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Cantata BWV 40
Dazu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes
Discussions - Part 4 |
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Continue from Part 3 |
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Discussions in the Week of December 13, 2015 (4th round) |
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William L. Hoffman wrote (December 13, 2015):
Christmas 2 Cantata 40: Darzu ist erschienen: Intro.
Having performed a repeat of his masterful but general Cantata 63, “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag” (Christians, engrave this day) on Christmas Day 1723, with no chorales, Bach for the Second Day of Christmas presented a completely different, original work with dramatic and allegorical overtones using festive horns for the first time and containing three congregational chorales in a seemingly new cantata form for the first Leipzig Cycle.
Cantata BWV 40 opens with a celebratory chorus: “Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, / daß er die Werke des Teufels zerstöre.” (For this reason the Son of God appeared, /so that he might destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8). The second day of the three-day Christmas emphasizes the adoration of the shepherds while, alternately, observing the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr who challenged evil. Thus Bach has the best of both worlds and includes in the middle of eight-movement Cantata 40, three diabolical serpent movements (nos. 4-6), including a bass rage aria in 12/8 pastorale dance style!1
Cantata 40 was presented on Sunday, December 26, in observance of the Feast of St. Stephen, at the main service of the Thomas Church, with deacon Urban Gottfried Sieber presenting the sermon (not extant) on the gospel text, Matthew 23:34-37, “Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets,” and at the main vesper service of the Nikolaikirche, deacon Friedrich Werner preaching the sermon (not extant) on the day’s epistle, Luke’s account in Acts 6:8-72a and 7:51-9, the martyrdom of Stephen, says Martin Petzoldt in Bach Commentary, Vol. 2, Advent to Trinityfest.2 For the complete texts, see “Lutheran Church Year: Readings for Second Day of Christmas and the Feast of Saint Stephen,” BCW http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Read/Christmas2.htm. The German text is that of Luther’s translation published in 1545, the English is the Authorised (King James) Version 1611.
The Introit Psalm for the Second Day of Christmas was Psalm 98, Cantate Domino, “Sing unto the Lord a new song” (KJV), says Petzoldt (Ibid.: 139) and the full text can be found at http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-Chapter-98/
Chorales & Cantata Forms
Bach developed a new musical sermon form for Cantata 40, which is actually a variant of the established structure. At the same time, Bach composed secular-style operatic music in his bass serpent rage aria, (no. 4), “Höllische Schlange, / Wird dir nicht bange?” (Infernal serpent, / are you not afraid?), while using three plain chorales interspersed, two for Christmas (nos. 3 & 8) and a Paul Gerhardt Passion chorale (nos. 6). Movement 3 is verse 3 of the chorale “Wir Christenleut haben jetzund Freud” (We Christian people have joy now) by Kaspar Füger (1592); Mvt. 6 is the 2nd verse of the chorale “Schwing dich auf zu deinem Gott” (Raise yourself up to your God) by Paul Gerhardt (1653); and Mvt. 8 is the 4th verse of the chorale “Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle” (Rejoice, all you Christians), by Christian Keymann (1646).3
Thus, to the sacred congregational atmosphere of the three hymns, Bach blends secular elements, including two dance-style movements, the rage aria and the contrasting tenor aria in 12/8 pastorale-giga style (no. 7), “Christenkinder, freuet euch! / Wütet schon das Höllenreich” (Children of Christ, rejoice! / The kingdom of hell now rages). In effect, the three serpent movements become an oratorical scena I the manner of Bach’s three Passion oratorios of Mathew, John, and Mark. This cantata form of internal chorale with opening biblical chorus and closing chorale plus alternating recitatives and arias, constitutes what Alfred Dürr defined as the second group of cantata structures in the first cycle.4 They are Cantatas 48, 40, 64, 153, 65 and 67, for Trinity 19, Christmas 2 and 3, Sunday after New Year, Epiphany Feast, and First Sunday after Easter, respectively. Essentially, this second group with an internal plain chorale is a variant of the first and most typical form of opening chorus, closing chorale and internal, alternating arias and recitatives.
Cantata 40 Special Features
The striking opening chorus, text reference to the Feast of St. Stephen, and special arias are found in Klaus Hofmann’s 2000 liner notes to the Masaaki Suzuki BIS recording (on line, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqcoL-i25fE.5 <<Two horns are used to open the cantata, something the Leipzig congregation had not witnessed before. This is a festive movement about the appearance of the Son of God on earth, who - as the cantata explains - had come to "destroy the works of the devil". This work of destruction is portrayed in the chorus by repeated percussive notes and extended coloratura, but all these illustrative elements are subordinated to a festive Christmas spirit and to a liturgical dignity of textual presentation within a wide-ranging musical framework. The biblical text is presented in three sections and in two different ways: in the outer parts in free madrigal form and a somewhat more homophonic style, and by contrast in the central part, a strictly polyphonic fugal movement. Bach must have remembered this splendid piece in the late 1730s, for he imitated it in his F major mass (BWV 233) with the text "Cum Sancto Spiritu".
The cantata has little obvious connection with the gospel for the 2nd Day of Christmas (Luke 2: 15-20) which is the story of the shepherds' visit to the stable in Bethlehem. Perhaps Bach lacked a suitable text and took what was available, perhaps having some details amended by an author. Alfred Dürr [Ibid.: 108] suggests that the martyrdom of St. Stephen, which is traditionally remembered on the 2nd Day of Christmas, is more in the forefront of the original poem than is the Christmas story. Bach followed this with 2 exceedingly characteristic arias: a wide-ranging, operatic bass solo, triumphant about the "hellish snake", whose head the Messiah has broken in victory, and a tenor aria - whose text points us to the joy and trust of Christmas - that is rich in coloratura and is exquisitely scored for horns and oboes. A Christmas song concludes the work, a verse from Christian Keymann's poem "Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle" ("All Christian men rejoice") on the popular tune by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1646), looking forward towards the new year and with an expression of joyous trust: "Freude, Freude ueber Freude!" Christus wehret allem Leide" ("Joy, Joy beyond Joy! Christ defends against all suffering").>>
Varied Scholarly Commentary
A rich variety of commentary selections of Bach scholars is cited in Thomas Braatz’s BCW Commentary, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Guide/BWV40-Guide.htm: Craig Smith has extensive musical commentary, Philipp Spitta contrasts Cantata 40 with the Christmas day music of Cantata 63 and the Magnificat, Woldemar Voigt summarizes the text, Albert Schweitzer’s includes a vivid description of the bass rage aria while denigrating the contrafaction of the opening chorus as the closing chorus in the Kyrie-Gloria Mass in F Major (BWV 233), W. Gillies Whittaker describes in detail “one of the most perfect cantatas, every number being of superb quality,” Alfred Durr offers his usually impressive analysis, and Christoph Wolff is cited in one observation: “In order not to exhaust the choir(s) during the Christmas to Epiphany holiday season, Bach used more chorales in his cantatas and avoided using solo soprano voices.”
Aryeh Oron wrote (March 3, 2003): BCML Discussion Part 1, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40-D.htm
BWV 40 - <<Background - The Three Serpent Movements The background belowis based mostly on Robertson and Young books and something of my own:
The aria for bass (Mvt. 4) is one of Bach’s finest arias. The pictorial quality of this [“rage” operatic-style] aria is remarkable. The sinuous obsessive rhythm depicting the serpent, which personifies Satan, is present throughout the aria until the last line: ‘Werden mit ewigem Frieden beglückt’ (will be made happy with everlasting peace). We hear and seem to see the angry stamping of the heel that crushes its head, as in the Biblical prophecy.
The ensuing recitative for alto (Mvt. 5) continues to portray the picturesque imagery of the serpent, accompanied by a gently rocking rhythm, in which Bach visualises in hanging from a tree above Eve. The text speaks of the serpent who brought about the fall of man in Paradise, but it no longer excites fear. The Saviour takes its poison away. The declamation is superb and the nature of the lovely instrumental accompaniment is obviously related to the comforting last line: ‘Drum sei getrost! betrübter Sünder’ (Therefore be comforted, grieving sinner).
The chorale of Mvt. 6 is the second verse of Paul Gerhardt’s hymn, “Schüttle deinen Kopf und sprich: / Fleuch, du alte Schlange!” (Shake your head and say: flee, you old serpent!); (1653), with its associated melody (1680) magnificently harmonised, follows on the message of the recitative. In this chorale the believer refuses to let the old serpent return; he is removed from the serpent by the suffering of his Saviour.>>
Serpent Influences
Says Peter Smaill (January 1, 2006, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40-D2.htm):<< What of the triple reference to the serpent in BWV 40/4-6, in his various guises as set out by Aryeh Oron in the previous discussions in 2000? By chance I recently examined the one hymnbook known to have been owned by Bach, the 1538 "Ein Hubsch New Gesangbuch" of the Bohemian Brethren by Michael Weisse, in Glasgow University. The frontispiece is of a serpent curling down from the Tree of Knowledge to devour a skull, with it appears an axe or hammer nearby (?to crush the head thereof?).
There is a suggestion that this is the rebus of the Ulm printer Hans Varnier(?). At any rate, Bach would have known this powerful image through owning this book, one of the earliest hymnals.
The collection has many dozens of chorales, but on cursory inspection only seven interrelate with the incipits in the Reimenschneider “371”: one of these being, perhaps in an earlier form, “Freuet Euch”, which closes BWV 40.
More importantly, this hymnbook is the source for the Chorale opening Part 2 of the SJP, “ Christus, der uns selig macht”, with its marvellous alliteration:
“Und fälschlich verklaget,
Verlacht, verhöhnt und verspeit”
(“and falsely accused,
Deride, spat upon, vilely mocked”.)
For these reasons it seems plausible that Bach owned this hymnbook by 1723, though I stress that the coincidental links to BWV 40 are my speculation alone. As to the general authenticity of the book, despite not being in the Inventory at Bach’s death and, unlike the Calov Bible, unmarked (in superb condition throughout), there seems no doubt as to its authenticity due to the circumstances of its arrival in the United Kingdom via C P E Bach and Charles Burney. It was reviewed some thirty years ago by Robin Leaver and is referred to by Christoph Wolff in “Bach : The Learned Musician”. (http://www.hoasm.org/IVC/HubschGesangbuch.html) gives an impression of its appearance and outlines the provenance.
So here is Bach owning a book by a subset of the Moravian Brethren, considered somewhat heretical by Luther (who knew Weisse), and who were suppressed by the Elector Augustus III in the mid 1730’s, around the time the MBM was being presented to the Saxon Court. It is yet another confirmation of the breadth of Bach's outlook and willingness to accept sources distant in time and orthodoxy from the Leipzig in which he celebrated the Christmas festivities in 1723.>>
(An accounting of Michael Weisse’s Advent hymns and Bach’s uses is found at BCW, “Musical Context of Bach Cantatas: Motets & Chorales for Sundays in Advent,” http://www.bach-cantatas.com/LCY/M&C-Advent.htm.
Weisse and his brethren also had pre-Reformation and Reformation influences on the Easter chorale, “Erstanden ist der heilige/Herre Christ” (Arisen is the Holy/Lord Christ).
Cantata 40 Movements, Scoring, Incipits, Key, Meter:6
1. Chorus free da-capo prelude & fugue [SATB; Corno I/II, Oboe I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo]: “Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, / daß er die Werke des Teufels zerstöre.” (For this reason the Son of God appeared, /so that he might destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8); F Major, 4/4.
2. Recitative [Tenor, Continuo]: “Das Wort ward Fleisch und wohnet in der Welt” (The Word became flesh and dwells in the world, 1 John 1:14); F Major to B-flat Major; 4/4.
3. Chorale plain [SATB; Corno I e Oboe I e Violino I col Soprano, Oboe II e Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo]: “Die Sünd macht Leid; / Christus bringt Freud” (Sin causes sorrow, / Christ brings joy); g minor; 4/4.
4. Aria (rage) two-part with ritornelli [Bass; Oboe I/II, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo]: A. “Höllische Schlange, / Wird dir nicht bange?” (Infernal serpent, / are you not afraid?); B. “Der dir den Kopf als ein Sieger zerknickt, / Ist nun geboren” “The one who as a conqueror crushes your head / has now been born); d minor 3/8 pastorale style.
5. Recitative accompaganto [Alto; Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo]: “Die Schlange, . . . / Bringt uns nicht mehr Gefahr” (The serpent, . . . [Genesis 3:15] / causes us danger no more); B-flat Major; 4/4.
6. Chorale plain [SATB; Corno I e Oboe I e Violino I col Soprano, Oboe II e Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo]: “Schüttle deinen Kopf und sprich: / Fleuch, du alte Schlange!” (Shake your head and say: flee, you old serpent!); d minor; 4/4.
7. Aria free da-capo [Tenor; Corno I/II, Oboe I/II, Continuo]: “Christenkinder, freuet euch! / Wütet schon das Höllenreich” (Children of Christ, rejoice! / The kingdom of hell now rages); F Major; 12/8 pastorale-giga style.
8. Chorale plain [SATB; Corno I e Oboe I e Violino I col Soprano, Oboe II e Violino II coll'Alto, Viola col Tenore, Continuo]: “Jesu, nimm dich deiner Glieder” (Jesus, take care of your members); f minor; 4/4.
Bach’s Horns: Appropiate & Rhetorical
Bach’s first use of pairs of horns with oboes in a festive pastorale style is most appropriate for the Second Day of Christmas, the Adoration of the Shepherds. Bach’s use of horns in Cantata 40 and Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 reflect the concept of Caesar’s Triumph and Court Spectacle, says: Kim Patrick Clow in Cantata 40 BCML Discussions Part 4 (April 21, 2009): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40-D3.htm. He cites conductor Philip Pickett's research into baroque allegorical symbolism and rhetorical devices, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Guide/BWV40-Kim.pdf
<<While most commentators observe the military aspects present in the cantata's text, a great deal of the commentary overlooks or is unaware of the important element of rhetoric ("musical speech") in the Baroque, especially the use of the horn and its connection to classical Roman motifs. I'm focusing the discussion on that subject for this week, and specifically for the opening chorus for this cantata; I believe that for Bach and his peers, the use of the horn in Christmas cantatas was a rhetorical device to conjure images of Roman triumphal processions: the triumph of Caesar marching into Rome, with Jesus Christ as the new victor, having conquered Satan.>>
Clow discusses Renaissance and Baroque court spectacle with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no 1 with horns as “Caesar's Triumph.” << BWV 40: Christ's Birth as Triumph: December 1723, was Bach's first Christmas in Leipzig, so much of the instrumental pieces he composed in öthen, would have been fresh in his mind. Using the cantata text as his launch point for the opening chorus ("For this is appeared the Son of God, that he destroy all the works of the devil.") I firmly believe the rhetorical device for this piece was a transformation of Caesar's triumph in Brandenburg Concerto no 1 to Christ's triumph in BWV 40's opening chorus (please listen to the mp3s detailed below as well as the Sibelius files). Both pieces share many similar qualities: they're both in the same key, and share similar motifs: such as processional marching bass line and blaring horn blasts. This notion is borne out by the subsequent stanzas in the cantata text, which stressed the victory of over Satan, e.g. the fantastic bass aria "Höllische Schlange."
Bach was not alone in using horns for such rhetorical purposes in German Baroque cantata literature. Bach's predecessor, Johann Kuhnau wrote a cantata requiring 2 horns for the Feast of the Annunciation (related to the birth of Christ) "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern." Other composers such as Georg Philipp Telemann, Christoph Graupner, and Johann Fasch would include horns in their compositions for Christmas in a manner very similar to Bach. It's apparent there was common tradition and framework that was the basis for these pieces, and not some random compositional coincidence, as you will hear by listening to the Sibelius files and mp3s.
Count von Sporck, Horn & Bach
Bach’s use of horns in Cantata 40 also may have been motivated by historical-biographical elements at Christmastime 1723 (source, BCML Discussion Cantata 65, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV65-D3.htm).
<<Turning to the golden horns, I am reminded in the opening Magi chorus of another wonderful, brassy opening chorus, "Dazu ist erschienen," BWV 40, for the Third Day of Christmas," performed December 27, 1723, just 10 days prior! Bach later parodied that movement as the closing "sicut erat in principio" of the Missa Brevis iF, BWV 233, possibly commissioned by the horn advocate, Count Anton von Sporck (see Wikipedia on line). Another coincidence or just a serendipitous situation? You'll find both the Missa and Cantata BWV 65 in the McCreesh <Bach Epiphany Mass>
Here's my take on Bach and the horn c. 1724. I start with a quote from W. Gillies Whittaker's Bach Cantatas (II: 703f) near the end, in his discussion of the Peasant Cantata gallant bass solo with horn, No. 16, "Es nehme zehntausand Dukaten":
"Count von Sporck, a Stattholder of Bohemia, was a noted friend of music and spent his wealth freely in its cause. He sent German artists to be educated in Italy, he introduced Italian opera [especially Vivaldi] into Bohemia, he made two of his servants learn the newly invented `French horn', and so made it known in Germany. Picander dedicated to him his first collection of religious verse [1725], in spite of the fact that it was Protestant in character and Sporck a devout Catholic. But the count viewed matters of religion with a tolerance rare in those narrow-minded and embittered times. He must have been friendly towards Bach, because the <Sanctus> of the Hohe Messe was sent to him by the composer. He allied to his cultural and religious interests a zeal for hunting. Gottfried Benjamin Hanke, a Silesian Clerk of the Excise in Dresden, wrote a hunting song for the Count, `Frisch auf zum froehlichen Jagen.. This was in 1724; it was popular in Bohemia in 1730, and was so well known in Saxony in 1742, the date of the cantata [BWV 212], that it is incorporated as a local folk-tune."
IMVHO it is quite possible that Count Sporck visited Leipzig at Christmas 1723 and stayed on for the Winter Fair through Epiphany time. This was also about the time Bach began using texts of Picander. The Sanctus was presented on Christmas Day. Another possible coincidence, though still tenuous, is the bass aria with horn solo, "Quoniam to solus sanctus," the penultimate number in Bach's 1733 Missa discussed above. It may be a parody of an aria from the Feb. 12, 1725, sacred wedding Cantata BWV Anh. 14, "Thy blessing flows there like a storm," for the wedding of a Leipzig merchant, possibly a friend of von Sporck.
Important information on Cantata 40 text, composition, and horn parts are found in Thomas Braatz’s BCW “Provenance” (http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Ref/BWV40-Ref.htm, source NBA I/3.1, Xmas 2, Alfred Dürr 2000). <<The Autograph Score: After Bach’s death C.P.E. Bach inherited. It was listed among the items in C.P.E. Bach’s estate in 1790. Next it was listed as belonging to the Berliner Singakademie which put it up for sale in 1854. The BB, the present owner, acquired in 1855. The title on top of the 1st page of the score reads: “J.J. Concerto Feria 2. Nativ: Xsti.” In the score the word ‘Choral’ appears only twice and the only recitative is marked with ‘Recit.’ The text of the final chorale is marked only with the beginning words in the tenor part: “Jesu nim dich p.” At the end only a ‘Fine’ appears.
The Set of Original Parts: These come from the Bach collection of Georg Poelchau. In 1844 they were acquired by the BB where they are located today. Most of the 17 parts were copied by Johann Andreas Kuhnau.
Parodies: Mvt. 6 of the mass “Cum Sancto Spiritu” (BWV 233 – Missa in F major) is a parody of the introductory choral mvt. of this cantata BWV 40.
Text: The librettist is unknown. The text of Mvt. 1 comes from 1 John 3:8 [“But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the Devil”]; Mvt. 3 is verse 3 of the chorale “Wir Christenleut haben jetzund Freud” (We Christian people have joy now) by Kaspar Füger (1592); Mvt. 6 is the 2nd verse of the chorale “Schwing dich auf zu deinem Gott” (Raise yourself up to your God) by Paul Gerhardt (1653); and Mvt. 8 is the 4th verse of the chorale “Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle” (Rejoice, all you Christians), by Christian Keymann (1646).
Dürr adds to the textual references: Mvt. 2 the words, “Das Wort ward Fleisch und wohnet in der Welt” relates to John 1:14 [“So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us.”] Mvt. 5 “Die Schlange, so im Paradies auf alle Adamskinder das Gift der Sünde fallen ließ“ to Genesis 3 where in verse15 the words appear: „Ich will Feindschaft setzen zwischen dir und dem Weibe und zwischen deinem Samen und ihrem Samen. Derselbe soll dir den Kopf zertreten…“ [From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."] which in Bach’s time were understood to point to the coming of Christ. Mvt. 4 & Mvt. 6 also use the image of the snake or serpent whose head was crushed by Christ. The phrase in Mvt. 7 “Jesus…nimmt sich seiner Küchlein an” uses an image that related to the Gospel for St. Stephen’s Day which is also the 2nd Day of Christmas (Matthew 23: 37) “Wie oft habe ich deine Kinder versammeln wollen, wie eine Henne versammelt ihre Küchlein unter ihre Flügel; und ihr habt nicht gewollt!” [ "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.”]
Time of Composition: According to Dürr’s analysis of handwriting and paper (watermarks, etc.), this cantata was first performed in Leipzig on the 2nd Day of Christmas in 1723. The existence of the part 17 above points to another performance of this cantata between 1746 and 1750.
The Notation of the Horn Parts: The concertante horn parts in Mvt. 1 & Mvt. 7 in both the score and the parts are notated as transposed to C major. Although not more specifically indicated by Bach, the most likely assumption is that these are horns in F, since both mvts. are in F major. The parts will then sound a fifth lower than Bach notated them. But in the chorale mvts. (Mvt. 3, Mvt. 6, and Mvt. 8) the 1st horn has to play along with the sopranos the actually sounding notes while the 2nd horn rests. The question remains whether different instruments were used in thicase (tromba da tirarsi or zink.) [According to the Csibas [Brass Instruments in Bach’s Works] horns in F are 12 ft. long and they see no need for a different instrument to play colla parte with the sopranos in the chorales.>>
FOOTNOTES
1Cantata 40 Details and revised and update Discography, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40.htm. Score Vocal & Piano [1.90 MB], http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Scores/BWV040-V&P.pdf, | Score BGA [3.54 MB], http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BGA/BWV040-BGA.pdf. References: BGA VII (Cantatas 31-40, Wilhelm Rust, 1857, NBA KB I/3.1 (Christmas 2 Cantatas, Dürr 2000), Bach Compendium BC A 12, Zwang: K 53.
2 Petzoldt, Bach Kommentar: Theologisch Musikwissenschaftlicke Kommentierung der Geistlichen Vokalwerke Johann Sebastan Bachs; Vol. 2, Die Geistlichen Kantaten vom 1. Advent bis zum Trinitatisfest; Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2007: 145).
3 Chorale Text authors BCW Short biographies: Kaspar Füger Mvt. 3), See: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Fuger.htm; Paul Gerhardt (Mvt. 6), See: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Gerhardt.htm
Christian Keymann (Mvt. 8), See: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Keymann.htm . Other movement text author: Anon [possibly Christian Weiss, Sr., or J.S. Bach] (Mvts. 2, 4, 5, 7). Chorales used in this cantata Bach used 3 different chorales in this cantata: Mvt. 3, Verse 3 of Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud. See: CT: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale055-Eng3.htm, CM: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Wir-Christenleut.htm; Mvt. 6, Verse 2 Schwing dich auf zu deinem Gott. See: CT http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale057-Eng3.htm, CM: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Schwing-dich-auf-zu-deinem-Gott.htm; Mvt. 8, Verse 4 of Freuet euch, ihr Christen alle. See: CT: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale058-Eng3.htm, CM: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Freuet-euch-ihr-Christen.htm.
4 Dürr, Alfred. Cantatas of J. S. Bach, revised and translated by Richard D. P. Jones (Oxford University Press, New York, 2005: 27).
5 Summary Short Commentary of John Pike (January 1, 2006), BCML Discussion Part 2, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40-D2.htm; Hofmann liner notes, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Pic-Rec-BIG/Suzuki-C15c[BIS-CD1111].pdf; BCW Recording details, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Performers/Suzuki.htm#C15.
6Cantata 40, Francis Browne English translation, BCW, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV40-Eng3.htm. |
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Aryeh Oron wrote (December 17, 2015):
BWV 40 - Revised & updated Discography
The discography pages of Cantata BWV 40 "Dazu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes" (For this reason the Son of God appeared) for the 2nd Day of Christmas on the BCW have been revised and updated.
The cantata is scored for alto, tenor & bass soloists; 4-part chorus; and orchestra of 2 horns, 2 oboes, 2 violins, viola & continuo. See:
Complete Recordings (17): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40.htm
Recordings of Individual Movements (15): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40-2.htm
The revised discography includes many listening/watching options to recordings directly from the discography pages, just below the recording details.
I also put at the BCW Home Page: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/
2 audios and 2 videos of the cantata. A short description below the audio/video image is linked to the full details at the discography pages.
I believe this is the most comprehensive discography of this cantata. If you are aware of a recording of BWV 40 missing from these pages, or want to correct/add details of a recording already presented on the BCW, please do not hesitate to inform me.
You can also read on the BCW the recent discussion of the cantata in the BCML (4th round): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV40-D4.htm |
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