Cantata BWV 147 - Provenance

Thomas Braatz wrote (December 17, 2001):
BWV 147 - Provenance:

Autograph score used for the 1^st performance on July 2, 1723 for the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. A very clean copy unlike quite a few Bach scores that show that he was composing and correcting on the score as he wrote it out. The 1^st sheet of paper can be physically dated from the year 1716 (contains the 1st mvt. unchanged from BWV 147a, the Weimar Advent cantata. This came into CPE Bach's possession. The original set of parts used for the performance on July 2, 1723 is now in the Staatsbibliothek Berlin.

The original score for BWV 147a (the one that Bach worked from to come up with the revision - BWV 147) came into WF Bach's possession and then disappeared forever.

Text:

Salomon Franck's text was used for both BWV 147a and BWV 147. It was a text specifically designated "For the Fourth Advent Sunday."

Here is a comparison of both versions of BWV 147:

Chor: "Herz und Mund etc." remained the same. Both music and text were not changed by Bach.

[New: the insertion of a tenor recitative in 1723]

Aria 1 (Alto) "Schäme dich etc." One line is changed: "Soll er seine Braut dich nennen" becomes "Soll er dich die Seine nennen"

[New: the insertion of a bass recitative in 1723]

Aria 2 (Tenor) "Hilf, Jesu, hilf etc." is displaced to take up a new position at the beginning of Part 2, After the Sermon.

Aria 3 (Soprano) "Bereite dir, Jesu etc." has a major change from "Beziehe die Höhle des Herzens, der Seele" to "Mein Heiland, erwähle die gläubige Seele"

[New: Chorale placed at the end of Part 1 "Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe etc." This text not indicated by Franck. Here Bach has chosen instead vs. 6 of Martin Jahn's "Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne" 1661]

[New: Aria 2 "Hilf, Jesu, hilf etc." for Tenor placed here as the 1st mvt. in Part 2, After the Sermon.]

[New: the insertion of an alto recitative in 1723]

Aria 4 (Bass) "Ich will von Jesu Wundern singen etc." had a completely different text by Franck in the original cantata BWV 147a (Advent cantata):

Laß mich der Ruffer Stimmen hören
Die mit Johanne treulich lehren,
Ich soll in dieser Gnaden-Zeit
Von Finsterniß und Dunckelheit
Zum wahren Lichte mich bekehren.

[Let me hear all the voices that are crying out and are faithfully teaching what John has taught: that, at this blessed time of year [Advent] I should turn away from darkness and allow myself to be directed [converted] toward the true light.]

Choral: For this Franck had chosen the 6th verse of Johann Kohlroß' chorale "Ich dank dir lieber Herre" This is the concluding chorale text:

Dein Wort laß mich bekennen
Für dieser argen Welt/
Auch mich dein'n Diener nennen/
Nicht fürchten Gwalt noch Geld/
Das mich bald mög ableiten
Von Deiner Wahrheit klar/
Wollst mich auch nicht abscheiden
Von der Christlichen Schaar.

[Let me announce to this terrible world that I believe your word and that you can call me your servant. I will not be afraid that I could be swayed by power and money which could quickly lead me away from your truth. And for this effort, please do not separate me from the Christian community.]

Bach has chosen instead the 10th verse of the chorale text by Martin Jahn "Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne" 1661. The chorale melody, of course, is "Werde munter, mein Gemüte" as already explained earlier. The Kohlroß chorale text that Franck had chosen would have to undergo a number of instances of slurring to make the words fit properly. This may be considered an argument against the notion that Bach retained the chorale melody and the harmonization that he had composed for the 4th of Advent in Weimar. Perhaps Bach drew upon another source from the Weimar period, but that would make my supposition about "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" even less likely than it already is.

Cantatas BWV 147 & BWV 147a: Complete Recordings of BWV 147 | Recordings of Individuaul Movements: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Details of BWV 147a | Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

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Last update: ýJuly 26, 2005 ý10:28:09