Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37
Wer da gläubet und getauft wird | |
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BWV 37 | |
Church cantata by J. S. Bach | |
Occasion | Feast of the Ascension |
Bible text | Mark 16:16 |
Chorale |
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Performed | 18 May 1724 Leipzig : |
Movements | 6 |
Vocal | SATB choir and solo |
Instrumental |
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Wer da gläubet und getauft wird (He who believes and is baptised),[1] BWV 37,[a] is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, a church cantata for the feast of the Ascension of Jesus. Bach composed it in Leipzig and first performed it on 18 May 1724.
The work is Bach's first cantata composition for the feast of the Ascension. Surprisingly for a high feast day, it is modestly scored; only two
History and words
Bach composed the cantata in Leipzig for Ascension. The prescribed readings for the feast day were from the Acts of the Apostles, the prologue and Ascension (Acts 1:1–11), and from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus telling his disciples to preach and baptize, and his Ascension (Mark 16:14–20).[2]
An unknown poet began with the quotation of verse 16 from the Gospel.
Bach first performed the cantata on 18 May 1724, and again on 3 May 1731. It was his first composition for the feast of the Ascension.[6]
Scoring and structure
The cantata in six movements is scored rather modestly: the four vocal soloists (
No. | Title | Type | Vocal | Winds | Strings | Key | Time |
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1 | Wer da gläubet und getauft wird | Chorus | SATB | 2ObDa | 2Vl Va Bc | A major | 3/2 |
2 | Der Glaube ist das Pfand der Liebe | Aria | Tenor | Bc | A major | ||
3 | Herr Gott Vater, mein starker Held | Choral | Soprano, alto | Bc | D major | 12/8 | |
4 | Ihr Sterblichen, verlanget ihr | Recitative | Bass | 2Vl, Va, Bc | |||
5 | Der Glaube schafft der Seele Flügel | Aria | Bass | 1ObDa | 2Vl, Va, Bc | B minor | |
6 | Den Glauben mir verleihe | Chorale | SATB | 1ObDa (col Soprano), 1ObDa (coll'Alto) |
1Vl (col Soprano), 1Vl (coll'Alto), Va (col Tenore), Bc |
A major |
Music
Although the text for the first movement is a quotation of Jesus, it is not given to the bass as the vox Christi but to the choir. John Eliot Gardiner notes that Bach treats it as a "statement by the faithful, as though to demonstrate that they had already absorbed its message to 'go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature".[6] The movement begins with an extended instrumental Sinfonia which introduces three melodic lines that occur simultaneously. The first motif is played by the oboes and later taken by the choir,[2] According to Gardiner, it suggests "steadfastness of faith".[6] The second motif in the violins is reminiscent of Luther's hymn "Dies sind die heiligen zehn Gebot" (These are the holy Ten Commandments), which opened two other cantatas. Gardiner describes it as "emollient and graceful, a halfway house between a minuet and a waltz, affirming a more serene side to faith."[6] The third motif is part of the hymn "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" and appears in the continuo. In two vocal sections, the voices are embedded in a repetition of the Sinfonia.[2]
Movement 2 is an
Recordings
- J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 37, BWV 76, Westfälische Kantorei, Deutsche Bachsolisten, Nelly van der Spek, Frauke Haasemann, Johannes Hoefflin, Wilhelm Pommerien, Cantate 1965
- J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk (2), Hans Grischkat, Schwäbischer Singkreis Stuttgart, Bach-Orchester Stuttgart, Csilla Zentai, Elisabeth Wacker, Kurt Huber, Michael Schopper, FSM Candide 1972
- J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk – Sacred Cantatas Vol. 3, Wiener Sängerknaben, Chorus Viennensis, soloist of the Wiener Sängerknaben, Chorus Viennensis, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer, Teldec1974
- J. S. Bach: Ascension Cantatas, John Eliot Gardiner, Nancy Argenta, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Michael Chance, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe, Archiv Produktion 1996
- J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 9, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Sibylla Rubens, Bernhard Landauer, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 1998
- Bach Edition Vol. 4 – Cantatas Vol. 1, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Ruth Holton, Sytse Buwalda, Knut Schoch, Bas Ramselaar, Brilliant Classics1999
- J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 19 – Cantatas from Leipzig 1724, Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Yukari Nonoshita, Robin Blaze, Makoto Sakurada, Stephan MacLeod, BIS 2001
Notes
- ^ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
References
- ^ Dellal, Pamela. "BWV 37 – "Wer da gläubet und getauft wird"". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ ISBN 3-423-04080-7.
- ISBN 3-476-02127-0.
- OCLC 557698982.
- ^ a b Hofmann, Klaus (2001). "Wer da gläubet und getauft wird / (He that believeth and is baptized), BWV 37" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d Gardiner, John Eliot (2013). "Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–1750 / Cantatas Vol 28: City of London" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ "BWV 37". University of Alberta. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
Sources
- Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Wer da gläubet und getauft wird BWV 37; BC A 75 / Sacred cantata (Ascension Day) Bach Digital
- Cantata BWV 37 Wer da gläubet und getauft wird: history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, Bach Cantatas Website
- BWV 37 Wer da gläubet und getauft wird: English translation, University of Vermont
- Luke Dahn: BWV 37.6 bach-chorales.com