Continue from Part 1

Thomas Braatz wrote (February 10, 2005):
BWV 71

Doug Cowling asked: >>I'm always curious about the practical aspects of performance. There is no orchestral introduction to the opening chorus of "Gott ist mein König": how did the singers get their note?<<
I think you will find an answer in the form of a reasonable conjecture in what follows here:

The following is a translation "dem Sinne nach" of a section on Bach's Mühlhausen cantatas taken from Konrad Küster's "Bach Handbuch" [Bärenreiter, Kassel, 1999, pp. 131-143.] Küster has published his research on this early period in Bach's life in a book "Der junge Bach" [Stuttgart, 1996.] Much of this material has been updated and some of the results are found in the present selection. I hope that some readers will find this material useful. Christoph Wolff, who has listed Küster's book in his bibliography, gives a detailed description of Bach's Mühlhausen tenure on pp. 98-112 of Wolff's Bach biography "Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician" [Norton, 2000.]

>>Bach as an organist in Mühlhausen in 1707 to 1708

The context of the Mühlhausen cantatas

Bach's musical activities related to the churches in Mühlhausen which, of course included playing the organ, had two additional aspects that need to be mentioned: he was responsible for composing and performing figural music of his own and he also performed works by other composers. The compositions that have come down to us served very special occasions. This is true at least of the Town Council Election Cantata BWV 71 and the score of Cantata BWV 131 which specifies in Bach's own handwriting that it had been commissioned by someone else. Among his regular duties as cantor during church services, Bach was required to select and perform motets from among the long-standing, traditional reserves of Protestant music that he had collected. This collection which is documented in the 'Alt-Bachischen Archiv' ['an archive of compositions by members of the extended Bach family but also by other important composers such as Buxtehude and Pachelbel'] gave him material that he could use in order to fulfill the requirements demanded by special occasions beyond the regular church services, such sacred music as for weddings and funerals. The type of early Bach cantatas can be described as belonging to these categories, but not alone. One of his earliest cantatas BWV 4 "Christ lag in Todes Banden" is very similar to a treatment of this chorale by Johann Pachelbel through whom Bach's strong connection to the sacred music tradition of Middle Germany becomes apparent. But there are several other aspects that distinguish themselves clearly from the latter style of composition. These come as a result of Bach's encounter with Dietrich Buxtehude's vocal works with which Bach became acquainted in Lübeck during the winter of 1705/06 and some of which he may have brought back with him to add to his collection of manuscripts. In regard to BWV 4, the influence of Pachelbel and Buxtehude can easily be noted and has been used in commentaries, but also the family tradition (the 'Bach Family Archive') provides a foundation not to be overlooked.

With all these traditional connections, Bach's Mühlhausen cantatas stand firmly in the tradition of 17^th-century Protestant church music and are yet untouched by the developing new musical forms which are noticeable just after the turn of the century. For this reason, these cantatas show no connection with the more recent sacred cantata containing recitatives and arias closely related to operatic traditions. However, in "Gott ist mein König" BWV 71, the older type of text spectrum (simply Bible quotations and chorale text) is abandoned in favor of using a freer form of poetry, a form that relates directly to the occasion, the Town Council Election.

The older text type is not simply a series of texts that are patched together. The quotations from the Bible and from chorale texts are chosen specifically so that a relationship between them is established. Sometimes the biblical quotations are modified slightly, a sign that the librettist, usually not the composer but a theologian, has carefully worked over the texts. Just as it is the case in the later cantatas, you should not assume that the libretto is simply a sum made up of various, differing components, but rather ask yourself how several seemingly independent movements can become a unified cantata and what holds them together. This is quite similar to that of an opera which is held together by a plot, even if the libretto can be divided into numerous recitatives, arias and choruses. The cantata likewise must establish a connection between its various parts, even if this is accomplished with a different method that depends upon poetry, chorale texts and biblical quotations.

Strophic poetry is based upon an evolutionary concept: a listener is geared toward expecting a sequence of several similar ideas and, as a result, will accept this unquestioningly as long as the music based upon these texts demonstrates a wide variety of possibilities. When these ideas are already derived from the traditional chorale texts, then the path is flung wide open for all sorts of associations which listeners can make by themselves. For the very reason that these listeners in Bach's time knew these chorale texts and melodies forwards and backwards from their continual participation in church services, it would have been impossible to hide from them that a single verse was omitted during the treatment which the chorale received in the cantata. Hence a special continuity was created, a continuity which helped bring about the necessary cohesion that arises automatically when several verses of a chorale were set to music in the form of a cantata.

The use of lengthy citations from the Bible worked well for the same reason. Even if there was not a plot for the librettist and/or composer to depend upon, they could depend upon the fact that the contexts for these verses were well known among the members of the congregation. It was this type of conscious recall of how several Bible verses 'belonged together' that made possible the continuity desired by librettist/composer. The parishioners would notice gaps in a composition when a few verses had been skipped and would either supply the missing text or at least have given some thought to the missing material. Similarly they would have noticed when unexpected Bible quotations from various sources within the Bible were being combined in an unusual manner. This type of reflection brought about a similar connection as in the opera where the plot serves as the higher, overriding element; while here, in the cantata, it is something much more abstract.

Both components, which aid in creating continuity and an inner bond within a cantata, can be linked together with each other so that the statement made by the Bible citation becomes connected to that of a chorale text. In this way, Johann Michael Bach (the father of Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara) begins his motet "Halt, was du hast, daß niemand deine Krone nehme" ["Hold onto what you have so that no one will take away your crown"] with this citation from the Bible (Revelations 3:11), then repeats the few words at the beginning "Halt, was du hast" ["Hold on to whatever you have"] while simultaneously having the chorale melody for "Jesu, meine Freude" ["Jesus, my joy"], so that it becomes absolutely clear through the structure of the composition just what [who] it is that you should be holding on to. In the same composition, two other verses of this chorale (the 4^th 5^th) also appear while the Bible text continues with a quotation from a different section of Revelations (chapter 2:10): "Sei getreu bis in den Tod, so wirst du empfahen ein herrliches Reich und eine schöne Krone von der Hand des Herren" ["Be faithful unto death, for then you will receive a splendid kingdom and a beautiful crown from the hand of the Lord."] In this way the biblical quotation and the chorale (music and text) form a cross when seen from the perspective of the entire movement/motet. The chorale provides for the continuity of this composition and similarly the various references to Revelations create lend a more abstract connection to the composition as a whole.

This concern for the continuity of a work, a continuity that possibly is complemented by a second element, became unimportant almost to the point of irrelevancy, the stronger the effect of the musical elements and techniques of the opera began to take hold and transform the musical sense of style that had previously existed. As much as the texts of the recitatives and arias deviated from each other and as much as the difference between the movements within a work became greater, the less problematical it became for some to sense the wholeness of the entire work because they were accustomed to making these connections elsewhere in secular musical styles such as the opera. This pertained, however, in particular to composers and poets and less to the normal listeners since the latter generally lacked a contact with the opera and its musical forms because the opera was not available to them and they were not privy to the exchange of ideas, concepts, and forms that took place between composers and poets. That such an inner connection still existed in Bach's later works can not be denied, but in the early works this connection was much stronger because texts with a long tradition attached to them were being used and set to music. These texts brought with them a connection that existed outside of the work itself. Bach's Mühlhausen cantatas reflect strongly this type of environment.

Bach in the Musical Life of Mühlhausen

In the Imperial Free City of Mühlhausen there were two main churches, St. Mary's and St. Blasius'. St. Mary's stood out more in contrast with St. Blasius' because the city hall was part of the congregation: church ceremonies connected with the city council, particularly that of the city council elections (the installation of the members of the new council,) took place only in St. Mary's. Both churches had a school associated with it and in each there was a cantor who, in addition to his other teaching obligations, had to provide the music for the church to which the school belonged. The leadership of all musical activities in the city belonged to neither cantor (the situation for the Thomaskantor in Leipzig, although there was an additional cantor at the St. Nicholas Church, is rather unique.) The responsibility for this leadership position, instead of being taken over by one of the cantor-organists eventually fell upon the organist of the "Divi Blasii" church in Mühlhausen. And so it came that this organist, in this case Bach, assumed the responsibility for providing the special music for the town council elections in the church in which he was not officially the organist or cantor. Thus Bach, as an improvement over his subordinate position in Arnstadt, serving there a single church to which he was tied, now held a position as the leading musician in the city.

The fact that his scope of work must have included composing and performing figural music is made clear by the requirement for this position as organist at St. Blasi Divii, a requirement which included performing for the audition a cantata composed by the applicant. Beyond this, however, Bach's duties here were not clearly defined. It is also unknown how frequently he had to perform cantatas. It is impossible to determine if he was required to perform a cantata of his own every Sunday, partly because of the divided responsibilities with the cantor of the church. Which compositions by other composers were available to him and just how much he participated in the Sunday and special- holiday church services for which he had to provide music is unknown.

It seems reasonable to assume that the instrumental parts were played by the Town Pipers ["Stadtpfeifer."] Most of the cantatas which come from Bach's residence in Mühlhausen were conceived with an instrumental ensemble in mind, one which in its basic form allows us already to see the beginning contours or general outline of a modern orchestra: a basic group of strings to which additional instruments are added. Indeed, however, the violas are frequently split into two parts, while there may be only one violin part. The orchestration for winds varies from one cantata to the next, vacillating between the addition of a single instrument (an oboe in BWV 131 "Aus der Tiefen,") a typical trombone choir with a cornett as the highest part in BWV 4 "Christ lag in Todes Banden, or the use of several groups or instruments in which the strings appear in a more modern grouping in BWV 71 "Gott ist mein König."

Having the town pipers play in Bach's cantata performances in Mühlhausen was no easy matter since long before Bach's position here there had already been a long history of problems regarding their duties. Nothing in the city archives mentions that these musicians had to accept the directives of an organist for only a cantor as such is mentioned. It is possible that these conflicts were responsible for making Bach's musical ambitions more difficult as he refers to a general condition of "wiedrigkeit" ["adversity"] which prevailed here. Also unclear is which vocalists Bach used. There is no evidence that he had any contact with the pupils in the St. Blasius School and it is even more difficult to say who sang the solos in his cantatas.

The editors of modern editions of Bach's Mühlhausen cantatas are faced with very special problems of notation. Bach included in his ensemble various groups of instruments with different pitch requirements (conditions) when coupled together to play as a single ensemble. In order to obtain a uniform result, Bach had to transpose individual parts. How he did this with his local forces is exemplified best in the cantata BWV 71 "Gott ist mein König" because here he has the most colorfully mixed ensemble consisting of a choir having a solo ensemble as well as a 'tutti' ensemble, four instrumental 'choirs' ['groups'] divided into 1) trumpets and timpani; 2) strings; 3) oboes and bassoon; and 4) recorders and violoncello. Notated in C major are the trumpets and strings as well as the vocal parts and the continuo, but the groups with oboes and bassoon as well as the recorders and violoncello are notated in D major. How can these pitch-dependent conditions be resolved? Bach's notation is very clear: the vocalists and strings are both independent from having any pitch problems and are notated the same way that the organ is. Even the trumpets could be included in this system. Only the woodwinds were required to be notated in such a way that their different pitch would fit in with the rest of the ensemble. Because the cello, again an instrument capable of variable pitch like the other strings and vocal parts, was placed into the group with the recorders, Bach made the notation of this later group fit the notation of the instruments with which it had become partners.

With the exception of the woodwinds, the problem of having a uniform pitch for all musicians would have easily been settled; it would have been unnecessary to make pitch adjustments, if it were not for the fact that the woodwinds were to play along in the same ensemble. In the performance practiceused in the churches of Mühlhausen, there was a discrepancy in pitch between the woodwinds and the rest of the musical ensemble, at least as far as Bach was concerned. This is understandable: because Bach's situation here was different than it would later be in Leipzig where he had musical leadership as Thomaskantor over several other churches (in Mühlhausen he understood all his music making in terms of the organ which was his primary responsibility), he therefore used the organ as his primary reference point for pitch. Bach undoubtedly 'thought' the music in the same key in which the organ part was notated. And yet from this arises an almost unsolvable conflict, since the techniques used in playing the woodwinds reveal a very clear picture: the range of these instruments have not really changed considerably since Bach's time and for this reason these parts are more easily playable when they are notated a second [a full tone or step] higher than the rest of the ensemble. But should, for only this reason, all the other parts play their music a step higher in pitch?

In the NBA, these works in question are printed twice: once in the original notation (i.e. with the differences between the parts left as is,) and once in the transposed notation which is based upon the pitch of the woodwinds. The other transposition would also have been conceivable, a transposition which would more likely have taken into account the way Bach would have viewed this situation and have paid less attention to the playing techniques of the woodwinds. Thus the NBA gives its preference to one of the variants, and yet the edition(s) which favored the other way would also make sense, i.e. having BWV 71 "Gott ist mein König" printed in C major rather than D major as in the NBA, BWV 131 "Aus der Tiefen" in G minor and not A minor as in the NBA. Strictly speaking, you would, however, need for such performances [the non-NBA way] woodwinds which had a lower pitch than the usual 'Kammerton' ['chamber pitch.']

BWV 4 "Christ lag in Todes Banden"

Bach's audition in Mühlhausen took place on Easter 1707. Just as it has been documented by his relative Johann Gottfried Walther, the audition requirements included the composition and performance of a cantata. Since the Easter cantata BWV 4, although only documented from sources during Bach's Leipzig tenure, must be one of his earliest vocal works, it is assumed by many that this must have been his audition cantata. The text is based exclusively on Martin Luther's rearranging/translation of the Easter liturgy "Victimae paschali luades," and each of the seven verses is treated differently.

At the beginning of the cantata, as found usually in all of Bach's early cantatas, is an instrumental introduction. In these beginning bars, the melody of the chorale incipit emerges. Then, with a free development (the second line of the chorale can be heard hidden in the 2^nd violin part) this Sinfonia ends after only 14 measures. It serves not only the purpose of providing an opportunity for checking the tuning of instruments and preparing the voices for their entry, but also has two additional effects: because the chorale is in a barform, the Sinfonia with its two quotations from the chorale (first and second lines) can function as an additional 'Stollen' which has been placed before the others; and the chorale citations in the Sinfonia were chosen intentionally. Being embedded into a freely formed environment, it is possible for a listener to suspect that that which follows is concerned not only with the chorale itself, but also with the means used to develop it artistically. Thanks to the instrumental prelude which sets up the mood and establishes the pitch/tuning for the entire cantata, the voices can begin Versus I directly without instrumental preparation (such as a ritornello.) The form and structure which Bach chooses for the seven mvts. with voices certainly does not exhaust the artistic possibilities as one might come to expect from such a composition for an audition that needs to display unusual capabilities. Bach's goal seemed rather to concentrate on a balanced diversity. Three of the mvts. use all four voices, another two appear as a duet and again another two as solo mvts. By setting things up this way the impression is given that everything in the cantata has been arranged as mirror symmetry: the choral mvts. assume the outer and middle position in this cantata and the middle position is framed at first by the solo and then the duet mvts. But this symmetry takes a back seat to other characteristics of the individual mvts.: Among the three choral mvts., the first appears as the most richly treated (with a free treatment of the choral and instrumental parts beside the cantus firmus in the soprano voice, and in addition with the more lively, freely treated "Hallelujah" conclusion; in the fourth mvt. the cantus firmus in the alto voice is surrounded by the remaining choral voices without any independent sections for the instruments. It is difficult to identify just how Bach originally set up the final mvt. The 4-pt. chorale that now concludes the cantata is clearly from a later period. This created a problem which did not exist before in this chorale cantata of the older type and which moved away from former the mirror symmetry to now create the usual tension found in Bach's later chorale cantatas. This tension arises between the musically very rich 1^st mvt. at the beginning and the simple or plain 4-pt. chorale at the very end. Now, instead of symmetry, there is a process which investigates on a very broad scale all the possibilities of a chorale all the way to its very essence. No precise statements can be made regarding the real conclusion to BWV 4 in its original form because the 'shape' or structure of the final goal can no longer be reconstructed.

The two pairs of remaining mvts. also do not help to describe this process since they, as solo mvts. do not yield an equivalent to the plain chorale; actually, they even seem to give indications of the reverse principle. The simpler form of chorale treatment can be heard in the 3^rd verse in which the tenor mostly sings the chorale in its original form; and in the 5^th verse, the direct quotations from the chorale are expanded considerably into sections that are treated freely. There is a similar difference in the accompaniment: a lively musical line with the violins in unison is contrasted with the tenor, and a full complement of strings is set against the bass voice: each melodic variant which the bass presents is then accompanied by all the strings in the basic chorale form. Both of the duet mvts. (Versus 2 & 6) present the chorale in differing, imitative, cross-wise treatment of the line, in Versus 2 supported by the winds, but otherwise they are determined by their continuo accompaniment which has the character of a 'Basso quasi ostinato.'

Beyond these formal, basic structural elements which occur frequently in 17th-century chorale concerti in Middle Germany (as, for instance, in Johann Pachelbel's own treatment of the same chorale), Bach is not afraid to vary fundamentally the musical line of the chorale to emphasize through musical expression certain words or to enrich the general impression through the manner in which the instrumental accompaniment is shaped. Key words are lifted out of their contexts by lengthening their note values or inserted pauses right after them. In this fashion Bach inserts a long pause right in the middle of the line after "nichts" ["nothing"] in the 3^rd verse where the line reads "da bleibet nichts denn Tods Gestalt" ["nothing but the figure of Death will remain."] A lengthening in the 5^th verse can also mean that Bach will repeat the word "Kreuzes" ["of the cross"] in the phrase"das ist hoch an des Kreuzes Stamm" ["that is high on the 'staff' of the cross"] and thereby retard the flow of the music. Also very apparent is the rich chromaticism, not only in this 5^th verse, but also in the 2^nd verse in which both voices of this duet begin
singing "Den Tod" ["Death"] coming from opposite directions and finally on the continuation ".niemand zwingen kann" [".no one can force"] are led together to form in common a cadence. The intensive, chromatic elements can be considered as a further treatment of North German impressions such as those which Bach received from his contact with the works of Dietrich Buxtehude.

BWV 131 "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich"

Bach personally noted on his own clean copy of the score that this cantata was composed in Mühlhausen to which he added "Auff Begehren Tit: Herrn D: Georg: Christ: Eilmars in die Music gebracht" ["set to music at the request of George Christian Eilmars."] Just what reason Eilmars, the pastor of St. Mary's Church in Mühlhausen, had for giving Bach this commission is unknown; however, it is conceivable that the composition may have served as a solemn remembrance of the city fire that Mühlhausen had suffered shortly before Bach took up his position there, but then again it might simply have related to one of the general days of atonement established by the church.

Once again there is a Sinfonia at the beginning of this composition; but here it moves directly into the following choral mvt. Thus a grouping occurs here which, if you consider Bach's later cantatas, can be seen as a choral mvt. with an instrumental introduction. However, since Bach wrote "Sinfonia" over the beginning measures of this mvt., it is certain that he also viewed the "Sinfonia" as an independent mvt. despite the way it flows directly into the choral mvt. that follows it.

The thread for the inner continuity of the cantata results primarily from the 8 verses of Psalm 130 which form the basis of all the mvts., or more precisely, sections of this work. This begins with the entrance of the choir which appears as mvt. 2. A slow
introductory section begins with the 1^st Bible verse and combines it with the motifs already developed in the introduction. The 2^nd verse "Herr, höre meine Stimme" ["Lord, hear my voice"] is the text for the fast continuation, the structure of which contains a tutti-solo exchange, sometimes marked by fugal imitation, but without ever allowing either one of these musical techniques be fully carried out. Without a break the 3^rd section begins with a solo for bass voice "So du willt, Herr, Sünde zurechen" ["Lord, as you wish to add sin"]; but then along with the biblical text (3^rd verse of the Psalm) as the base, a third technique becomes apparent: The soprano voice sings the 2^nd verse of the chorale "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, du Brunnquell aller Gnaden" ["Lord Jesus Christ, you my greatest good, you source of all blessings."] The chorale melody dictates the structure of the mvt.: it is divided into the two beginning lines which are repeated as part of the 'Stollen' and then the concluding 'Abgesang;' at the same time that the soprano voice moves into this 'Abgesang', the bass voice moves forward into the 4th verse of the Psalm "Denn bei dir ist die Vergebung" ["For with you there is forgiveness."] Up until this point, all the parts had only a single musical connection; but now the next three mvts. are set apart from each other as they exhibit variations of the structural pattern that had existed before this: at first there is the choral section "Ich harre des Herrn" ["I am waiting for the Lord"] with richly developed but not strictly carried out fugue "Meine Seele harret" ["My soul is waiting"] (both of these sections based on the 5^th Bible verse.) Similar to the previous bass solo, Bach also combines the following tenor solo (verse 6: "Meine Seele wartet" ["My soul is waiting"]) with the chorale "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut" (verse 5 sung by the alto) and again he has the other voice begin singing (while the alto completes the 'Abgesang' of the chorale) the next citation from the Bible: "von einer Morgenwache bis zu der andern" ["from one morning watch to the next."] To be sure, these are only the second part of the Psalm verse that has been begun and Bach does return once again to the words at the beginning of the verse.

Bach's interpretation of the textual foundation does become quite clear when comparing the bass and tenor mvts. In both instances he changes the fundamental biblical text where the music of the chorale moves into the 'Abgesang.' However, only in the bass solo is the transition from one Psalm verse to another effected while in the tenor solo Bach remains within a single biblical verse. This is why Bach, in the 'Abgesang,' is able to set to music again the words which normally should have accompanied the 'Stollen.'

The final two Psalm verses are part of the concluding, multisectional choral mvt. where the major break occurs at the point between verse 7 and 8: between the sometimes chordlike, sometimes loosely polyphonic opening sections and the complex fugue on the words "und er wird Israel erlösen" ["and he will save Israel."]

In this manner the function which allows a cantata to contain an inner continuity will have a two-fold effect: while Bach sets a continuous Psalm text to music, he also combines two verses of a chorale with it. These latter verses are cleverly chosen from the inner [not the 1st verse] verses of the chorale and used in two of the inner mvts. of the cantata. Only superficially does it appear that the meaning of the chorale is reduced or less important than the verses of the Psalm and, at the least, the chorale has a profound effect upon the musical structure of both mvts. As soon as the chorale enters, it pushes the other voices into the background and clearly relegates them, including the voice part which presents the text of the Psalm, to a mode of accompaniment. The tenor mvt. opens with a continuo line, which, due to its sequences of similar elements, seems to be representative of the ostinato-type theme. Indeed, the theme is repeated unchanged three times in a row, twice in the beginning bars of the tenor part. In this way the ostinato theme and the setting of the Bible text can appear side by side. Then, however, the first line of the chorale begins. Bach accordingly varies the ostinato theme to make it fit while leading the tenor voice in such a way to make it fit into the framework which has already been created. Always when the chorale melody stops, Bach must take the presentation of the Bible text out of its background mode and place it into the foreground, but this demands so much concentration that Bach is unable to make the ostinato motif return in its original form. The hierarchy of the various components is clear: the chorale is stronger than the musical setting of the biblical quotations and the latter is stronger than the instrumental parts.

The same principle can be observed at work in the mvt. for bass voice where it is expanded to include another component. The hierarchy here moves down from the chorale melody to the leading of the bass voice solo which is treated as the most important accompanying part, then moves down to an independent oboe part and finally to the continuo part. The latter merely offers the foundation bass without having any ostinato-like elements. The soprano, leading with the melody and the bass set against it with its Bible quotations constitute in their functions a clearly defined pair of voices. Above the regular, steadily forward moving basso continuo line there is still room for the characteristic figurations of the oboe which never seems to be able to bring forth a tangible theme. This oboe part is merely a typical instrumental part without any vocal diction as it is based upon the use of intervals and the fact that frequently the 2^nd 16^th note anticipates the following note. As a result, the listener will notice a plain distinction between the idiuse of voices and instruments without, however, feeling that Bach composed for a specific instrument. This type of instrumental leading of musical lines without clearly distinguishing the instrumental types is characteristic for Bach in his earliest cantatas.

BWV 71 "Gott ist mein König"

In the second half of Bach's one-year stay in Mühlhausen, this cantata was composed and is the only one from this period which records the precise original performance date, February 4, 1708, for the annual ceremony on the occasion of the town council election. As usual the performance took place during the church service at St. Mary's which was known as the "Ratskirche" ["the church associated with the city hall."] Just how strong the connection of this music with the city's pageantry displaying political power was is exemplified by the fact that the city council paid for this cantata to be printed. Along with another cantata which Bach composed for the same occasion, the Mühlhausen city council election in 1709, this time already composed in Weimar, a composition for which there are not even any printed copies available, this cantata from 1708 remains the only cantata which was ever printed during Bach's lifetime. For BWV 51 we even have an autograph score in a clean/clear copy.

The text is based upon passages extracted from Psalm 74. Verse 12 supplies the basis for the introductory chorus with its sections that change back and forth from tutti to solo; the following verses which describe God as the ruler of the sea and of rivers are skipped, but then the text continues with the 16^th verse (mvt. 4, Bass: "Tag und Nacht ist dein" ["Day and night is yours"]) through the beginning of verse 17. Only the beginning of verse 19 still reflects some of the text in the Psalm, but not literally as a direct quotation (Chorus Section 6: "Du wollest dem Feinde nicht geben die Seele deiner Turteltaube" ["You did not want to give the enemy the soul of your turtledove.")

This then was the outline of text that had been cleansed of all elements which would not be suitable for the election of the Mühlhausen town council. This outline could now be expanded to include text which would show a relationship to the occasion for which this music was being composed. The 2^nd and 3^rd mvts. once again utilize texts from the Old Testament: "Ich bin nun achtzig Jahr" ["I am now 80 years old"] and "Dein Alter sei wie deine Jugend" ["Let your old age be like your youth."] These verses relate to people who have reached old age, a very fitting thought since several of the mayors of Mühlhausen were of a 'biblical' age at the time. The remaining sentences are directed at the actual government of the city, specifically the reference at the beginning of the final chorus to "Das neue Regiment" ["The new government"], which refers specifically to the new group of elected officials, the continuation of the final chorus as well as the preceding alto solo "Durch mächtige Kraft" ["through mighty power"] (Mvt. 5) which refers to Emperor Joseph I, the highest-ranking regent with power over the Imperial Free City of Mühlhausen. These texts were probably created specifically for this occasion.

This cantata reflects in its orchestration Bach's understanding as leading musician in Mühlhausen of the pomp and circumstance needed for this occasion. As already mentioned, the ensemble consists of six choirs/groups of voices/instruments: four of these were instrumental and the others were the tutti and solo ensembles. With this Bach could have made real the impressions and memories of the music he had experienced in the imperial city of Lübeck in late Fall of 1705 when Dietrich Buxtehude presented correspondingly large-scale musical productions on the occasion of the change of emperor (the death of Emperor Leopold I led to the enthroning of Joseph I.) Bach even improves on this by having the organ, for all practical purposes, serve as the 7^th choir/instrumental sound, which is used independently with its own unique sound in certain places of the composition. This puts a special stamp on the 2^nd mvt. of the cantata in which the organ enters into an otherwise especially delicately spun exchange between the Bible text and the chorale (it hardly seems possible not to make a direct connection between the soprano chorale and the Bible text sung by the tenor, for instance with the text beginning: "Soll ich auf dieser Welt mein Leben höher bringen" ["Should I improve my life here in this world"] is it not possible to connect this with the "Warum" ["Why"] sung directly before it?) The major function of the organ is particularly noticeable in the introductory section of the last mvt. in which it assumes the role of providing the final section of the bridge material which had just previously appeared in the strings, then the recorders and the choir of oboes. This obbligato organ part thus seems to function as a particular option chosen by a composer who understands musical performances from the vantage point of the organ. In the choice and arrangement of text, this cantata appears to be a representative of the older type of cantata which still has not been influenced by operatic forms or their derivatives. This even applies to the elements present in the 2^nd half of the cantata, elements that are designated to be 'free poetry' and would, for this reason, appear to belong to elements typical of the more recent cantata types. The text of the final chorus is a poem with two verses. Such a structure in strophic form reflects the techniques used in the Protestant chorales, not in the more modern forms of the cantata. Despite all of this there are some modern elements that can be discerned. These are seen where Bach, in some mvts. will return to the beginnings of texts and/or music once the conclusion has been reached. A true da-capo form as it appears in operas does not yet occur here. It is more like a framing device. Since, however, it appears not only in mvts. where 'free poetry' is involved (so that in the alto solo (mvt. 5) the initial words "Durch mächtige Kraft" ["through mighty power"] are repeated again at the end), but also, above all, in the musical settings of the biblical verses, Bach must be considered responsible for applying this construction and he must have done this consciously out of musical considerations. In this manner, at the end of the introductory chorus "Gott ist mein König", Bach returns to the tutti beginning and does likewise in the bass aria "Tag und Nacht ist dein." In doing so, Bach creates a very different impression than in the other early cantatas where Bach seems to have preferred to set the text to music basically in a linear fashion without ever going back to the introductory material.

Very conspicuously different is the way the cantata begins: it is the only cantata from Bach's early period which does not open with a Sinfonia, but rather begins directly with the entrance of the entire ensemble including the chorus. If the purpose of an instrumental prelude was to help to coordinate the intonation of the singers, then this was certainly not accomplished here. The solving of this problem could be comparatively easy, but it also gives rise to new questions: for the instrumental ensemble not only are the instruments of 'normal' city musicians demanded, but also in likewise fashion the trumpets which assumed a very special position in society, all the more so when they were used as special function instruments to signal the entrance of important individuals or even as a sign of power for those who commanded them to play. These situations prevailed not only at the various courts of the region but also played an important role in the Free Imperial Cities. The signals produced by trumpeters were subject to a prescribed duty to keep them secret and for this reason thwere never written down. The way in which Bach set up this cantata makes is possible to conjecture that before the entire ensemble began its performance, it was preceded by a trumpet fanfare, perhaps one that was repeated annually or perhaps one improvised by the trumpeter. In any case, Bach was not responsible for providing the music for such a fanfare, for this obligation fell to the trumpeters themselves. Consequently we can state that the cantata was transmitted in its complete form, but in order to recreate the impression of the performance in its entirety as it was given at its first performance, a trumpet fanfare with at least 3 trumpets would have to precede it.<<

Doug Cowling wrote (February 10, 2005):
Fanfares for BWV 71

Thomas Braatz wrote:
< The signals produced by trumpeters were subject to a prescribed duty to keep them secret and for this reason they were never written down. The way in which Bach set up this cantata makes is possible to conjecture that before the entire ensemble began its performance, it was preceded by a trumpet fanfare, perhaps one that was repeated annually or perhaps one improvised by the trumpeter. In any case, Bach was not responsible for providing the music for such a fanfare, for this obligation fell to the trumpeters themselves. Consequently we can state that the cantata was transmitted in its complete form, but in order to recreate the impression of the performance in its entirety as it was given at its first performance, a trumpet fanfare with at least 3 trumpets would have to precede it. >
Interesting. I surmised an organ intonation a la Gabrieli and Frescobaldi before the cantata, but some kind of brass intrada before the cantata would be equally traditional. Has any recorded performance of the cantata improvised a fanfare or inserted a known canzona as the "prelude" to the cantata? Sounds like a challenge for Paul McCreesh's team.

Thomas Braatz wrote (February 10, 2005):
Doug Cowling wrote:
>>I surmised an organ intonation a la Gabrieli and Frescobaldi before the cantata, but some kind of brass intrada before the cantata would be equally traditional. Has any recorded performance of the cantata improvised a fanfare or inserted a known canzona as the "prelude" to the cantata?<<
I am not aware of any.

>>Sounds like a challenge for Paul McCreesh's team.<<
Yes, he would be the right conductor to tackle this properly.

Bradley Lehman wrote (February 10, 2005):
Pitch for the early cantatas

< The editors of modern editions of Bach's Mühlhausen cantatas are faced with very special problems of notation. (...) Notated in C major are the trumpets and strings as well as the vocal parts and the continuo, but the groups with oboes and bassoon as well as the recorders and violoncello are notated in D major. How can these pitch-dependent conditions be resolved? (...) >
There's a handy table "Proposed Solutions to Questions of Tonality in Bach's Early Cantatas" to accompany the excellent discussion, in Bruce Haynes's article "Questions of Tonality in Bach's Cantatas: The Woodwind Perspective". (J American Musical Instrument Society 12: 1986, pp 40-67.) He discusses cantatas BWV 12, BWV 18, BWV 21, BWV 23, BWV 31, BWV 71, BWV 106, BWV 131, BWV 132, BWV 150, BWV 152, BWV 155, BWV 161, BWV 172, BWV 182, BWV 185, BWV 199.

< In the performance practices used in the churches of Mühlhausen, there was a discrepancy in pitch between the woodwinds and the rest of the musical ensemble, at least as far as Bach was concerned. This is understandable: because Bach's situation here was different than it would later be in Leipzig where he had musical leadership as Thomaskantor over several other churches (in Mühlhausen he understood all his music making in terms of the organ which was his primary responsibility), he therefore used the organ as his primary reference point for pitch. Bach undoubtedly 'thought' the music in the same key in which the organ part was notated. >
That, too, continued at Leipzig: the organ (and its layout of harmonic contrasts) being the primary reference point. The composition stems from the way the (transposing) basso-continuo part will sound, as to its dramatic tensions and resolutions in forward motion. The basic Affekt is laid down by the organ's temperament. Bach took that into account before writing the music, and he used those effects objectively to create music appropriate to the motion/meaning of the words.

That's evidenced both in the resulting sound in these Leipzig compositions (playing through them in the temperament that Bach wrote down for use on the Leipzig organs, allowing for the transposition!), and in Bach's well-known pedagogical remark that thoroughbass is the soul of music and composition. "The thorough-bass is the most perfect foundation of music, being played with both hands in such manner that the left hand plays the notes written down while the right adds consonances and dissonances, in order to make a well-sounding harmony to the Glory of God and the permissible delectation of the spirit; and the aim and final reason, as of all music, so of the thorough-bass should be none else but the Glory of God and the recreation of the mind. Where this is not observed, there will be no real music but only a devilish hubbub."

Continue of this part of the discussion, see: Early Bach Cantatas - Part 2 [General Topics]

Peter Smaill wrote (February 11, 2005):
One of the constant themes of the Cantatas is reference back to old chorales and affekts which would elicit an emotional response in the congregation, a technique already deployed on the early Cantatas.

In BWV 71 we have, in "Du wollest der seele....Turteltauben" a dramatic bringing down of the choral line at the end to the intonation of plainsong, in augmentation in the final four notes which would be the clue to whichever tone was being signified. Can anyone identify what the plainsong this progression actually represents? (if it relates to a particular Latin text?)

Of course there are many later uses of plainsong, eg BWV 10 and the Credo of the BMM (BWV 232). Perhaps BWV 71 contains the first such quotation?

Neil Halliday wrote (February 11, 2005):
Peter Smaill wrote:
<"In BWV 71 we have, in "Du wollest der seele....Turteltauben" a dramatic bringing down of the choral line at the end to the intonation of plainsong, in augmentation in the final four notes which would be the clue to whichever tone was being signified. Can anyone identify what the plainsong this progression actually represents? (if it relates to a particular Latin text?)">
Interesting observation. The augmentation of the (chorale?) theme (if it is one) at the end is indeed impressive. The notes are sung in unison by all voices in the choir, the final eight notes being C,C,C,C; Dflat,C,Bflat,C. (You can see that the last four notes assume the shape of a turn, which should make it easy to identify if it is a plainsong melody, by someone who has a book of plainsong.)

Doug Cowling wrote (February 11, 2005):
BWV 71 & Chant

[To Neil Halliday] This is a very interesting question. The presence of a plainsong melody is certainly suggested by the penultimate Bb which gives the music a modal flavour. The repeated notes suggest a recitation formula from a psalm tone and the melody looks like the half verse "mediation" of the First or Sixth Tone. The complete psalm melody was certaused in the Baroque period. Albinoni used it throughout his "Magnificat" and Händel quoted an old Roman variant at "Donec ponam" in the opening chorus of "Dixit Dominus". Those, of course, are examples from the Roman rite.

Bach's use of chants tends to be restricted to those which had become chorales. The most famous are of course "Victimae Paschali Laudes" which became "Christ Lag in Todesbanden" - the use of the minor key for a festive Easter cantata is dictated by the modal melody of the chant -- and the Tonus Peregrinus which became the German Magnificat as "Meine Seele Erhebt" (viz. Cantata BWV 10 and "Suscepit" in the Magnificat (BWV 243))

There are a couple of examples which show Bach using a recitation formula which gives us the repeated notes. The "Confiteor" of the MBM (BWV 232) uses a psalm tone and we can see another "mediation" at the words "in remissionem". The other example is the opening Kyrie of the Missa Mrevis in F Major (BWV 233) where the Litany tone which is very similar to a psalm tone is used.

The difference between the above examples and Cantata BWV 71 is that the repeated recitation tones tend to be on the mediant or dominant not the tonic. Whether Bach's listeners heard a chant quotation is probably insoluble. The possibility struck me when I first heard the passage but I assumed that the D flat was a reference to the "cooing" motif which opens the movement.

Aryeh Oron wrote (February 14, 2005):
Ammern, Mühlhausen and Cantata BWV 71

Visiting Ammern & Mühlhausen

Ammern was our first station after a long drive from Kassel. I do not know much about Ammern. This village, only a few kilometres North to Mühlhausen, does not even have a website. I have not been able to find information about this place anywhere. When I was in Leipzig, I found two books dedicated to stations in Bach's life, and Ammern is not mentioned in either of them. But Bach was definitely here. Between 1708 and 1712 he attended the place to examine the new organ by J.F. Wender at St. Vitus Church. The church had been originally built in 1270, and was restored from 1998 to 2000. We arrived there on Sunday around 11:00 and found the church closed. A passer-by guided us to a place where the priest should have been. We heard people singing a chorale, entered the modern building, and following the voices found the room. A small congregation was there, the priest invited us to join and we were given praying books. It was a strange feeling. We did not belong there; it was not our service, and we did not want to interfere. We stayed a little while and left quietly.
See photos from Ammern: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Tour/Ammern-Photos-2.htm

When we arrived to Mühlhausen it was about noon, but there were almost no people in the streets of the Old City. Knowing that the Tourist Information would be closed we went to the Blasiuskirche (= Divi Blasii Church), where Bach served as an organist for a year (July 1707 - June 1708). The huge church (although not as big as the Marienkirche) is located just South of the well-preserved wall. Couple of minutes after we had entered, we found ourselves participating in a funeral, which took part inside the church. We continued to a walking tour in the streets of the Old Town. It was our second visit to Mühlhausen, and this beautifully restored town had not changed much during the past 5 years. Our next station was Weissenssee.
See photos from Mühlhausen: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Tour/Muhlhausen-Photos-3.htm

Musical History of Mühlhausen

During his short service in Mühlhausen, Bach composed Cantata BWV 71 for the election of the new Town Council. In the liner notes to the CD 'Mühlhäuser Staats-, Fest- und Ratsmusiken: Schütz, J.R. Ahle, Erlebach, J.S. Bach' (Thorofon 1995), which included a recording of this cantata (by Wolfgang Unger [8]), I found an interesting article by Manfred Fechner titled 'Musical Works For State, Municipal And Other Festive Occasions In Mühlhausen'. The article gives you a broader background for the context and time in which Bach lived and worked. The well-chosen works supply some hints for the musical tradition which was culminated by J.S. Bach's work. In the somewhat archaic Cantata BWV 71, the connection between Bach and his predecessors, can be easily felt.

In the course of the centuries the Thuringian city of Mühlhausen, with its status of Free City of the Reich (and from 1348 onwards having full provincial sovereignty), was of enormous political importance. It was particularly at events in this political context that the city - whose detailed musical history has not yet been fully recorded - was able to emanate a distinctive aura of musical excellence. But it was not only during politically occasioned festivities that musical culture thrived in Mühlhausen - as indeed it did throughout Thuringia. 16^th and 17^th century musicians of no mean rank were born in this city (Johannes Eccard, Johann Rudolf Ahle and his son Johann Georg, to name but a few). Evidence of the powerful influence music must once have exerted on the citizens of Mühlhausen is to be found in the proud assertion made in 1626 by Georg Andreas Fabricius, rector of the Grammar School in Mühlhausen (and later of that in Göttingen) who taught the young Johann Rudolf Ahle "Qui non est musicus, non est Mühlhausen" (He who is not a musician is not of Mühlhausen).

The state of musical culture as it existed during the 17^th and early 18^th centuries in the free city is captured by the present selection of works, as if caught by a roving historical spotlight The compositions of Heinrich Schütz, Philipp Heinrich Erlebach and J.S. Bach owe their genesis to extraordinary (political) events in Mühlhausen, while Johann Rudolf Ahle's contributions represent, as it were, the 'long-established, native musical practice for Sundays and feast days, the continuity of music of an artistically high standard.

Following the failure of the relevant rulers negotiating at an initial summit conference in Mühlhausen in March 1620 to reach compromises which would restore peace to the Reich, the Thirty Years' War continued, "senselessly, and following a colossal, bewildering and unfathomable dramaturgical plan" (M. Gregor-Dellin, 1984). A man of no martial bent, the Electoral Prince of Saxony, Johann Georg I sought with conciliatory and diplomatic tenacity to be loyal to the Imperial constitution in his thinking and actions, desiring "at all costs to avert for as long as possible the warring armies' invasion of his vulnerable province, with its inviting potential for use as a corridor" (M. Gregor-Dellin). However, the fighting continued to spread, the belligerents had got the bit between their teeth. Ferdinand II too, who had been elected Emperor on the votes cast by the Protestant electoral princes in 1619, was not to be persuaded into assuming a more tolerant or peace-loving attitude by the occasional battle victories booked by the Catholic Imperial League. The consensus the electoral princes were nevertheless able to reach in the course of renewed negotiations which took place in Mühlhausen between October 4 and 5, 1627 (Oct 13 to Nov 15 by the modern calendar) was a course dictated by fear. Shared in equal measure by the Catholic princes, this apprehension was focused upon the figure of Wallenstein who, in his surfeit of self-confidence, "was taking history into his own hands, seeming to have the Kaiser fully in his control" (M. Gregor-Dellin) - an impasse not to be tolerated and providing ample justification for all parties concerned to make another attempt at dialogue. In its political consequences the conference was fruitless, despite the impressive array of powerful figures represented there. Whereas Kaiser Ferdinand II, two of the three "lords spiritual" among the electoral princes the Archbishops of Trier and Cologne, the Elector of Bavaria (as the successor to Friedrich von der Pfalz who had forfeited his electoral privileges) and the Elector of Brandenburg had sent emissaries accompanied in some cases by sizeable entourages, the Electoral Prince-Bishop of Mainz and Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony, appeared in person (the electoral entourage from Saxony comprised 600 persons and 506 horses and included Kapellmeister Heinrich Schütz together with his instrumentalists, singers, organists and choir boys).

Following the custom of opening imperial and electoral assemblies with a composition appealing for concord and love of peace (as early as 1530 such a work had come into existence in Ludwig Senfl's motet "Ecce quam bonum", conceived for the Augsburg Parliament). Schütz composed for the Mühlhausen negotiations a work exhorting a similar attitude of mind. This was the appropriately impressive motet for double choir "Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris..." (SWV 465). With this medieval antiphon, after Martin Luther's "Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich" (Grant us merciful peace), the 5-part Chorus I opens as if in prayer, supported by violas da gamba, while Chorus II, in four parts and - as Schütz demanded "quite distinct from the first", greets and salutes the right honourable dignitaries of Church and Reich. Each emissary was included in an almost hundred-fold salutary address. The spiritual Electors of Mainz, Trier and Cologne were praised as very foundations of the peace, Ferdinand II as unconquerable Caesar and the Electors of Saxony, Bavaria and Brandenburg as the "three bulwarks" of the peace. In no other double choir work did Schütz provide the individual choirs with such opposing roles, revealing here his talents as a dramatist, and indeed as a theatrical composer and master too - at the same time testifying to his heart-felt yearning for peace.

Johann Rudolf Ahle was one of the most outstanding musicians active in Thuringia in the latter half of the 17^th century. To today's musical world he is an unknown quantity, at best mentioned in encyclopaedias (this, despite the efforts of the great musical researcher Johannes Wolf, who gave Ahle a place of note among the monuments of German musical achievement with the publication in 1901 of his volume containing a representative selection of the composer's works). Born in Mühlhausen, he was - subsequent to his school and student days in G6ttingen and Erfurt, where he studied theology at the university - artistically and politically connected with that city until the end of his life (Ahle was organist of the St Blasius church and was a member of the city council, becoming Lord Mayor in 1673, the year of his death). The annals maintain a veil of silence as to who his teacher were. As a composer, Ahle devoted practically the whole of his art to the service of the Church. No musical form having a place in the liturgical music of the time was neglected by him: the Mass, the Magnificat, the lied, the motet (chorale arrangements), the sacred concerto and the dialogue are all represented there. His composing style aims at clarity (and there with textual comprehensibility), at easily graspable melodies and, despite the occasional contrapuntal part-writing, at a form of composition essentially harmonic and chordal. He achieves in this way a thoroughly Italian gusto" (not without good reason did the Lüneburg cantor Michael Jacobi call him the "German Monteverdi"). Taken all in all, Ahle adheres far more to the tradition of declamatory homophony of, for instance, Andreas Hammerschmidt than to the motet-style exemplified by Heinrich Schütz's "Sacred Choral Music" of 1648.

Together with the sermon, the Missa Brevis (consisting only of Kyrie and Cloria) was the most important part of the main service until after 1700 in Protestant as well as in Catholic churches Ahle's "Missa à 6" of 1668 with basso continuo is a perfect example of this liturgical usage. Composed in the "stile antico" (with the "Cloria" intonation by the pastor, cantor or precentor), its respectable stylistic conservatism quite fulfils the expectations of the period, indeed it distantly echoes the Mass settings of the late Netherlandish masters.

The Magnificat, the canticle of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1: 46-55 and lesser doxology), bore a similar relationship to the vesper service as did the Missa Brevis to the main service. Ahle's Magnificat setting of 1657 is noteworthy for its concise handling of the Luke passage, the imaginative and varied ways in which it is assigned to the favoriti (vocal soloists) and the Capellchor (mixed group of singers and instrumentalists). The instrumentation is somewhat unusual, lending the work a distinctive sound, but is perfectly suited to the dignity of the text it sets. Supported by the basso continuo, the vocal ensemble receives reinforcement and contrast from a brass quartet consisting of a cornet and three trombones, which are at times treated in obbligato manner.

Johann Rudolf Ahle's "Ich hab's gewagt" (I've taken the plunge), calling for four singers, strings and basso continuo, is a work written for a wedding, and vouchsafes latter day generations an intriguing insight into a festive occasion of this kind in an (unnamed) middle-class family in Mühlhausen. Furnished with two symphonies in Venetian style, the work (published in 1658) reveals itself as a sophisticated choral concerto. The gracefulness of expression, the transparent mood of the work as a whole and the religious faith manifested by both text and music are very deeply moving (it is possible that Ahle also wrote the text).

Almost equally unknown, but revealing himself to be Johann Rudolf Ahle's probable superior in importance and artistic mastery, is Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, born in Esens (East Friesland) and Kapellmeister of Rudolstadt. Toward the end of the 1670s he was appointed to the Rudolstadt Court (originally as musician and manservant to the Count) and he was to keep this position for the rest of his life; here he played a decisive part in shaping musical culture, becoming "Capelldirektor" in 1681 and "Capellmeister" in 1708. With his suites in the French style and chamber music oriented on the Italian style, Erlebach is an instrumental composer of international rank as well as being an important master of the early German opera, cantata and passion music. Although almost his entire vocal oeuvre was destroyed by fire in the Rudolstadt Palace in 1735, contemporary copies of at least some of his cantatas - mainly from North German sources and scientifically reconstructed by the research done by Bernd Baselt - are in existence today, testifying to the past glories of musical culture at the Residence of the Schwarzburgs.

As part of the "Musicalia at the Act of Homage" on October 28, 1705 in Mühlhausen, the choral concerto "Exultemus, gaudeamus" was performed in honour of Kaiser Joseph I, together with two other works, a serenata and a march. Mühlhausen was until 1802 directly responsible to the Holy Roman Empire of German nations, serving no overlord or prince other than the Kaiser. Each time the throne passed into different hands ththe Mühlhausen Council proffered their allegiance (and that of their subjects) to the new ruler in ritual form with a solemn procession, church service and Council meeting. The dignitary officially representing the Kaiser in Mühlhausen in 1705 was Count Albrecht Anton II, of the house of Schwarzburg, and it was he who had commissioned his Kapellmeister Philipp Heinrich Erlebach to compose the musical homage. The musical character of the concerto "Exultemus, gaudeamus" identifies it as typical of the cantatas of the High Baroque written for official use, containing flashy coloratura passages and the festive sheen of trumpets, but it is distinguished by the consummate compositional skills of its creator and his sure use of the emotional musical idiom of the time.

As organist at the St Blasius church in the Free City of the Reich, Mühlhausen, Johann Sebastian Bach, like his predecessor in office Johann Georg Ahle (son of Johann Rudolf), was responsible for ensuring that music was available for the church service held annually on the day following the City Council election (on February 4) in order to celebrate the change of representatives. For the service following the Council election of 1708 he composed "Gott ist mein König" (God is my King) (BWV 71) - the only work Bach wrote for these occasions which has been preserved (the Council even had it printed at its own expense by Tobias David Brückner in Mühlhausen). Its texts are based largely upon the Bible, but their actual author or compiler cannot be definitely ascertained. The handing over of office from the old Council to the new is symbolized by this writer in the metaphor Age - Youth, the idea culminates in the line "Your old age shall be as your youth" at which point God is called upon to support the new administration. The ensuing lines consist of eulogies, pleas and felicitations for the "new regime".

Although he entitled it "Motetto", Bach has in this \ cantata in fact produced a "concerto" for multiple choirs, The orchestra is divided into four "choirs", (I) 3 trumpets and timpani; (II) 2 recorders and cello; (III) 2 oboes and bassoon; (IV) 1^st and 2^nd violins, viola and violone. The choir of voices, in its turn functionally divided into concerto and ripieno, makes up a fifth. The result is extreme diversity and timbral differentiation from one section to the other, which "conforms formally to the serial placing of short sections characteristic of Bach's earliest period" (A. Dürr, 1985). However, even the movements of this cantata lacking extensive polyphony adhere completely to the 17^th century tradition of concerti ecclesiastici and are not amenable to such "modern" terms as "aria" or "arioso".

Recordings of Cantata BWV 71

Although BWV 71 is certainly a festive cantata, it also has its moments of melancholy and pessimism (Mvt. 2: the aria for alto which pictures the old man), consolation (Mvt. 3: quartet), and plea (Mvt. 6: chorus). As much as the text of the cantata is about honouring the past and congratulating the future, so is the writing of young Bach. On the one hand, the style of the cantata is similar to Buxtehude and to previous Mühlhausen's composers; on the other, it is revelatory, full of surprises and innovations. Some of them Bach would use in his later works; others were used only once, in this cantata. The da-capo in the arioso for bass (Mvt. 4), the fugal writing in the quartet (Mvt. 3), the syncopated woodwinds imitating the cooing of doves in the 2^nd chorus (Mvt. 6), the sudden abrupt that ends the concluding chorus (Mvt. 7), and so on. This cantata has plenty of gems.

I prefer renditions, which reveal the multi-mood facets of this cantata and which take care of the many treasures hidden in it. For my review of April 2000, I listened to 6 recordings. I have enjoyed them all, except for Harnoncourt's, that I found as inferior to the others. Since then 3 additional recordings have appeared: Unger [8], Leusink [11] and the DVD recorded at Marienkirche [12]. I do not have the last one, but based on Olle Hedström's recommendation, there is much to expect, both musically and visually. I have listened to all 8 recordings at my disposal and I have to admit that I hear them differently.

In the first round I found positive things to say about Kurt Thomas [3]. Now I find even more. No couple gives so heart-rending rendition of the duet for tenor and soprano as Rotzsch and Giebel do; no bass sings the arioso with such dignity as Adam does; no choir sings with such naivety and innocence as the Thomanerchor, and so on. The imaginative organ playing of Hannes Kästner should also not be overlooked. I prefer this recording to Rilling [4], Harnoncourt [5], Rotzsch [6], Koopman [7] and Suzuki [9], especially for the superiority of the singers.

To this very first recording of the cantata, I must add now the 'new' recording by Wolfgang Unger [8] as a personal favourite. None of his singers is a house-old name, but all of them have pleasant voice and good technique and they sing with outmost dedication. Most important is that this rendition, more than any other, gives the feeling of being there, in Mühlhausen on February 4, 1708, together with the people gathering in the Ober market place near the Rathaus to celebrate in Marienkirche the election of the new council. One eye is weeping for the departure from past (or life), while the other is happy for the good things which the future brings. IMO, this is the most authentic rendition of this cantata, and the care and sensitivity with which Unger and his forces handle the various moods and the numerous details hidden in this cantata, make this recording the one to which I shall return most often.

Thomas Braatz wrote (February 14, 2005):
Aryeh Oron wrote:
> Ammern, Mühlhausen and Cantata BWV 71 <
I found this in-depth report very illuminating and am still amazed how few, if any, connections between Bach and Johann Rudolf Ahle, and even Schütz who performed there, have been established, i.e., what influences these earlier composers may have had on Bach. I find virtually nothing to establish any clear connections. Mühlhausen would seem to hold the key, but somehow pointing out Bach's use of many choirs of singers and instruments in BWV 71 seems to provide only a vague connection regarding influences that Bach may have received elsewhere.

An excellent recording of Ahle's music is the recording by Suzuki (BIS-CD-821) with Midori Suzuki, Mera, Türk, and Schreckenberger. It contains some of the music mentioned in Aryeh's presentation.

Missa a 10
Herr nun lässestu deinen Diener a 5
Zwingt die Saiten in Cithara
Magnificat a 7
Jesus dulcis memoria
Misericordias Domini
Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag
Magnificat a 8

Peter Smaill wrote (February 15, 2005):
[To Aryeh Oron] Thank you especially for this insight into the musical tradition of Mühlhausen, which begins to answer the question as to why this small city-state, although in Bach's time ravaged recently by fire, went to the extravagance of completely restoring the organ and of printing BWV 71, "Gott ist mein König". The former extent of the musical tradition, which is only touched on by Wolff in his book on the early sacred cantatas, suggests that the appointment of the new organist was a significant catalyst for attempting to re-establish the musical prestige of the place.

Johann Rodolph Ahle (1625-73)

As often in Bach he pays homage to an illustrious predecessor, in this case of course it is the various settings J R Ahle's melody (in the Orgelbuchlein and elswhere ), Liebster Jesu wir sind hier. Both in the Church of England and Church of Scotland, his chorale has been appropriated to baptism; but the original text by Tobias Clausnitzer is an adult's prayer to Jesus for enlightenment, placing the the Saviour as from God ("licht vom licht aus gott...")but also as the source of the [Holy] Spirit. No babies anywhere and implicitly the Spirit proceeds from the Son! It is marked as "vor dem Predigt "in sources which implies this chorale was sung before the sermon.

It would be interesting, given its prominence in worship, to know if any older harmonisations exist before JSB created his many settings in which several harmonic and rythmic devices enrich the simple melody so as to suggest that it was, with Bach as with today's congregations and organists, a special favourite.

Thomas Braatz wrote (February 15, 2005):
[To Peter Smaill] You are right. Bach uses the melody in BWV 373, 633, 634, 706, 730 and 731. At least BWV 373 (4-pt. Chorale setting with a wonderful octave-jumping bass line) looks as though it might have come from a lost cantata. The Evangelical Lutheran hymnal from North Germany has it placed, as you indicate, as a baptism hymn, the text, however, written by Benjamin Schmolck, a staunch Pietist (1672-1737). ["Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, deinem Worte nachzuleben; dieses Kindlein kommt zu dir, weil du den Befehl gegeben."] The original text which Ahle set to music began with "Ja, er ist's, das Heil der Welt..." My hymnal source
indicates that this text was changed several times after that (not to mention the fact that this melody was also used for other hymn texts: "Nun Gott Lob, es ist vollbracht" which is sung at the end of the service ["Zum Beschluß des Gottesdienstes"] and to a
slightly different text also beginning with "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, dich und dein Wort anzuhören; lenke Sinnen und Begier auf die süßen Himmelslehren" by Tobias Clausnizer (1618-1684.)

Johann Ludwig Krebs has an organ prelude with obbligato instrument, but other than this, it does not seem that other (important) composers of the period have any special settings of this chorale melody.

Peter Bloemendaal wrote (February 15, 2005):
BWV 71 - Gott ist mein König

What a spectacular opening: "God, God,God is my King!" A powerful proclamation by the choir, at once triumphantly reinforced by the trumpets. What an overwhelming impression it must have made on the congregation at St. Mary's on this February day almost three centuries ago. It is obvious that Bach wanted his emphatic exposition without any previous notice. I can not imagine him having complied with a trumpet fanfare preceding his cantata to spoil the effect he had in mind. Should he have wanted an entrada of any sort to introduce the opening chorus, Bach would have composed one himself and it would have been printed with the rest of the manuscript. There may have been a trumpet fanfare at the entrance of the councillors into the already crowded church, but wouldn't that have been at the beginning of the ceremony and not, Bach forbidding, at the onset of the cantata. Neither do I believe in the tuning theory for the choir to pick up their tone. There must have been ample opportunity for tuning before the actual ceremony began, and if I were Bach, I would have waited until the usual noise of the audience had subsided and as soon as they had gone silent, I would have given them threefold God! For that is what J.S. was up to, he wished to make an impact! Giving his singers the right tone must have been hardly a problem for Bach. Since he used the organ as his primary reference point for pitch and the master himself was to all likelihood situated behind the keyboard, what would have been easier than a stealthy tone from the organ or from a designated instrument, maybe a recorder, to provide the choir with their required pitch, in those last moments of the crowd's murmurs dying out.

Indeed this is an enthralling chorus. I love the intricate play of the various "choirs", Bach building up the tension towards the end of this movement with the vigorous strings, raising the festive spirits, but after the last "God ist mein König" the exuberance is fading, paving the way for the following contemplative duet. What fascinates me most is not the ingenuity Bach shows in these concluding simple ritornellos, first in the trumpets, then in the woodwinds and finally in the delicate recorders, but the fact that he should compose it at all in this way. It is as if he wishes us to realize that all things go by comparison.

To me, the aria con corale in canto is the highlight of this cantata. The organ obbligato echoing the singers and improvising on their melodic lines is exquisite, the intricate weaving of the tenor aria and the soprano chorale, seemingly dealing with the same idea, but in fact each of them singing from a different point of view is another example of the profoundness of the master's music. The tenor symbolizes the old, retiring councillor, who is retreating from his duties so that he can die in peace in his beloved city, to be buried next to his father and mother. The soprano (in Bach's days a treble or counter, in either case a young man), on the other hand, stands for the young councillor, newly elected. He realizes that, should he wish to advance in his (political) career to a high position in life, he would have a hard road to travel. Therefore he prays for patience and protection against sin, shame and scandal so that in the end he may be allowed to wear his grey hair with honour and dignity, an ideal almost lost in our time.

The following fugue is a quiet but firm assurance that God will be with both the old and the young in everything they will undertake, provided they live their lives with honour and dignity.

The beautiful arioso for bass is an elaboration of the Psalm 74 theme from the first movement. God owns day and night. He, who determines the course of the sun and the stars, is also the One who sets the boundaries of each and every land. Delightful interplay of the oboes and the flutes with the bass soloist, skilfully assisted by the BC, make this another gem in honour to God, the real king of this world.

The glorious alto aria is again down to earth: God grants safe borders, peace at home whereas war and murder are constant threats everywhere. King and Government may tremble, God's omnipotence will bring about happiness and well-being. This is a straightforward triumphant song of faith, in which the brass instruments and timpani are the natural companions of the alto soloist.

However, the elation about having God as a powerful ally does not linger on. It is subdued by the awareness that his enduring protection can not be taken for granted. The citizens of Mühlhausen are subtly reminded of their sinfulness by the image of the turtle doves, which of old used to be sacrificed to God as sin offerings. But then, fortunately, turtle doves are also a symbol for love, as in the Song of Songs, and therefore the choir beseech God to watch over them against their enemies. With the imitative cooing of the doves permeating the enchanting music, and the intimate plea "Du sollest" being repeated again and again in all voices, the chorus must have sounded as an incantation to heaven in the ears of those present. And when the spell is finally broken there is an open end in expectation of the conclusive movement.

Which is as richly orchestrated as the opening chorus. The new local regime receives every good wish they might expect and at last the worldly king is not forgotten. Heaven should daily grant the emperor happiness, well-being and great victory throughout his realm. Bach gives it all he has got, but like in the first movement he is philosophical again in the end. He continues to delight and surprise me.

Since I only have the recordings by Suzuki [9] and Leusink [11], suffice it to say that I like them both greatly. The sophistication ansmoothness of Suzuki's performance balances the enthusiasm and radiance of the Leusink boys. There is however one movement where I have clear preference, which is in the aria con corale in canto. I find the chemistry between Ruth Holton and Knut Schoch awesome and I just hope Bach can hear Holton from heaven. If not, he will get his chance later, for she sings just heavenly.

Doug Cowling wrote (February 15, 2005):
Peter Bloemendaal wrote:
< Should he have wanted an entrada of any sort to introduce the opening chorus, Bach would have composed one himself and it would have been printed with the rest of the manuscript. There may have been a trumpet fanfare at the entrance of the councillors into the already crowded church , but wouldn't that have been at the beginning of the ceremony and not, Bach forbidding, at the onset of the cantata. Neither do I believe in the tuning theory for the choir to pick up their tone. There must have been ample opportunity for tuning before the actual ceremony began, and if I were Bach, I would have waited until the usual noise of the audience had subsided and as soon as they had gone silent, I would have given them threefold God! For that is what J.S. was up to, he wished to make an impact! >
I really think you are projecting the protocols of the modern concert hall onto Bach's church setting. Bach's choral and organ works were performed cheek to jowl with prayers, readings, chorales, sermons and the music of other composers. There was no theatrical pause while the congregation fell silent like a modern audience in hushed anticipation of the opening of "Gott ist Mein König". There was a fanfare, probably by another composer or even improvised by the trumpeters, and the cantata began.

We have lost the rhythm and interplay of word and music of the Lutheran service for which Bach wrote his music. How many of us would be prepared to hear an hour-long address between the two halves of the St. John (BWV 245) or St. Matthew Passions (BWV 244)? And yet Bach wrote his works for that pattern, and it could be argued that the effect of his music is dependent on such a break. He certainly would have been horrified at the dinner break which is increasingly common in modern performances of the St. Matthew!

I recommend that Paul McCreesh's "Epiphany Mass" on Archiv which reconstructs a complete Leipzig liturgy -- including a bit of the sermon! -- should be required listening for any of us who are serious fans of Bach's music.

Rianto Pardede wrote (February 15, 2005):
[To Peter Bloemendaal] It happens that I have not so different opinion regarding the performance of the aria con chorale movement, by Ruth Holton and Knut Schoch [11].

Also, I like the idea of the tenor symbolizes the old, retiring councillor, while on the other hand, the soprano stands for the young, newly elected councillor. This idea actually makes me thinking over my own about the connection between the tenor lines, and that of the soprano. I previously imagined that both the tenor and the soprano were conveying the concerns of just one man, i.e. the newly elected councillor (already old with grey hair, in this case).

Anyway, I have a good time reading the whole review. Thanks!

BWV 71, Gott ist mein König on DVD

Harry W. Crosby wrote (August 27, 2006):
Olle Hedström wrote to Aryeh Oron:
[12] < Being a dedicated Bach fan like you, I presumed you already had aquired all the available Bach Cantatas performances on DVD available worldwide.There aren't that many, unfortunately.
The BWV 71, "Gott ist mein König" is the best DVD-release I've encountered so far, where a Bach cantata is envolved. Recorded flawlessly in the Marienkirche in Mühlhausen. Where else ? Breathtaking if you ask me. I have watched it dozens of times, and I'm stunned.
Besides the full cantata BWV 71, with the Telemann Kammerorchester you also get:
# the toccata in d-minor from the Bachkirche in Arnstadt, with Gottfried Preller
# the motet, "Der Geist hilft unserer Swachheit auf" with Biller and the Thomaner in the Thomaskirche
# 3^rd Brandenburg from Cöthen (Spiegelsaal) also Telemann Kammerorchester
# Concerto in C-dur for cembalo, (BWV 984) Christine Schornsheim, Schloss Weimar
# From the Art of Fugue, Dresdner Steich Trio, Alte Börse, Leipzig
There's also a documentary shot on Bachlocations in Germany: "Lebensstationen"
I think you can find it at www.amazon.com or other net retailers.
If you cannot find it I can send you a copy. Let me know !
DVD: Johann Sebastian Bach, "Leben und Werk" VKJK 0101, 90 minutes, PCM stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1, PAL 16:9, www.querstand.de >
[12] Dear Widely Scattered and Willdly Assorted fellow Bach lovers, after a recent experience, I feel compelled to bring in what may well be very much a minority report, but I'd feel remiss if I did not waggle my finger and mouth Caveat Emptor.

I purchased the DVD recommended by the enthusiastic Olle Hedström in the accompanying message to this group. I was, I must say, less than impressed by the performances and --- pardon the expression --- "camera work" on this disk.

It opens with what I can only describe as a dutiful, dull rendering of BWV 565, and proceeded to what I found to be an equally dull and oddly inappropriate presentation of BWV 71. It is treated as a somber. reverential church cantata about as lively as BWV 4. The singers are, to my ear, undistinguished, which with the plodding tempos, make this a real snooze. Gott! All I can say is look at the circumstances for which this was written, look at the text, look at what most of our respected conductors have made of it. Just for fun, I got out my Rotzsch recording after sitting in amazement, watching the camera pan endlessly, non stop around the lovely church, and listening to those who made this cantata into a dirge, OK, I played my old CD and it sounded so celebratory, so involved, so vibrant, that I just had to send this report.

Oh, and as a sort of P. S., let me add that I found no reason whatever to own the Thorofon CD of BWV 36b and BWV 134a with the Leipziger Universitatschor and the Pauliner Barockensemble conducted by Wolfgang Unger [8]. These performances seem very routine throughout when compared to the comparable parts of the more widely performed versions.

So, am I just a killjoy? Don't I like anything? You better believe it; I've got many dozens of Bach disks about which I am hugely enthusiastic. (I'll spare you details here, but lists are available . . .)

Thanks for taking in these, I assure you, well-intentioned admonitions.

Eric Bergerud wrote (August 28, 2006):
Can't comment on the particulars here but I have been getting more interested into "home theater." A DVD (which almost always is made to access Dolby 5.1 hardware in the receiver) is recorded very differently than a stereo CD. Those interested in the complications of the field can get a good primer on the BEST BUY site which has the best informational content of any of the commercial places: (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat22200050005&type=category).
What it boils down to is this: when watching a DVD or listening to SACD CDs, your hardware is going to have a huge impact on the overall experience. There are some really rotten "home theater" systems that do a poor job on regular movies much less something like an opera or the SMP (BWV 244). Or you can waste several thousand dollars on electronic overkill. But, if you do it right, the multiple channel system that Dolby allows can deliver a real added dimension to the experience. This is not hype but very audible indeed. (I am sure about SACD because none of my audio junkie friends has a system really designed for it so I can only work from word of mouth which ranges from "not so hot" to "dynamite." The "dynamite" guys tend to be the music lovers with deep pockets.) And, depending upon what type of effect you want, one has a lot of control by deciding which type of speakers to buy and where to position them. In any case that makes judging the relative merits of a DVD no easy matter. In our day, one can get a pretty good stereo system for CDs at relatively decent prices. (Sony of all people has a new series of 3-way speakers out that deliver very impressive sound for under $150 a pair.) Classical music fans tend to have decent systems so I doubt that CD judgements are unduly weighted by hardware. In the DVD world that could very well be the case. Obviously Mr. Crosby or Mr. Hedström may be right about the artistic merit of the DVD in question. And certainly a bad performance could have excellent sound. But in the DVD world it's much more possible for a good performance to be harmed by bad sound. Just something to keep in mind. (I'm constructing my own audio Frankenstein and will report in when the project is complete.)

Cantata BWV 71: Complete | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2

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