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Recordings & Discussions of Cantatas: Cantatas BWV 1-50 | Cantatas BWV 51-100 | Cantatas BWV 101-150 | Cantatas BWV 151-200 | Cantatas BWV 201-224 | Cantatas BWV Anh | Order of Discussion

Cantata BWV 118
O Jesu Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht

German Title

O Jesu Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht

English Title

O Jesus Christ, light of my life (most of the translations)

Event

Cantata (or motet) for the a funeral

Composed

Leipzig, 1736-1737 (according to most of the sources) | 1st performance (1st Version): 1736-1737 - Leipzig; 2nd performance (2nd Version): 1746-1747 ? - Leipzig

Text

Martin Behm ?

German Text | Translations: Dutch-4 | English-1 | English-6 | French | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian | Portuguese-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-2
Chorale Text: O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht

Scoring

4-part Chorus;
Orchestra 1st version: 2 litui, cornetto, 3 trombones, organ
Orchestra 2nd version: 2 litui, strings, organ continuo; Optional – 3 oboes and a bassoon doubling the vocal parts
Version 1 | Version 2

Score Vocal & Piano [0.60 MB] | Score BGA [0.74 MB]
Capella: Complete [cap]
Chorale Melody: Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht II

References

BGA: XXIV | NBA: III/1 | BC: B 23 | Zwang: - | First Published: BG, 1876

Commentary

BCW | Reyes [Spanish]

Music

Music Examples

Discussions

Week of April 1, 2001; Week of November 16, 2008

Contents

 

Complete Recordings
Recordings of Individual Movements

Discussions

Cantatas BWV 106, 118b, 198 - conducted by John Eliot Gardiner
A Bach Album - by Timothy Roberts & His Majesty’s Consort of Voices

Recordings

Complete Recordings

1

J.S. Bach: Soli Deo Gloria Vol. 10

Hans Pflugbeil

Greifswalde Bach Tage Choir / Bach-Orchester Berlin

-

Baroque Music Club

Late 1950's - Late 1960's ?

TT: 10:08

Buy this album at: Baroque Music Club

2

Les Grandes Cantates de J.S. Bach Vol. 22
Bach Choral Works: Volume 3

Fritz Werner

Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn / Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra

-

Erato / MHS

Jul 1966

TT: 4:22

 

3

Cantatas BWV 27, BWV 118, BWV 158 & BWV 59 [L-2]
Bach 2000 Volume 7 - The Motets, Chorales & Songs

Jürgen Jürgens

Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg / Concerto Amsterdam (Director: Jaap Schröder)

-

Teldec

1967

TT: 3::44

 

4

[C-1]

Mark Brown

Westminster Bach Choir / (No Orchestra)

Organ: Richard Townend

MFP (Music For Pleasure, a subsidiary of EMI )

1972

LP / TT: 5:20

Sung to English text paraphrasing Behm's hymn.

5

[C-1]

 

Sebastian Forbes

Aeloian Singers / Instrumental Group

Cello: Christoph van Kempen, Organ: Martin Neary

Decca Eclipse

1975 ?

LP/ TT:

 

6

J.S. Bach: Motets & Cantatas [E-1]

John Eliot Gardiner

Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists

-

Erato

Apr 1980

TT: 10:02

Recorded in All Saints Church, Tooting, England.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com

7

Thunder Pipes [C-1]

Edwin Flath

Valley Choral Society, California Bach Society Chorus / Chamber Orchestra

Organ: Edwin Flath

Bainbridge

1984

TT: 9:39

Buy this album at: Amazon.com

8

J.S. Bach: Funeral Cantatas [C-1]

John Eliot Gardiner

Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists

-

Archiv Produktion

Sep 1989

TT: 9:11

BWV 118b. Recorded at St. John's, Smith Square, London, England.
See: Cantatas BWV 106, 118b, 198 - conducted by John Eliot Gardiner
Buy this album at: Amazon.com | Amazon.com

9

Best of Baroque, Vol. 1. Featuring Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach: Die Motetten
[V-1]

Rolf Schweizer

Motettenchor Pforzheim / Bachorchester Pforzheim

-

Jägel GMBH / Mediaphon

Jun 1990

TT: 3:15

Buy this album at:

10

Edition Bachakademie Vol. 69 - Motets

Helmuth Rilling

Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart

-

Hänssler

Sep-Oct 1990

TT: 6:26

Recorded at Stiftskirche Kaugungen, Germany.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com

11

Palestrina/Bach: Missa sine nomine, Kuhnau, Pezel, Reiche [C-1]

Bruce Dickey (Cornett & Direction)

Small Choir / Concerto Palatino

Sopranos: Barbara Borden, Suzie LeBlanc, Emily Van Evera; Counter-tenor: David Cordier, Tenors: Rogers Covey-Crump, Harry Geraerts, Douglas Nasrawi, John Potter, Mark Howard, Ian Honeyman; Basses: Geert Smits, Kees Jan de Koning, Harry van der Kamp

EMI Classics

June 1992

TT: 4:12

 

12

Motetten II (Bach und seine Nachfolger im Amt des Thomaskantors) [V-2]

Georg Christoph Biller

Thomanerchor Leipzig / Capella Thomana & Baroque Brass of London

-

Philips

Feb 1997

TT: 4:16

Recorded at Paul-Gerhardt-Kirche, Leipzig-Connewitz, Germany.
Buy this album at:

13

De Johann - A Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets [C-1]

Francoise Lasserre

Akademia - Ensemble Vocal Regional de Champagne-Ardenne / La Fenice

Altos: Patrick Van Goethem, Christophe Laporte; Tenors: Jean-Luc Baudin, Erik Gruchet, Hugues Primard; Basses: Philippe Roche, Eric Guillermin, Paul Willenbrock

Pierre Verany

July 1997

TT:5:21

Recorded at Temple Saint-Jean, Paris, France.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com

14

Bach Edition Vol. 17 - Vocal Works Vol. 2 [C-13]

Pieter Jan Leusink

Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium

-

Brilliant Classics

Nov 1999 - Jan 2000

TT: 7:46

Recorded at St. Nicolaschurch, Elburg, Holland.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.de

15

A Bach Album [C-1]

Timothy Roberts

His Majesty’s Consort of Voices / His Majesty's Sagbutts and Cornetts

Soprano: Julia Gooding; Alto: Ashley Stafford; Tenor: Agnus Smith; Bass: Robert Macdonald

Hyperion

Nov-Dec 2000

TT: 8:28

Recorded at Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hamstead, London, England.
See: A Bach Album - by Timothy Roberts & His Majesty’s Consort of Voices
Buy this album at: Amazon.com

16

J.S. Bach: The Seven Motets [C-2]

Paul Spicer

Birmingham Bach Choir

Organ: Robert Sharpe

BBC

2000

TT:

Live performances from concerts

17

J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 21

Ton Koopman

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir (Choir Master: Ulrike Grosch)

-

Antoine Marchand

Oct 2003

TT: 4:11

Recorded at Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam, Holland.
Buy this album at: : Amazon.com

18

J.S. Bach: The Motets and Related Works [C-1]

Jörg Straube

Norddeutscher Figuralchor / Baroque Brass of London, Bach Orchestra-Hannover

-

Thorofon

2003

TT: 4:31

Buy this album at: Amazon.com

19

J.S. Bach: Singet! [V-1]

Laurence Cummings

RAM Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir

-

Cantoris C6065

2006 ?

TT: 

 

The list of recordings was compiled by Aryeh Oron (April 2001 - January 2008)
Thanks to contributors: Rudolf Bayer (October 2003), Charles Francis (August 2004), Ehud Shiloni (August 2006)

Cantata BWV 118: Recordings | Discussions

Recordings & Discussions of Cantatas: Cantatas BWV 1-50 | Cantatas BWV 51-100 | Cantatas BWV 101-150 | Cantatas BWV 151-200 | Cantatas BWV 201-224 | Cantatas BWV Anh | Order of Discussion

Introduction | Cantatas | Other Vocal | Non-Vocal | Performers | General Topics | Articles | Books | Movies
Biographies | Texts & Translations | Scores | References | Commentary | Music | Concerts | Bach Tour | Memorabilia
Chorale Texts | Chorale Melodies | Lutheran Church Year | Readings | Poets & Composers | Transcriptions
Search Website | Search Works/Movements | Terms & Abbreviations | Copyright Notice | How to contribute | Links

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Last update: ýAugust 10, 2006 ý14:47:27