Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12
Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen | |
---|---|
Jubilate | |
Cantata text | Salomon Franck |
Chorale | |
Performed | 12 April 1714 Weimar : |
Movements | 7 |
Vocal |
|
Instrumental |
|
Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (Weeping, lamenting, worrying, fearing), in Weimar.
Bach was appointed Konzertmeister in Weimar in the spring of 1714, a position that called for the performance of a church cantata each month. He composed Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen as the second cantata in the series, on a text probably written by court poet Salomon Franck. The work is structured in seven movements, an instrumental Sinfonia, a choral passacaglia, a recitative on a Bible quotation, three arias and, as the closing chorale, the last stanza from Samuel Rodigast's hymn "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (1674). The cantata is scored for three vocal soloists, a four-part choir, trumpet, oboe, bassoon, two violins, two violas, and basso continuo.
Bach performed the cantata again in his first year as Thomaskantor – director of church music – in Leipzig, on 30 April 1724. He reworked the first section of the first chorus to form the Crucifixus movement of the Credo in his Mass in B minor. Franz Liszt based extended keyboard compositions on the same material.
History and words
On 2 March 1714 Bach was appointed concertmaster of the Weimar court capelle of the co-reigning dukes
Bach first performed the cantata in the Weimar court chapel on 22 April 1714, then performed it in Leipzig in his first year as Thomaskantor on 30 April 1724.[3] In Leipzig, Jubilate was the beginning of the trade fair Ostermesse (Easter fair) which attracted visitors for three weeks. His predecessor, Johan Kuhnau, had already noted that "visitors and distinguished gentlemen certainly want to hear something fine in the principal churches."[4]
Bach reworked the first section of the first chorus to form the Crucifixus movement of the Credo in his Mass in B minor, the central movement of that work, three decades later.[4][9] Franz Liszt based two keyboard works on the first section of movement 2, Prelude after a 'theme from Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' by J. S. Bach (S. 179, 1854) [for organ or piano] and Variations on a theme from 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' by J. S. Bach (S. 180, 1862) [for piano].[6]
Scoring and structure
The cantata in seven movements is scored for three vocal soloists (alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B)), a four-part choir SATB, trumpet (Tr), oboe (Ob), bassoon (Fg), two violins (Vl), two violas (Va) and basso continuo (Bc).[10] The duration is given as c. 28 minutes.[7]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the
, using the symbol for common time (4/4).No. | Title | Text | Type | Vocal | Winds | Strings | Key | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sinfonia | Ob | 2Vl 2Va | F minor | 8/8 | |||
2 |
|
Franck | Chorus | SATB | Ob Fg | 2Vl 2Va | F minor | 3/2 |
3 | Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal | Bible | Recitative | A | Ob Fg | 2Vl 2Va | C minor | |
4 | Kreuz und Kronen sind verbunden | Franck | Aria | A | Ob | C minor | ||
5 | Ich folge Christo nach | Franck | Aria | B | 2Vl | E-flat major | ||
6 | Sei getreu, alle Pein | Franck | Aria | T | Tr | G minor | 3/4 | |
7 | Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan | Rodigast | Chorale | SATB | 2Vl 2Va | B-flat major |
Music
The autograph score is titled "Concerto a 1 Oboe, 2 Violini, 2 Viole, Fagotto è 4 Voci coll' Organo".[11] John Eliot Gardiner notes that the keys of the arias and the closing chorale move upwards like a ladder, ascending by thirds.[4]
1
The cantata is opened by a Sinfonia, marked adagio assai, which resembles the slow movement of an oboe concerto, with an expressive and plaintive solo.[3][5]
2
The first choral movement, "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" (Weeping, lamentation, worry, despair),
3
The only recitative, "Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen" (We must enter the Kingdom of God through much sorrow),[1] is accompanied by the strings in a recitativo accompagnato.[7]
In German, sorrow is mentioned first, then the final Kingdom of God. Bach repeats the beginning text four times, while the singular destination appears only once. The key word "Trübsal" is illustrated each time by a downward line, each time with more intensity.[6] In the end, an ascending scale in the first violin illustrates the idea of entering the kingdom of God.[3] The scale is in C major, while the movement is in C minor, a symbol of the Kingdom of God which is a seen but not yet present.[6] The scale is related to the beginning of the tune of the closing chorale.[5]
4
The first of three arias, "Kreuz und Krone sind verbunden" (Cross and crown are bound together),[1] reflects the conflicting motifs of "Kreuz und Krone" (cross and crown) and "Kampf und Kleinod" (conflict and jewel).[4] The aria for alto voice and an oboe which is almost always present, is in da capo form, ABA. A ritornello frames part A, but also accompanies the vocal entry. It is thus heard six times in different context, related to the repetitions of the passacaglia of movement 2. The music illustrates the union of the four contrasting elements (all beginning with K): Kampf is sung as a melisma with a trill in measure 15, the preciousness of the jewel appears as a trill in the voice or the accompaniment. The text is also repeated in the middle section, as Bach was still experimenting with the da capo form.[6]
5
In the second aria, "Ich folge Christo nach" (I follow after Christ),
6
During the last aria, "Sei getreu, alle Pein" (Be faithful, all pain),[1] the trumpet plays the chorale tune "Jesu, meine Freude" as a cantus firmus;[11] Bach may have thought of the stanza "Weicht, ihr Trauergeister" (Go away, mournful spirits). The form of the aria follows the bar form of the chorale instead of the usual da capo form.[6]
7
The closing chorale, "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (What God does, is well done),[1][12] is set for four parts, illuminated by an instrumental obbligato part.[9] Masaaki Suzuki and Gardiner use the trumpet that played the cantus firmus in the preceding aria.[4][5]
Recordings
The table entries are excerpted from the list of recordings from the selection on the Bach Cantatas Website.[13] Orchestras playing period instruments in historically informed performance, and vocal ensembles with one voice per part are marked by green background.
Title | Conductor / Choir / Orchestra | Soloists | Label | Year | Choir type | Orch. type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk – Sacred Cantatas Vol. 1 | Gustav LeonhardtLeonhardt-Consort |
|
Teldec | 1971 | Period | |
Die Bach Kantate Vol. 32 | Helmuth RillingGächinger KantoreiBach-Collegium Stuttgart | Hänssler
|
1972 | |||
Bach Cantatas Vol. 2 – Easter | Karl RichterMünchener Bach-ChorMünchener Bach-Orchester | Archiv Produktion | 1974 | |||
J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 2 | Ton KoopmanAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir | Antoine Marchand | 1995 | Period | ||
J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 8 – Leipzig Cantatas | Masaaki SuzukiBach Collegium Japan | BIS | 1996 | Period | ||
J.S. Bach: Actus Tragicus – Cantatas BWV 4, 12, 106 & 196 | Cantus Cölln
|
Harmonia Mundi France | 1999 | OVPP | Period | |
Bach Cantatas Vol. 24: Altenburg/Warwick | John Eliot Gardiner
|
Soli Deo Gloria | 2000 | Period | ||
Bach Edition Vol. 20 – Cantatas Vol. 11 | Holland Boys ChoirNetherlands Bach Collegium
|
Brilliant Classics | 2000 | Period | ||
J. S. Bach: Weinen, Klagen ... | Philippe HerrewegheCollegium Vocale Gent | Harmonia Mundi France | 2003 | Period | ||
J. S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 11 | Sigiswald KuijkenLa Petite Bande | Accent | 2008 | OVPP | Period |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Dellal, Pamela. "BWV 12 – "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen"". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ Koster, Jan. "Weimar 1708–1717". let.rug.nl. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Allmusics. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gardiner, John Eliot (2005). Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 12, 103, 108, 117, 146 & 166 (Media notes). Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website). Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Isoyama, Tadashi (1996). "BWV 12: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen / (Weeping, Complaining, Caring. Quailing)" (PDF). Bach Cantata Website. p. 4. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-647-57124-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4.
- ^ "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ a b c Mincham, Julian (2010). "Chapter 52 Bwv 12 – The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach". jsbachcantatas.com. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ Bischof, Walter F. "BWV 12 Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen". University of Alberta. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ a b Wolff, Christoph (1995). "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" BWV 12" (PDF). Bach Cantata Website. p. 9. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan". Bach Cantatas Website. 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ Oron, Aryeh. "Cantata BWV 12 Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen". Bach Cantata Website. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
Sources
- Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen BWV 12; BC A 68 / Sacred cantata (4th Sunday of Easter) Bach Digital
- BWV 12 Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen: English translation, University of Vermont
- Text-, Liedvorlagen, Bibelkonkordanzen und Besetzungsangaben / zu den geistlichen Kantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs / BWV 12 s-line.de (in German)
- Cantata BWV 12 jsbchorales.net
- Günther Zedler: Die erhaltenen Kirchenkantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs (in German)
- Christian Wolff: Kantate "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" BWV 12 Thomaskirche2013 (in German)
- Luke Dahn: BWV 12.7 bach-chorales.com