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Thomas Braatz wrote (May 23, 2003):
The Autograph Score:
The autograph score most likely was inherited by W.F. Bach. No record of its existence after Bach’s death has ever been discovered.
The Original Set of Parts:
These parts are in the Bach Archiv of Leipzig and were originally in the possession of the St. Thomas School. They most likely belonged to the yearly [chorale] cantata cycle that were presented to the school by Anna Magdalena Bach [not clearly established in this instance] soon after Bach’s death. [Details given in the Bach Jahrbuch 1906 (pp. 43ff.)] There are a total of 17 parts, 16 of which belong to the original set and 1 of which (continuo doublet) was created at a much later time still before Bach’s death. There are generally 14 pages for each individual part with 15 staves on each page. 8 copyists were involved in this project with Bach involved in copying one of the continuo parts. Anna Magdalena Bach is not involved in any way with any of these parts.
The Parts:
1. Soprano [Copyist 1 Mvt. 1 to Mvt. 3 ms. 75; copyist 2 Mvt. 3 ms. 76 to the end]
2. Alto [Copyist 1 Mvt. 1 to ‘tacet’ mark for Mvt. 2; copyist 2 after ‘tacet’ to the end]
3. Tenore [Copyist 1 to ‘tacet’ for Mvt. 2, also Mvt. 5 ms. 11 to the end; copyist 2 everything else]
4. Basso [Copyist 1 Mvt. 1 to ‘tacet’ for Mvt. 3; copyist 2 ‘tacet’ for Mvt. 4, Mvt. 5]
5. Tromba 1 [Copyist 1]
6. Tromba 2 [Copyist 1]
7. Tromba 3 [Copyist 1]
8. Tamburi [Copyist 1]
9. Traversiere [Copyist 3]
10. Hautbois 1 [Copyist 1]
11. Hautbois 2 [Copyist 1 from beginning to ‘Aria tacet’; copyist 2 to the end]
12. Violino 1 [Copyist 1 Mvt. 1 to Mvt. 3 ms. 83; copyist 2 to the end]
13. Violino 2 [Copyist 1 Mvt. 1 and ‘tacet’ for Mvt. 2; copyist 2 to the end]
14. Viola [Copyist 1 Mvt. 1 to ‘tacet’ for Mvt. 3; copyist 2 to the end]
15. Continuo [Copyist 4 Mvt. 1 to Mvt. 3 ms. 72a; copyist 1 Mvt. 3 ms. 72b to the end of the mvt.; copyist 5 mvts. 4 & 5]
16. Organo (transposed, figured) [J. S Bach = the older version of this part; copyist 6 Mvt. 4 ms. 29-31; copyist 2 Mvt. 4 ms. 32 to the end]
17. Continuo (Doublet) [Copyist 7]
The Origin of the Composition:
There are complications in the dating of this cantata and none of the solutions proposed can be proposed with absolute certainty. Some dates that can be proposed as being probable are: Trinity Sunday: June 16, 1726 (BWV 194 could also have been performed during the service, making the performance of BWV 129 somewhat unlikely,) or June 8, 1727, for which there are only uncertain indications (written records referring to its performance, etc.) or the fall of 1726 (Reformation?) also somewhat doubtful.
Two later performances are certain. The 1st of these probably took place between 1732-1735 (this based upon the later addition of ‘Traversiere’ notice the different copyist involved! and on the several later revisions of the ‘Organo’ part. Incorporating all the later changes, the NBA has printed out the final version as it would have been performed c. 1740-1748. [This is the usual procedure the NBA follows. By consulting the NBA KB, a conductor can create reconstructions of the earlier versions.] |
