Cantata BWV 48
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen
Discussions - Part 1
Discussions in the Week of October 6, 2002
Aryeh Oron wrote (October 8, 2002):
BWV 48 - Introduction
The subject of this week’s discussion (October 6, 2002), according to Klaus Langrock’s suggested list, is the Chorale Cantata BWV 48 ‘Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes?’ (Miserable man that I am, who will free me from the body of this death?). Bach set two different hymns for this cantata for the 19th Sunday after Trinity: one for the opening and the closing movements and the other quoted for Mvt. 3. There are only two soloists, alto and Bass, each one is given a recitative and an aria to sing.
The Gospel for the day is Matthew 9: 1-8 – Jesus heals the palsy-afflicted man by forgiving him his sins. From this scripture the unknown librettist derived the message that Christ’s forgiveness for our sins will heal us in body and in soul.
Recordings
The details of the recordings of this cantata can be found at the following page of the Bach Cantatas Website: Cantata BWV 48 - Recordings
Since this cantata was composed in 1723, for the first Cantata Cycle in Leipzig, all the five complete recordings of this cantata come from the recorded cantata cycles: Rilling [1], Harnoncourt [2], Koopman [3], Suzuki [4], and Leusink [5].
Additional Information
In the page of recordings mentioned above you can also find links to:
The original German text (at Walter F. Bischof Website); English translations by Francis Browne and Z. Philip Ambrose; French translation by Walter F. Bischof; Hebrew translation by Aryeh Oron;
Score (Vocal & Piano version);
Commentary: in English by Simon Crouch (Listener’s Guide); in Spanish by Julio Sánchez Reyes:
Should I say how stupendous is the opening chorus and how magnificent is the aria for tenor? Listen and judge for yourself! The list of the soloists includes four counter-tenors against one contralto and five good tenors. Let us see who will be the most enjoyable and effective in conveying the message this time.
I hope to see many of you participating in the discussion.
Juozas Rimas wrote (October 9, 2002):
I have to base my judgement about this cantata on Harnoncourt's [2] and Suzuki's [4] versions. I hope to get Rilling's [1] later.
The opening chorus is exceptional. It seems to have the best traits of the Mozartian ability to produce gems in the minor key with minimal means along with the usual Bach's overall mastery. The trumpet is such a nice touch - the several sounds of the instrument are enough to increase the grievousness immensely. The oboe is heard better in Suzuki's version. I hear echos of this chorus later in the tenor aria and the trumpet returns in the chorales, giving this cantata a perfect structure. Both Harnoncourt and Suzuki employ a slow tempo which is very welcome in the opening chorus for careful listening. Interestingly, Suzuki speeds up the arias while Harnoncourt saves more of the mood, induced by the chorus, throughout the cantata.
I will soon get prejudiced about Esswood because his recitative again seems to me so much worse than Equiluz tenor recitative or Robin Blaze's recitative in the Suzuki's version. I refuse to feel any emotion in his singing, especially when he is trying to emphasize things with a lifted voice. Compare Equiluz' lifted voice in the tenor recitative (at 0:31) and Esswood's lifted voice at 0:22, 0:49, 1:03. There is a difference in the voice control, IMHO, and in Equiluz' favor. Robin Blaze has a considerably more pleasant timbre to me than Esswood and I'm quite satisfied with Blaze's recitative. However, I would be interested to hear the rendition of Marga Höffgen (the only lady in the company of altos in the recordings of the cantata listed on the website).
Esswood is gentler in the aria (as if someone came up and put the microphone farther from him) but Blaze seems to be miles ahead. The oboe line proved to me once again the truthfulness of Aryeh's signature line by Forkel. On the very first listen it's hard to "catch" it but with repetitive listening it gets more and more beautiful. It's an interesting phenomenon with Bach's musics - in pop music, the first impression may be good but it deteriorates with each consecutive listen. Harnoncourt's aria is slower than Suzuki's - and I liked both tempos – but the oboe playing is more expressive in the Suzuki's version.
I don't agree with Simon Crouch's disappointment with the tenor aria. I have found so much great music by JSB which completely lacks an easily accessible, "catchy" tune. Moreover, I'd say generally such "hard" music can endure many more listens than the popular tunes. With all due amazement about, for instance, "Air on the G string", I decided to take a break from it for several years. However, I listen to the 24th fugue from WTCI and the 22th fugue from WTCII up to two times a month for a year or so now and that excruciatingly obscure music doesn't wear off...
Returning to the tenor aria of BWV 48: I listen to the tenor part as a subtle complement to the already wonderful ochestra part. The simple theme is repeated by orchestra and the singer many times but it doesn't get boring by any means (moreover, the aria itself is very short - well under 4 minutes). I know Gerd Tuerk from the Cantus Cölln OVPP CD. Tuerk and Equiluz are of similar, very acceptable level in the aria - I can't really choose between them. In some other cantatas Equiluz may sound exalted (over-emotional) at times but here he doesn't cross any limits. Suzuki's orchestra is much more lively but it's also a matter of taste whether you want this aria to sound like a gavotte (Suzuki) or in a more restrained form (Harnoncourt) :) In a word - it's great to have two interchangeable versions of the same work :D
The final chorale is so softly sad with the line of the trumpet! To me, it seemed to have the austere flavor of the winds that Jordi Savall's used in his rendition of the Art of Fugue. Incidentally, is it the usual Baroque habit to end a minor piece with a major note (a sort of the Baroque musical "happy end")? I expected it, as always, and it happened in this chorale too :)
Thomas Braatz wrote (October 9, 2002):
< Juozas Rimas Jr commented: Incidentally, is it the usual Baroque habit to end a minor piece with a major note (a sort of the Baroque musical "happy end")? I expected it, as always, and it happened in this chorale too :) >>
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians has an article on this under "Tierce de Picardie or Picardy 3rd" stating "The raised 3rd degree of the tonic chord when it is used for the ending of a mvt. or composition in a minor mode, in order to give the ending a greater sense of 'finality.' The term was introduced by Rousseau in his 'Dictionnaire de musique' (1767), though no explanation for this name is known." Its use was common in the 16th century and throughout the Baroque and is considered 'standard' by some writers.
It is interesting that Bach would never have used this term, nor am I aware of any other term that he would have used instead. He simply followed a long-standing tradition (not esoteric nor unwritten!)
Philippe Bareille wrote (October 11, 2002):
Another cantata full of despair and woe "O wretched man I, and who will deliver me". This cantata requires to get acquainted with it at leisure, revealing its beauty only gradually.
[2] I have the Harnoncourt version only. In the opening chorus the conductor sets the tone a bit too forcefully. He is plodding along the chorus to emphasise the wretchedness of man destiny. He is a bit too didactic here and by overstating the elements of the score he turns the chorus into a laborious task. He may be right rhetorically. He just wants to put themessage across. However, I long for a smoother reading.
The two arias one for alto and the other for tenor have a lot to offer. In the former, Esswood despite his problems with controlling his vibrato brings an anguished tone particularly apt in this instance. I like the oboe of the late Jurg Schaeftlein always full of deep intuition and eloquence (he died in the early 80's before the completion of the entire cycle). He is technically inferior to the new generation of oboists such as Marcel Ponseele but he is no less moving.
I agree with Aryeh that the tenor aria is particularly poignant, especially when it is sung by Kurt Equiluz. The instrumental playing is a bit dry and abrupt but to my ears still enjoyable.
Another rewarding cantata. A good but uneven performance by Harnoncourt.
Aryeh Oron wrote (October 12, 2002):
BWV 48 - The Recordings
Last week I have been listening to the following recordings of Cantata BWV 48:
[1] Helmuth Rilling (1973)
[2] Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1975)
[3] Ton Koopman (1998)
[4] Masaaki Suzuki (2000)
[5] Pieter Jan Leusink (2000)
Background & Review
Only Mvts. 1, 4 & 6 are reviewed.
The background below is taken from the following sources:
Alec Robertson: ‘The Church Cantatas of J.S. Bach’ (1972), and
W. Murray Young: ‘The Cantatas of J.S. Bach – An Analytical Guide’ (1989).
Mvt. 2 Chorus
Tromba, Oboe I/II all' unisono, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes?
(Miserable man that I am, who will free me from the body of this death?)
Robertson: The text is taken from Romans 7: 24, and comes in the sentence in which St. Paul laments that though he wants to do right, evil lies close at hand. The law of his mind with another law making him captivate to the law of sin that dwells in his members. The main motif on the first violins, in the introductory ritornello, ascends phrase by phrase to a high point of the impassioned questioning. Sopranos and altos then comes in, in canon, with the one line of text that suffices Bach in this masterly chorus, while trumpet and oboes, also in canon, begin the chorale, ‘Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir’ (Lord Jesus Christ, I cry to Thee), the cry of the greatly troubled soul. In this way Bach gives expression to what was in St Paul’s heart, the congregation of course recognising the allusion.
Young: The chorale tune is played by strings only for the opening ritornello, into which the trumpet and the unison oboes enter in canon as the sopranos and the altos begin to sing, also in canon. Bach gives their voices a tear-motif suited to their text. The whole choir voices the lament of the palsy-stricken man, who represents all mankind suffering with disease of body or soul.
Timings: Rilling [1] (4:08), Harnoncourt [2] (5:32), Koopman [3] (5:10), Suzuki [4] (5:55), Leusink [5] (5:16)
Although Rilling’s rendition [1] is the shortest of all five, he does not seem to miss anything. The canon of the sopranos and the altos is clearly heard, as well as the canon of the trumpets and oboes. What is more important is that it is saturated with deep sorrow and despair of the miserable human being. Harnoncourt’s rendition [2] is a waste of good resources. The singing of the choir is clean, and the old instruments have their charm. But here Harnoncourt presents his fragmented approach in its extreme. It is as if he wants deliberately to ‘kill’ any possibility of motion and expression. Koopman [3] avoids adhering to Harnoncourt’s approach. His rendition is light and clear. I could even call it light weight. It is as if he is ready to sacrifice depth to pleasant sound. The first thing one can hear in Suzuki’s performance [4] is that it is unusually slow. Slow but not heavy. He stresses this movement to its maximum, but manages to keep the internal tension and the deep emotion along the whole movement. His choir is the best of all five, clean and very well balanced. Leusink’s rendition [5] suffers from lack of preparation. Some sopranos simply sing outside of the choir, and all the components do not some up to a greater whole.
Personal preference: Suzuki [4], Rilling [1], Koopman [3], [big gap], Leusink [5], Harnoncourt [2]
Mvt. 4 Aria for Alto
Oboe solo, Continuo
Ach, lege das Sodom der sündlichen Glieder
(Ah, may Sodom with its sinful members)
Robertson: The text refers here to the Gospel in which Jesus said to the paralytic man, ‘Take heart, my son: thy sins are forgiven thee’, before curing him. His joy is reflected in the melody of the oboe solo, taken up by the solo voice.
Young: A solo oboe plays a joy-motif to illustrate the happiness of the new person after the cure. Her soul has been cleansed and is now ready for a new, holy life.
Timings: Rilling [1] (2:47), Harnoncourt [2] (3:01), Koopman [3] (2:27), Suzuki [4] (2:03), Leusink [5] (2:45)
Marga Höffgen (with Rilling) [1] sounds other-worldly in the surroundings of 4 counter-tenors. She is definitely behind her prime, since her voice has lost its stability and some of its richness. But even at this stage she surpasses them all. The deep contralto voice and the natural authority her singing reflects, serves her well in conveying the message that she is now happy and ready for the new life. I agree that Esswood (with Harnoncourt) [2] has some problems to stay in the musical line, but he has no problem to express his feelings. Landauer (with Koopman) [3] has a ‘natural’ counter-tenor voice, and he sings cleanly and beautifully. He still has a way to go in terms of expression, but he is well-equipped to develop into a first-rate singer. Here he seems to concentrate more on purity of voice production, than on conveying the message of conviction and readiness. Robin Blaze (with Suzuki) [4] is already there in terms of expression, but his voice does not have the level of beautiful purity and palette of colours that Landauer’s has.
Personal preference: Höffgen [1], Landauer [3], Esswood [2], Blaze [4], Buwalda [5].
Mvt. 6 Aria for Tenor
Violino I e Oboe all' unisono, Violino II, Viola, Continuo
Vergibt mir Jesus meine Sünden
(If Jesus forgives me my sins)
Robertson: Nothing written.
Young: This magnificent aria, featuring a violin and oboe in unison with string accompaniment, is the most melodious and emotionally charged movement of this cantata. It has a beautiful joy-motif in its swinging dance-like rhythm that enhances the fervent feeling of his text.
Timings: Rilling [1] (3:34), Harnoncourt [2] (3:48), Koopman [3] (3:11), Suzuki [4] (2:48), Leusink [5] (3:16)
Baldin (with Rilling) [1] is enthusiastic, and his approach suits very well the demands of the aria for tenor. The accompaniment he is getting from Rilling is somewhat heavy. When it comes to singing an aria for tenor with complex message, Equiluz [2] has very few rivals, if any at all. His singing is a model of wisdom and good taste. The accompaniment supplied by Harnoncourt seems to breathe with him. Prégardien [3] sounds as a contemporary version of Equiluz. His singing is almost on the same par with his predecessor. The tempo chosen by Koopman sounds as the right one, and the sensitive and delicate accompaniment is the best a singer can get. Türk’s singing (with Suzuki) [4] seems to be somewhat limited after Equiluz and Prégardien (this impression might derive from a too-fast tempo), but not so Beekman (with Leusink) [5]. Hearing him, I can only express my disappointment that Leusink has not used him more, much more, in his cantata cycle. He sounds fresh with his voice and mature with his interpretation: a delight to the ears and a cure to the soul.
Personal favourite: Equiluz [2], Prégardien [3], Beekman [5], [small gap], Türk [4], Baldin [1]
Conclusion
A movement to take away: The aria for tenor with Equiluz [2], Prégardien [3], or Beekman [5].
As always, I would like to hear other opinions, regarding the above mentioned performances, or other recordings.
Thomas Braatz wrote (October 13, 2002):
BWV 48 - Provenance:
See: Cantata BWV 48 - Provenance
Some Commentaries:
See: Cantata BWV 48 - Commentary
The Recordings:
This week I listened to the following recordings:
Rilling (1973) [1]; Harnoncourt (1975) [2]; Koopman (1998) [3]; Suzuki (2000) [4]; Leusink (2000) [5]
Of these recordings, Rilling [1] is mainly non-HIP and the others belong to the HIP category (a semitone lower in pitch, smaller instrumental ensembles playing, for the most part, instruments that are copies of original instruments, fewer singers in the choir – mainly male singers even in the alto and rarely in the soprano range, solo voices with generally limited range, volume and expression – voices sounding more like instruments)
[In order of my personal preference from bottom to top:]
Mvt. 1:
There is a great range of tempi that extends all the way from Rilling [1] (very fast at 4:08) to Suzuki’s 5:55 which is almost 2 minutes slower than Rilling’s version. All the remaining HIP recordings are at least a minute slower than Rilling’s version. Is faster better in this instance?
[5] With the sopranos and altos howling like a group of banshees on the high g’s and a’s, Leusink’s choral sound offers definite proof of the non-viability of male voices that have been trained in such a way that they are unable to control properly the sounds that are coming out of their mouths. The serious aspect of this mvt. soon begins to disintegrate into what sounds more like a caricature that is intended to provoke laughter, a quasi PDQ Bach type of take-off on what is commonly perceived as an overly serious treatment by that ‘mean-looking composer with the big wig.’
[2] With his ponderous, heavy accents Harnoncourt manages once again to create the illusion that the music is coming apart at the seams. It does not make sense to emphasize one syllable of a word to the detriment of another as in “Todes.” The final syllable is then sung more like it might be spoken as a schwa. As a result the final syllable and the musical sounds associated with it practically disappear. Bach has already accounted for the picture of death by having the singers drop by the interval of a 4th or 5th. There is no need for overdoing this the way Harnoncourt does. In any case, Bach has the basses sing a low D in m. 65 on the ‘-des’ of ‘Todes.’ What does Harnoncourt do? He probably tells the basses, “You don’t have to worry about singing the low D since it is unaccented. Just make sure that you give me a loud note on “To-“ and the listeners can then imagine that they heard the very low note on “-des.” In Harnoncourt’s defense, none of the other recordings were able to sing the low D either. This should tell us something about the quality of basses that Bach had available to him in Leipzig! The singing of the Vienna Boys’ Choir is a major improvement over Leusink’s version [5]. The lower voices, however, tend to be rather weak in spots.
[1] Rilling’s version flows much better with the help of a legato treatment that keeps the music from falling apart as in Harnoncourt’s recordings. For my taste, the tempo is rushed. This detracts from the seriousness of the text. There is a disparity between words and music. Although the vocal parts are balanced, the vibratos, particularly in the sopranos, but also in the altos at times, cause a lack of clarity, a wobbly type of shakiness that persists throughout the mvt. Instrumentally, otherwise, everything is quite clear and in balance.
[3] Koopman’s version is more moving than any of the preceding recordings. The tromba plays the chorale melody without any vibrato. This, I believe, is an improvement over the previous versions. The bass is weak and seems to disappear at times, but otherwise the feeling expressed by the words is maintained throughout the mvt.
[4] Suzuki seems to have ‘gotten it all together.’ The slow tempo allows for more details to be uncovered. Certain cadences that were rushed through in the other versions can now be savored for all their poignancy. All the parts can be heard clearly and everything is now in complete balance. This is the version to come back to again and again. Listen to the sheer beauty of the final seven measures!
Mvts. 2 & 3 Alto
[5] Beginning once again at the low end, Leusink/Buwalda’s attempts at expression fail their mark. In his aria Buwalda is somewhat better.
[1] Very different in the non-HIP category, but just as difficult to listen to is the Rilling/Höffgen version with an operatic treatment by a powerful, full voice that is simply too much for the cantata-style treatment that Bach had intended. Someone should have told Höffgen, “This is not a Wagner opera!” In her aria, Höffgen seems to lose control of her voice at times, but at least the seriousness of the aria is preserved and does not lapse into the light, courtly-dance type of treatment.
[2] In the recitative, Esswood in the Harnoncourt version becomes intolerable when he forces his voice to produce more than it is capable of. He also is forced to render some strong accents which are unpleasant as well to listen to. In the aria Esswood has more genuine expression than Buwalda. Also, Esswood has contained his usual intonation problems which makes for a better listening experience.
[4] In the Suzuki/Blaze recording of the recitative, Blaze gives a theatrical performance that belongs on the opera stage. He also seems to be ‘overdoing’ the pronunciation of the German words. I perceive this as ‘verfremdend’ – a disingenuousness that causes a distraction for the listener that should not become apparent if the singer is truly in control of the text and the voice. Suzuki’s extremely fast tempo puts a ridiculous ‘spin’ on the words, a ‘spin’ certainly not intended by the unknown librettist or Bach.
[3] Landauer, in the Koopman recording, creates some occasionally penetrating high notes that sound too harsh vocally, even if they are expressing wlike “bitter.” The aria, at a slightly slower tempo, does much better justice to the text. Although this version with this singer could definitely be improved upon, it is better than the others.
Mvts. 5 & 6
[5] Leusink/Beekman seem to be able to express a purity of soul that is achieved through a simplicity of means. This version is very listenable when understood from this perspective. There is some emotional engagement, as also in the following recording, but this can not be compared to the higher level of expression and technique achieved by the three top contenders.
[4] The performance by Suzuki/Türk is quite comparable in many ways to the former, the main difference being that Suzuki has decided to take the fastest tempo of all the versions (2:48 compared to Harnoncourt’s at 3:48 – exactly a minute faster). The result is that the emotional expression is completely contained in the fast tempo and leaves very little opportunity for the voice to ‘do very much’ with the melody that is sung. From this standpoint alone, the Leusink/Beekman version would seem to be an improvement over Suzuki/Türk.
[3] The Koopman/Prégardien recording is on the next higher level of performance, a level that distinguishes itself with the incommensurate quality of talent reserved for the very best who are able to convey music and text to the listener directly and honestly. They completely control the material and their voice and become the ideal ‘vehicle’/’instrument’ for reaching the hearts of the listeners who submit unreservedly to the magical quality that the singers can create.
[1] Rilling/Baldin’s performance, although quite removed from all of the other recordings in this group because of the non-HIP characteristics, is just as moving as Prégardien’s. Baldin is able ‘to speak to’ the heart of the listener intensely just as well.
[2] Although Harnoncourt persists in breaking the phrases in numerous micro-phrases, he does allow Equiluz ‘to do his magic’ in the slowest rendition of the aria. The power of Equiluz’ presentation nevertheless succeeds (despite Harnoncourt’s efforts) in tying all the loose ends together and thus creates a memorable performance.
Mvts. 3 & 7 Chorales
In order of preference from bottom to top: Leusink [5], Harnoncourt [2], Koopman [3], Suzuki [4], Rilling [1].
Discussions in the Week of November 6, 2005
Thomas Braatz wrote (November 5, 2005):
BWV 48 - Intro to Weekly Discussion
Identification:
The cantata which has been selected, based upon the chronological sequence of Bach's performances, for this week's discussion is BWV 48 "Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen" which had its first performance in Leipzig on October 3, 1723.
Provenance:
Almost everything that you may want to know about the historical facts concerning the transmission of this cantata (actually, the autograph score and the original parts) from the time that it left Bach's possession to where it is located today and what
condition it is in can be found at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Ref/BWV48-Ref.htm
Determining the provenance of the original materials is part of the process necessary in ascertaining their authenticity very much in the same way that a painting's provenance yields very important information about its previous history for a
prospective buyer. Naturally, the pedigree alone will not prevent counterfeits from being paraded as originals. For this, in the case of Bach's scores and parts, the analysis of the watermark is extremely important in yielding a timeframe which narrows the date of composition down to only a few years in many instances. Handwriting analysis, likewise, gives clues about the date of composition and also reveals which musical notes, corrections, additional performance directions are Bach's and not those of his wife's (AMB), his sons', his copyists, or later corrections/additions by Carl Friedrich Zelter and others, for instance.
Due to the rather complete and reliable transmission of this cantata, we can rely fully on Bach's corrections, phrasings, dynamics, and ornamentation, etc.
Texts:
Liturgical Readings:
It is advisable for the reader to check out, in advance of the following discussion, the prescribed readings (the liturgical connection) for the 19th Sunday after Trinity: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Read/Trinity19.htm
Here it is possible to see a list of all the cantatas that are related to these liturgical readings. Usually this includes only the other cantatas which were composed for the same Sunday or holiday/feast day. Here they can be viewed at a glance and a link will
take you directly to one of these cantatas, if you so desire.
Libretto:
This libretto was prepared by an unknown poet.
For those who have no original German text and translation available, these can be found as follows:
German Text available at Bischof's site at: http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/cantatas/48.html
English Translation available at Ambrose's site at: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach/BWV48.html
English Interlinear Translation by Browne available at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV48-Eng3.htm
French Translation by Bischof at his site at: http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/fcantatas/48.html
French Translation Note for Note by Grivois at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV48-Fre4.htm
Hebrew Translation by Oron at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV48-Heb1.htm
Indonesian Translation Word for Word by Pardede at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV48-Ind.htm
Spanish Translation Side by Side by Coronado at: http://www.geocities.com/ubeda2002/bach/bachbwv48.htm
The Chorale Texts:
Bach sets only the 4th verse of Rutilius's or Major's chorale text (mvt. 3 in the cantata.) To see the entire German chorale text with side-by-side English translation by Francis Browne, go to: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale043-Eng3.htm
The complete German chorale text and an English translation for "Herr Jesu Christ, ich schei zu dir" (author unknown) of which Bach uses only the 12th verse, is still to be added in the future.
The Chorale Melodies (texted and untexted):
In this cantata Bach makes use of two chorale melodies, "Ach Gott und Herr" and "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut." The latter appears in both the 1st and last mvts. of the cantata, but in the final mvt., Bach uses the last verse of a different chorale text "Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir." Alfred Dürr thinks that the 1st verse of either "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut" or "Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir" may have been intended by Bach as the message being sent to the congregation by the canonic, untexted duet between the tromba and oboes 1 & 2. The message of either chorale text can be linked to the 'Spruch' (short biblical quotation as chorus text): "Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes?" [Romans 7:24 (New Living Testament) "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?"]
To obtain a detailed background on the chorale melody used in mvt. 3 "Ach Gott und Herr" go to: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Ach-Gott-und-Herr.htm
To obtain a detailed background on the other chorale melody used in this cantata in mvt. 7 "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut," see: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Herr-Jesu-Christ-du-hochstes.htm
Scoring:
Under 'Scoring' on Aryeh's main Recordings page for this cantata, you will find the scoring for each mvt. The mvts. containing chorale melodies even have a small musical illustration of the melody as it appears in the cantata. Click on any mvt. to find out the details.
Available Score:
A vocal & piano score of the entire cantata is available for download in PDF format at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Scores/BWV048-V&P.pdf
Commentaries (Short and Long):
Simon Crouch's short commentary zeroes in on Bach's failed tenor aria. Read about it at: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/bachjs/cantatas/048.html
James Leonard also has a short commentary on this cantata: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=42:4214~T1
Julio Sánchez Reyes has a Spanish commentary at: http://www.cantatasdebach.com/48.html
For more commentary on Bach's use of untexted chorale melodies and a quotation from Eric Chafe's book on Bach cantatas, see: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Guide/BWV48-Guide.htm
Chafe states, for instance, that "Mattheson acknowledged an association of sharp key signatures with the qualities of hardness, freshness, and gaiety but took pains to deny that such ideas could be used to explain the affect of any key. Nevertheless, he believed in the reality of key characteristics, at least in his earlier writings."
At the bottom of the discussion page: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV48-D.htm
Aryeh Oron shares some quotations from the commentaries by Alec Robertson and W. Murray Young.
I suggest that you also visit the following page with commentaries by W. Gillies Whittaker, Stephen A. Christ, and Albert Schweitzer. I have included the musical examples that go along with these commentaries. Be aware that if you have a slow internet connection as I have, you will need to wait quite some time for everything to load properly. I even had to use the 'refresh' button because all of the musical examples did not load completely the first time. On the good side, however, is the fact that you can read the text while the examples are loading and then go back to those musical illustrations later.
Here is the link to this commentary page: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Guide/BWV48-Guide2.htm
Here are some comments by Alfred Dürr, an eminent Bach scholar, who has published, among other things, an important book on the cantatas: "Johann Sebastian Bach: Die Kantaten" [Bärenreiter, 1971 - 1995 (last revised edition)]:
This cantata has in common with several other cantatas from this first yearly cycle in Leipzig the use of an untexted chorale melody played by instruments which is tied to an introductory choral mvt. having a related text. Structurally, this first mvt. has three levels/planes: 1. An instrumental introduction is thematically independent from the other two levels. It provides at the same time the contrapuntal underpinning for the choral section to follow beginning in m 12. 2. The chorus singing the 'Spruch.' An imitative vocal theme which begins with a remarkable interval jump upwards of a 6th and dominates the entire mvt. with its many switches in the entrances of the subject: SA, then BTSA, then TB, then ASTB, then SATB, then STBTBSA. 3. An untexted chorale in canon. On top of all of this, the tromba and unison oboes (1&2) present the untexted chorale melody line by line as a canon in which the tromba announces the chorale-melody line and the oboes enter two measure later with the same melody a fourth lower [one word in German: "Unterquartkanon."]
The alto recitative (mvt. 2) is also characterized by large-interval jumps/leaps which are all the more effective when contrasted with the long, held chords played by the strings in the background.
Unexpectedly a simple 4-pt. chorale follows, which continues, using the methods available to this form (very artistic harmonization,) the same powerful expressivity of the preceding mvts. Particularly noteworthy is the final phrase: "und laß mich hie wohl büßen" ["let me repent (pay or suffer) for my sins here on earth."]
The sweetness/charm of the next aria (mvt. 4) is utterly surprising for now there is no more feeling that the "Day of Last Judgment" is imminent. Instead of deep remorse and contrition, there is a childlike humility in the simple request to at least save/protect the soul from the worst things that could happen. The almost dancelike, swinging melody played by the obbligato oboe is relinquished to the vocalist so that a homogeneous duet between both can be formed over an unthematic continuo part.
The 2nd aria (mvt. 6) is separated from the 1st only by a short secco recitative and resembles the earlier aria in its swinging rhythms which now become even more obvious to the listener by means of a continual changing back and forth between a hemiola-like, disguised 3/2 meter and the usual ¾ meter. The very compactly composed mvt. for strings (+ Oboes 1&2 in unison with Violino 1) lends to this aria (this is reflected in the text as well) a confident, optimistic air which contrasts with the delicate tenderness of the foregoing aria.
(End of Dürr Commentary)
The Recordings:
Downloads of the complete cantata recordings of BWV 48 by Harnoncourt [2] and Leusink and RAM format [5] as well as MIDI files of the individual mvts. available at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Mus/BWV48-Mus.htm
A list of all recordings of this cantata (complete or simply an extracted mvt.) can be found at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV48.htm
This is a chronological list which includes complete recordings by Rilling (1973) [1], Harnoncourt (1975) [2], Koopman (1998) [3], Suzuki (2000) [4], Leusink (2000) [5], Gardiner (2000) [6] and a recording by Matt (1999) of one of the chorales [M-1] (which one?)
Previous discussions on the merits of available recordings can be found at the bottom of the same page, but before reading them, I would suggest first listening to whichever recording(s) you may have access to. With this approach you will not be unduly influenced to form a preconception regarding the quality of the various recordings. You are cordially invited to share your views and comments on the
recordings and the music itself.
Roar Myrheim wrote (November 6, 2005):
I enjoyed very much reading about BWV 48 in Sir John Eliot Gardiner's diary from the year 2000 pilgrimage [6], so I've pasted it in below. (I hope there isn't any legal restriction against this, since everybody can find it at the "www.Monteverdi.co.uk" - site)
Sir Johan Eliot Gardiner writes:
"... BWV 48 Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, from Bach's first Leipzig cycle. It opens with a lament in G minor, a chorus constructed as a slow minuet with the flavour of a proto-Romantic tone poem. The 12-bar opening orchestral prelude gives wordless expression to Paul's cry of anguish 'who shall deliver me from the body of this dea?' (Romans 7: 24) through a sequence of ascending two-bar phrases in the first violins. More than this, it gives structure to the entire movement by linking the various choral interjections, not via a predictable or systematised pattern but by frequently anticipating and overlapping the successive voice entries, their order constantly reshuffled. The sopranos begin in strict canon with the altos, a fourth apart and at a distance of two bars. Simultaneously Bach superimposes a second canon for trumpet and two oboes, distinct yet woven into the vocal texture and bearing with it a wordless 'answer'. To the imploring questions of the pauline text Bach offers his listeners the solace of Johann Heermann's hymn 'Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir', specified for this Sunday in the Dresdner Gesangbuch of 1725/36 and rich in associations of comfort. The scheme sounds simple, but its working out over the course of 138 bars entails the layering of chorale tune (in canon) over the constantly changing fabric of choral voices (also in canon) and, further, the inexorable restatements of the string ritornello, now discrete, now synchronising with the other instruments and voices. I found it poignant and deeply affecting.
Bach then clarifies the association of the suffering believer with Matthew's palsied man. A sombre, string-accompanied recitative (No.2) for alto with unstable chromatic harmonies modulates through a sequence of flat keys from E flat to B flat minor, then via an enharmonic swing to sharp keys before returning to B flat (major). This sudden presence of sharps, which in Lutheran symbolism represent the Cross (Kreuz = sharp), in a cantata in which all seven movements have key signatures of two or three flats, is arresting, particularly the appearance of E major at the moment when 'the soul perceives the most lethal poison with which it is infected'. E major is usually a key associated with serenity and salvation in Bach's church music, but here it seems closer to Johann Mattheson's characterisation - engendering 'a quite deathly sadness, full of doubt... a fatal separation of body and soul'. The four-part chorale setting which follows is the perfect sequel, expressing that 'brünstig Seufzen' (fervent sigh) with which the alto concluded the previous number.
With the palsied man healed and the errant believer 'renewed in the spirit of his mind', the second half of the cantata is much easier on the ear. An aria for alto in close dialogue with obbligato oboe gives the impression of an intimate conversation between the believer and God. Any passing reference to the earlier sickness is dispelled through the healing power of the Saviour in the aria for tenor and strings (No.6) - in modified da capo form, one of those beguiling and ticklish triple-time arias which Bach relishes. Here, after setting up an apparently regular pattern of alternating 3/4 and 3/2 bars, he suddenly adds a whole chain of additional hemiolas - perhaps a sign of health restored, a celebration of soundness in body and soul? - the inflections of speech seeming to determine, or at least strongly influence, the unusual rhythmic patterns. After this the straightforward but richly harmonised version of the chorale melody announced first in the opening movement is pure balm."
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Last update: ýJuly 12, 2006 ý15:56:46
