Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61) is Bach’s first composition to a text based on Luther’s Advent hymn, in this case a poetic setting by Erdmann Neumeister depicting with almost scenic clarity the Saviour’s coming. The solemnly simple invocation of the Luther verse is followed by the voice of the congregation pleading for Christ’s presence. Christ himself appears in the bass recitative. In the soprano aria the heart of each Christian opens up to Christ, now present, and the concluding chorus is both a response and, with its hint of subjectivity, a contrast to the opening movement.
Bach's composition was written in 1714 as the seventh of the cantatas which the Weimar concertmaster, appointed in March of 1714, had to provide every month for the court church service. As the cantata for the first Sunday in Advent it also became the first piece of the annual cantata cycle which Bach began to compose in Weimar. The special importance of such an opening piece is manifestly displayed by the opening chorale movement in that it artistically and brilliantly combines French overture, cantus firmus writing and motet-style chorale arrangement. The pointed rhythms of the slow overture section, symbolizing the entry of the Saviour as ruler, have their counterpart in the solemn rendering of the first chorale line in the soprano, alto, tenor and bass, in sequence. The second line is in a tranquil four-part chordal setting. The allegro (gai) sets the third line graphically into the whirling motion of a tightly-knit imitative motet movement. The abbreviated reprise of the slow section provides the calmly declaiming final line with an appropriately splendid frame-work. A recitative and an almost songlike, unpretentious arioso lead on to the tenor aria which, as the voice of the congregation, calls for Christ's presence and a 'blissful New Year." This is rendered in a cadence which has a simultaneously dancelike, spirited and almost solemnly serious effect, primarily due to the forceful unison of the violins and viols. So to speak as the answer to this aria the recitative of vox Christi follows, a synthesis which is just as terse as it is suggestive, deriving; from "painting" and ”talking" music - tapping string pizzicato and highly expressive declamation and at the same time the transition to the cantata's last tonal center (A minor was the key of the Luther hymn, C major that of the tenor-congregation sphere; G major now becomes the key of the soul enlightened by Christ). The latter's concluding aria is in fact Protestant spiritual mtisic, devoid of all extravagance, possessing the simplest and most sincere tunefulness. The concluding chorale exposes this fervour and intensities to Advent exultation raising the violins to g".
The second composition of Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 62) belongs to the annual chorale cantata cycle which Bach began in the second year ot his cantorship at Leipzig; it is thus liturgically related to the First Sunday in Advent, 1724. The textual and musical forms of the work accord precisely with the norm of the annual cycle: the first and last verses of the Luther hymn are taken over and composed as a large-scale chorale arrangement and simple concluding chorale; the other verses are poetically paraphrased and distributed among recitatives and arias. The adherence to the chorale also results in a "more objective” moulding than in Cantata No. 61; the symbolic ”distribution of roles" among the solo voices is missing, as is the symbolism of key changes.
The opening movement features line-by-line rendering of the chorale in wide-ranging ritornello form. The concerto quality and instrumental brilliance of the ritornello and the tonal embellishment of the cantus firmus voices (soprano and cornett) overlie the seriousness of the chorale text with their rousing Advent jubilation. The tenor aria (in G major) relates to the text, which centres upon the miracle of the Immaculate Conception, clearly indicating the pastoral scene ot Christmas by its use ot siciliano rhythm and melodic writing as well as use of oboe embellishments. Bass recitative and aria (in D major) acclaim the hero from Judea with veritable warlike music and powerful unison accompaniment. The following duet-recitative, with a very gentle yet harmoniously rich string accompaniment, retraces its steps hack to Christmastide devotion, The last hymn verse, a simple cantional setting, closes the work.
Christen, ätzet diesen Tag (BWV 63) is from a textual point of view a Christmas cantata, but the purpose for which Bach composed the work is uncertain. In view of the fact that the text is probably written by the Halle theologian J. M. Heineccius, it seems appropriate to consider the cantata an audition piece for Bach’s application for the post of organist at the Church of Our Lady at Halle in 1715 or to connect it with Bach’s inspection of the organ at the same church in l7l6. At any rate the work goes back to the Weimar period. That Bach still thought highly of it later is evident from the fact that it was performed again at least twice in Leipzig (at one of these performances the solo oboe of the first aria was replaced by obbligato organ).
The most conspicuous traits of the cantata are its complete lack of chorales, its extraordinarily wide range and magnificent development, and perfectly symmetrical arrangement (chorus - accompagnato - duet - secco recitative - duet - accompagnato - chorus). The two choruses are marked by the use of concerto techniques, offering all manner of combinations and all the brilliance of a four-chorus, motet-style concertante movement. The scoring of the other movements is carefully graduated on the one hand according to the textual content, and on the other according to the principle of variety. The recitatives speak with that direct and rich musical rhetoric which is characteristic of Bach’s Weimar period; in this respect the ecstatic (No. 2) and solemn tone (No. 6) are equally impressive. The arias are each marked by one basic concept within the text: No. 3 fashions ”wohl gefüget” (well fitted) as canons and imitations of the singing voices, and No. 5 develops the joyful ”Reihen" (song and dancing) of the Christian flock. Pictorial abundance and tonal splendour, formal simplicity and directness of statement make Cantata No. 63 altogether one of the most readily comprehensible Bach cantatas.
Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget (BWV 64) for the Third Day of Christmas, l723, originates from Bach’s first annual cantata cycle in Leipzig. The anonymous text uses the occasion of Christ’s birth to meditate on the futility of all wordly things, since the Redeemer has now appeared and salvation is assured. Bach’s composition reflects this severe, and consequently not very Christmas-like attitude, in an almost brittle tonal language. This unseasonal effect is heightened by the unusually large number of chorale stanzas, of which only the first is of a character befitting Christmas, and in archaic details such as the accompaniment of the choir voices with cornett and trombones. The first movement, as a four-part motet with thoroughbass, is also archaic from a compositional point of view. Even the following Christmas chorale, because of its unornamented melodic line and simple harmonization, has a tendency toward archaic severity (which becomes especially evident when compared with the corresponding movement of the Christmas Oratorio). The subsequent recitative, whose contemptuous ”Geh, Welt!” (Away! thou world!) is indicated by gesture in the scale motifs of the continuo, leads to the second chorale rnovement, the steady bass of which appears to underscore this emphatic rejection of the world. The aria which follows reflects fundamental concepts of the text at several levels: by the key of B minor which relates to the E minor of the outer movements (all the other cantata movements are in major keys), by the gavotte rhythm which hints at the ”world,” and by the sixteenth note figures ofthe first violin which depict the “fading smoke.” The last aria looks more toward heaven than toward earth; accordingly it is characterized musically by lighter colours (G major, 6/8 time, oboe d'amore). The work concludes with the final verse of ”Jesu, meinoeFreude” which opens simply, but particularly in the last line is marked by radiant harmonization of rich and suggestive hues.