calls a "concise theological analysis".[24]
6
The closing chorale, "Er ist das Heil und selig Licht" (He is the salvation and the blessed light),[1] is a four-part setting of the hymn tune.[37]
Er ist das Heil und selig Licht |
He is salvation and a blessed light |
The horn and flute (an octave higher), oboe, and first violin all reinforce the soprano part, the second violin the alto, and the viola the tenor.[29]
Jones summarizes in his book The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach: "The exceptionally high quality of the music may reflect Bach's response to the divine authority of the Nunc dimittis, mediated by the revered founder of the Lutheran Church."[35]
Manuscripts and publication
The
The score for the first movement was first published by
A critical edition was published by Breitkopf, edited by Eva-Maria Hodel.[41] Another was published by Carus in 2008, edited by Wolfram Enßlin, which also provided a singable English version.[42]
Recordings
The selection is taken from the listing on the Bach Cantatas Website.[43][44] Instrumental groups playing period instruments in historically informed performances are highlighted in green under the heading "Instr.".
Title | Conductor / Choir / Orchestra | Soloists | Label | Year | Instr. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Die Bach Kantate Vol. 25 | Helmuth RillingFiguralchor der Gedächtniskirche StuttgartBach-Collegium Stuttgart | Hänssler
|
1973 | ||
J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk • Complete Cantatas • Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 7 | Nikolaus HarnoncourtTölzer KnabenchorConcentus Musicus Wien | Teldec | 1982 | Period | |
J. S. Bach: "Mit Fried und Freud"[45] | Philippe HerrewegheCollegium Vocale Gent | Harmonia Mundi France | 1998 | Period | |
Bach Edition Vol. 14 – Cantatas Vol. 7 | Holland Boys ChoirNetherlands Bach Collegium
|
Brilliant Classics | 2000 | Period | |
J. S. Bach: Cantatas for the Feast of Purification of Mary | John Eliot GardinerMonteverdi ChoirEnglish Baroque Soloists |
|
Archiv Produktion | 2000 | Period |
J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 14 | Ton KoopmanAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir | Antoine Marchand | 2001 | Period | |
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) / Cantatas: Volume 32 (Cantatas from Leipzig, 1725)[46][47] | Masaaki SuzukiBach Collegium Japan | BIS | 2005 | Period | |
Bach in Context, Vol. 5 – Actus Tragicus[48] | Pieter-Jan BelderGesualdo Consort (OVPP)Musica Amphion | Etcetera | 2014 | Period |
Notes
- ^ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dellal 2012.
- ^ a b Dürr 1971, p. 540.
- ^ a b c d e Hofmann 2006, p. 5.
- ^ a b Dürr & Jones 2006, pp. 262–265.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 402.
- ^ Dürr 1971, p. 561.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 676.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 601.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 75.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 94.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 110.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 237.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 707.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 217.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 24.
- ^ a b c Hofmann 2006, p. 8.
- ^ Browne 2008.
- ^ Hymnary 2016.
- ^ a b c Braatz & Oron 2005.
- ^ Tatlow 2000, p. 2.
- ^ Luther 1828.
- ^ Isoyama 1995, pp. 8, 32.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 654.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hofmann 2006, p. 9.
- ^ a b Dürr 1971, p. 541.
- ^ a b c Enßlin 2008, p. 4.
- ^ a b Bach Digital 2016.
- ^ Dürr 1971, p. 539.
- ^ a b c Bischof 2010.
- ^ Grob 2014.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 657.
- ^ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 675.
- ^ a b Wolff 2001.
- ^ a b c d e Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 660.
- ^ a b c d Jones 2013, p. 155.
- ^ Melamed 2010, p. 55.
- ^ Dürr 1971, p. 542.
- ^ D-LEb Thomana 125, Faszikel 1 2016.
- ^ D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 384, Faszikel 1 2016.
- ^ D-B Mus. 11475/1 [Erstdruck 2017.
- ^ Breitkopf 2016.
- ^ Carus 2016.
- ^ Oron 2015.
- ^ Muziekweb 2018.
- ^ ArkivMusic 1998.
- ^ Barfoot 2006.
- ^ Freeman-Attwood 2006.
- ^ Riedstra 2016.
Bibliography
General
- "Mit Fried und Freud fahr ich dahin BWV 125; BC A 168 / Chorale cantata (Purification of the Virgin Mary (2 February))". Bach digital website, managed by Bach Archive, SLUB, SBB and Leipzig University. 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- "Leipzig, Bach-Archiv Leipzig / D-LEb Thomana 125, Faszikel 1". Bach digital website, managed by Bach Archive, SLUB, SBB and Leipzig University. 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- "Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz / D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 384, Faszikel 1". Bach digital website, managed by Bach Archive, SLUB, SBB and Leipzig University. 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
Books
- ISBN 978-3-423-04080-8.
- ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4.
- ISBN 978-0-19-150384-9.
- Luther, Martin (1828). "Sämmtliche Werke, Volume 15". Heyder.
- Melamed, Daniel R., ed. (2010). "J. S. Bach and the Oratorio Tradition". Bach Perspectives. Vol. 8. ISBN 978-0-252-09021-9.
Journals
- Freeman-Attwood, Jonathan (2006). "Bach Cantatas, Vol 32". Gramophone. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
Online sources
- Barfoot, Terry (2006). "Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) / Cantatas: Volume 32 (Cantatas from Leipzig, 1725)". musicweb-international.com.
- Bischof, Walter F. (2010). "BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". University of Alberta. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- Braatz, Thomas; Oron, Aryeh (2005). "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- Browne, Francis (2008). "Mit Fried und Freud / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- Dellal, Pamela (2012). "BWV 125 – Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- Enßlin, Wolfram (2008). "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin / BWV 125 – BC A 168" (PDF). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- Grob, Jochen (2014). "BWV 125 / BC A 168". s-line.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2016-02-05. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
- Hofmann, Klaus (2006). "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin / In peace and joy I shall depart, BWV 125" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- Isoyama, Tadashi (1995). "Cantata No.106: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (BWV 106)" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- Oron, Aryeh (2015). "Cantata BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
- Riedstra, Siebe (2016). "CD-recensie". opusklassiek.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- Tatlow, Ruth (2000). "For the Feast of the Purification of Mary" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- Wolff, Christoph (2001). "Conclusion of the second yearly cycle (1724–25) of the Leipzig church cantatas" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
- "Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz / D-B Mus. 11475/1 [Erstdruck]". Bach Digital, managed by Bach Archive, SLUB, SBB and Leipzig University. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- "Cantata BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Breitkopf. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- "Johann Sebastian Bach / Mit Fried und Freud fahr ich dahin / Cantata for the Purification of Mary / BWV 125". Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- "Bach: Mit Fried Und Freud – Cantatas / Herreweghe, Et Al". ArkivMusic. 1998. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- "Mit Fried' und Freud' ich fahr' dahin". hymnary.org. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- "Mit Fried' und Freud' ich fahr' dahin". muziekweb.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 January 2018.
External links
- Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Hale, Roger. "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" (Actus Tragicus) / Bach Cantata BWV 106 (Thesis). CiteSeerX 10.1.1.459.5242.
- Harbison, John; Smith, Craig (2012). "BWV 125 – Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- Mincham, Julian (2010). "Chapter 38 BWV 125, Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin / I depart in peace and joy". jsbachcantatas.com. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- "Bach Cantata Vespers" (PDF). Grace Lutheran Church. 2015. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- "BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". University of Vermont. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- BWV 125.6 bach-chorales.com
- BWV 125, performed by Collegium Vocale Gent under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe on YouTube