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2 LPs
- SAWT 9553/54-B - (p) 1970
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| 2 CDs -
3984-21763-2 - (c) 1998 |
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| MUSICALISCHE
VORSTELLUNG EINIGER BIBLISCHER HISTORIEN |
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| Johann KUHNAU (1660-1722) |
6
Biblische Sonaten (Leipzig, 1700) |
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Sonate Nr. 1 - "Der Streit zwischen David
und Goliath"
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Orgel |
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17' 54" |
A1 |
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- Sonate Nr. 5 - "Der Heyland
Israelis: Gideon"
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Cembalo |
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13' 14" |
A2 |
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Sonate Nr. 4 - "Der todtkrancke und wieder
gesunde Hiskias"
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Orgel |
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13' 22" |
B1 |
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Sonate Nr. 2 - "Der von David vermittelst
der Music" |
Cembalo |
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19' 38" |
B2 |
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Sonate Nr. 3 - "Jacobs Heyrath"
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Cembalo |
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24' 14" |
C |
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Sonate Nr. 6 - "Jacobs Tod und Begraebniß"
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Cembalo |
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22' 03" |
D |
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Gustav
LEONHARDT, Cembalo, Orgel und
Sprecher
- Cembalo: Martin Skowroneck, Bremen,
nach J. D. Dulcken, Antwerpen 1745
- Orgel: Orgelpositiv aus der 1. Hälfte des
18. Jahrhunderts (Erbauer unbekannt) in der
Hervormde Kerk in Castricum, Holland
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Luogo
e data di registrazione |
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Bennebroek (Holland);
Castricum (Holland) - Aprile /
Luglio 1969
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Registrazione: live
/ studio |
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studio |
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Producer |
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Wolf Erichson
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Prima Edizione LP |
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Telefunken "Das Alte
Werk" | SAWT 9553/54-B | 2 LPs -
durata 64' 08" - 46' 17" | (p)
1970 | ANA |
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Edizione CD |
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Teldec Classics
"Gustav Leonhardt Edition" | LC
6019 | 3984-21763-2 | 2 CDs -
durata 62' 04" - 48' 44" | (c)
1998 | ADD
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Cover
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"König David im
Tempel". Gemälde von Pieter
Lastmann (1583-1633)
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Note |
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In the year
1700 Johann Kuhnau, J. S.
Bach’s predecessor as Cantor
of St. Thomas’ Leipzig,
published his “Musical
Representation of some
Biblical Stories in Six
Sonatas” as his fourth and
last work for the piano.
This Work differs from the
suites and sonatas published
earlier - the first Baroque
ones of their kind for piano
- for he succeeds in
bringing new life to the
freely-constructed piano
sonata by introducing
“programme” elements. The
chosen “programme” material
- incidents from the Old
Testament - is humorously
recounted by Kuhnau and
given a detailed musical
portrayal. Here a few
examples of the
sound-painting which this
master, well-known for his
satire, employs with such
disarming naïvity. In Sonata
No. 1 the Israelites tremble
and pray simultaneously:
their trembling is depicted
in the vibrato tones of the
bass chords, their praying
in the chorale of the treble
“Aus tiefer Not schrei ich
zu Dir”. In the same piece
David’s sling-shot is
indicated by a rapid run,
Goliath’s fall by the
crashing descent of chords.
In Jacob’s marriage (No. 3)
numerous misleading cadences
portray the deception
practised on Jacob, when, on
his wedding night, instead
of his lovely bride, Rachel,
the ugly Leah is manoeuvred
into his bed. Gideon’s doubt
at the opening of Sonata No.
5 appears in the form of a
singer who, not very sure of
himself, keeps repeating the
theme a tone higher. The
“Biblical Stories” would,
however, never have been
acclaimed by posterity as
outstanding works of art had
they not shown other
qualities. In them Kuhnau
developed what amounts to a
compendium of figures for
use in musical rhetoric, yet
still managed to preserve to
a great extent the forms of
fugue, toccata and dance as
such. The prelude and fugue,
of particular importance in
Baroque music, occupy an
important place in these
works too, appearing
sometimes at the beginning
(Nos. 2 and 6) and sometimes
at a dramatic turning point
in the story (Nos. 1, 3, 5
and 6). The originality of
this work is manifested in
the closely combined
principles of “programme”
and “absolute” music and in
the balance which Kuhnau
found between freedom and
self-imposed risttictions.
Lothar
Hoffman-Erbrecht
Der Streit zwischen David
und Goliath - The
fight between David and
Goliath
The portrait of the great
Goliath drawn in the
Scriptures, is a rather
strange one. For here is
depicted a freak of nature -
a giant, strong as a tree.
Should one wish to determine
his height, a measure of six
cubits would scarcely
suffice. The brass helmet he
wears on his head
contributes not a little to
the appearance of his
hugeness. The scaly coat of
mail and the cuisses he
wears around his legs,
together with the most
important shield - the one
he carries - as well as his
spear the handle of which is
like a weaver’s beam and
likewise heavily studded
with iron, shows abundantly
that he must be imbued with
strength, and that all this
load of hundred-weights does
not inconvenience him in the
least. If one is already
almost horror-struck at the
mere description of this
man, how terrified must the
poor Israelites have been
when they came face to face
with the living original of
their enemy. For there he
stands before them as if he
were trying to outshine the
sun with his metallic
armour, making an uncommon
clatter with the metal
[-disks] that hang like
scales one over the other,
and snorting and roaring as
if he wants to devour them
[the Israelites] all at
once. His words sound in
their ears like terrible
thunder. He pours scorn on
his enemies and their
equipment, challenging them
to send forth a champion
from their camp. This fight
is to show on which party’s
shoulders the yoke of
servitude must weigh. He
[Goliath] can easily imagine
that by these means the
sceptre over the Israelites
will come into the hands of
the Philistines. But behold
the miracle! While courage
sinks in all of Israel’s
heroes, while everyone,
whenever the giant merely
shows himself, takes to
flight, and while the giant
warrior continues to call
out his habitual taunts
against his enemies, David,
a small, brave young
shepherd-lad, announces that
he is willing to do battle
with the iron-eater. For
this he is critized as being
presumptuous. Nevertheless,
David does not let himself
be deterred. He persists in
his heroic resolution and
goes to be heard by King
Saul at his audience,
[telling] him that he
recently, with God’s help,
had fought with a bear and a
lion who had stolen a sheep
from him; that he had not
only torn their prey out of
the savage brutes’ mouths,
but also killed them: thus
he hopes that he will
succeed equally well in the
fight with the Philistines’
bear and lion. Hereupon he
faces the mighty giant, with
a firm trust in the help of
his God, armed with a sling
and a few carefully chosen
stones. The Philistines
presently think: now the
great hero will blow away
the tiny foe-man like a
grain of dust, or kill him
like a fly, particularly
since he [Goliath] is
getting very wrathful,
fulminating against David
with horrible curses to the
effect that he considers him
a dog, coming to him not
with arms worthy of a
soldier, but with a
shepherd’s staff. But David
is not dismayed. Instead, he
calls upon his God, and he
prophesies that his
adversary would very soon
fall to the ground without
sword, spear, or shield,
lose his head, and yield his
body to the birds and wild
beasts to feed on. Hereupon
David rushes toward the
Philistine and wounds him so
sorely with a sharp stone
slung deeply into his
forehead, that he tumbles
down in a heap. Before he
[Goliath] can rally himself
David seizes the excellent
opportunity, slays him with
his own sword, and carries
his severed head away from
the battle-ground as a
trophy.
While heretofore the
Israelites had always fled
from the snorting and
thumping of the huge
Goliath, so now the
Philistines flee at the
victory of little David,
thus giving the Israelites
an opportunity to hasten
after them and to fill the
road with the corpses of the
slain fugitives. It is easy
to imagine how great the joy
of the victorious Hebrews
must have been. This was
evidenced by the women’s
coming out from the cities
in the land of Israel to
meet the victors with
tabrets, violins, and other
musical instruments,
intoning a concert of
various choirs to the text:
Saul has slain his
thousands, and David his ten
thousands.
Der von David vermittelst
der Music curirte Saul
- saul, who is cured by
David through means of
music
Among the calamities, which
God, in fulfilling His divine
purpose, often sends upon
us, may be numbered the
diseases of the body. Of
these one can in very truth
say, that they inflict pain.
Hence, the device of that Medicus
of Padua was by no means a
mere fancy, for he, wishing
to decipt above the door of
his house the nature of
various diseases, caused to
be painted there a man, torn
down by many dogs, and
contorted with agony. Each
of these dogs bore his own
name, and behaved according
to its significance. Thus,
the dog Gout, bit the man in
his feet: The dog,
Sidestitch, bit as his
loins: Gallstone at the
kidneys: Gripe at the belly,
and so forth: Until finally a
great sheepdog, signifying
the common fever, bore the
man quite to the ground. The
discoverer would know well
(even without particular
experience) that the
diseases of man tend not to
proceed with any greater
delicacy than here
represented. Pain can in the
end, however, be overcome
with forbearance, even if
the soul, so closely knit
with the body, suffers not a
little thereby. Only where
the sickness is of the mind
alone, does forbearance
cease to play a part;
physical pain has no
comparison with this
affliction. The inner
torment manifests itself in
singularly agitated
behaviour. Scripture leads
us through a veritable
Lazar-house of such
sufferers. Among others we
meet a royal patient of
especial renown: Saul is his
name. Of him we learn: The
Spirit of the Lord departed
from Saul, and an evil
spirit from the Lord
troubled him. Where God is
not, and an evil spirit
comes into His place, there
must surely be the abode of
all manner of evil. One can
readily picture to oneself
the terrible sight of this
man when in the throes of
his paroxysm. His eyes roll
wildly, and there dart from
them, as it were, sparks of
fire: His countenance is so
distorted, that one can
scarcely distinguish the
least vestige of human
features: His heart makes
foam to burst forth from his
mouth like a raging and
tempestuous sea. Mistrust,
passion, envy, hate and fear
strive together violently
within him. Above all his
spear, ever ready to fly
from his hand, shows his
heart to be afire with
ungovernable wrath. In fine:
His sickness of mind is so
severe, that the symptoms of
every kind of hellish
torment are clearly evident.
Even the tormented King
himself, in lucidis
intervallis, or
moments of sanity,
recognises the indescribable
evil which has come upon:
him: His care is therefore,
to find a man, who can effect
a cure. But can there be
hope of any help whatsoever
in such a singular case?
Saul did not dare to look
for the smallest degree of
recovery through human arts
alone. But inasmuch as God
is wont from time to time to
accomplish miracles through
a human being, He sent unto
him a skilled musician, the
mighty King David, and
endowed his playing with
uncommon power. Thus when
Saul is, as it were, bathed
in the sweat of agony and
torment, let David play on
his harp even the least
strain of music, the King is
again straightway refreshed,
and brought to repose.
Thus
is represented in the
Sonata:
(1)
Saul’s Affliction and
Madness,
(2)
The refreshing music of
David’s harp, and
(3)
The King’s mind once more
at peace.
Jacobs Heyrath - The
wedding of Jacob
Rachel’s report of ]acob’s
arrival must have pleased
her father, Laban. The way I
imagine the situation, from
the facts related in the
Scriptures, Rachel must have
come running home saying: My
dear father, in the field at
the well, I just met a very
friendly strange shepherd,
who was exceedingly polite
and courteous. The
father knows that a big
stone blocks the mouth of
the well and that it
requires many people to lift
it off for watering the
sheep. But for the strange
shepherd it was easy to
remove the heavy stone for
me, all by himself. He
watered my sheep. But that
wasn’t all: he also kissed
me. And, strangest of all:
when caressing me,
his eyes seemed to be like a
well, flowing over with the
water of his tears.
Such signs of love seemed
strange to me, since never
before had my mouth and face
been touched by this kind of
moisture. But what could I
do? I could not despise his
love, nor could I reject
this good man, the more as
he revealed himself as a
close cousin and the son of
Rebecca, my beloved father’s
sister-in-law.
These approximately, must
have been the words of
Rachel. I also do not learn
that Rachel was scolded by
her father for having
accepted the caresses, but
that he was just as glad
about them as his daughter
herself. Although he is not
one of the youngest any
more, those used to dancing
and leaping, he is so happy
about this message that all
of a sudden his legs become
so nimble that he quickly
runs out to meet the cousin.
He welcomes him with all his
heart, embraces and kisses
him.
Everything in Laban’s house
smiles on him and the guest
is regarded with favor and
friendliness. It does not
need many words to obtain
Laban’s assurance that after
Jacob had served him for
seven years, Laban would
give to him in marriage his
youngest and loveliest
daughter, Rachel.
And, as happy love is a
delicious sugar which
sweetens the sourness of
life, the amorous Jacob does
not perceive the burden of
his hard service. The seven
years go by as quickly as
one week or seven single
days. A delicious wedding
feast is prepared. Everybody
congratulates the bridegroom
on his beautiful bride. Her
friends express their joy by
singing a bridal song in her
honor. During the first
wedding night, Jacob behaves
like the happiest of
bridegrooms. In the darkness
of the night, the face of
his beloved seems to him to
be the most beautiful
star-bright sky. Her tender
glances mean more to him
than all be brilliance of
the sky. Yet the coming dawn
brings dark disillusion.
Jacob discovers that his
happiness was imagined and
that, instead of the most
beautiful Rachel, he had
caressed the ugly,
stupid-looking Leah.
The good bridegroom cannot
possibly hide his anger and
I believe I hear him reproaching
Laban: My dear father,
is this the way you keep
promise that, as a reward
for my faithful services, I
am deceived by finding a
different person beside me
in my bed instead of my
beloved who was promised me?
This is a betrayal, the
infamy of which must be made
known to all the world. Yet,
what can a friendly word not
do to a meek spirit:
Therefore, it is not
difficult to win Jacob again
and to convince him that,
according to the customs of
the country, the order of
marriage among the children
depends on the order of
their birth and that, for
this reason, the youngest
daughter can not be crowned
with a bridal wreath prior
to the oldest one. Nor could
such a custom rooted in
nature be broken by Laban’s
promise. Jacob makes a new
agreement with his
father-in-law, according to
which he is to keep Leah,
but will regain Rachel after
having served Laban for
another seven jears. After
this delay Laban must keep
his word.
Jacob, now having reached
the goal, feels at the
second wedding the sweet
happiness of a blissful
lover.
Der Todtkrancke und
wieder gesunde Hiskias
- Hezekiah, who being
sick unto death, is
restored again to health
Piety reaps great rewards.
Temporal and eternal life
are to her granted as
recompense. Thereto stands
as a faithful saying and a
sure pledge: Godliness is
profitable unto all things,
having a promise of the life
that now is, and of that
which is to come. Yet
oftentimes when I take
account of the years of life
allotied to faithful
children of God, I find that
in this, as also with the
material goods of this
world, and even with life
and health, that the
advantage is with the
ungodly. Who is not familiar
with the name of Hezekiah?
Was he not a notable example
of godliness, among all the
Lord’s anointed? The Spirit
of the Lord had pledged him,
that his glory would be an
unfading glory. According to
the tenor of this pledge,
this great King had set the
holy will of God always
before him, making it the
aim and end of all his
dealings, he had with great
boldness brought about a
horror of idolatry, he had
trusted in his God, and
borne himself in such a
manner, that there was not a
King to be seen like to him
in all the land of Judah.
Yet at the same time, I
perceive him for the most
part amongst the number of
those, for whom the star of
worldly fortune seldom
rises. One finds here no lack
of wealth and honour, yet
many clouds, heavy with
misfortune, hang over him.
How many troublesome enemies
disturbed ever and anon the
calm of his mind! When
finally I observe his life’s
path, I find that the
venomous serpent of disease
attacks him early, and in
the prime of his life comes
the solemn warning, that he
must cease his work, lay
himself upon his bed, and
not wake again before the
Day of Judgment. The prophet
Isaiah was the messenger
sent from God, who, in the
name of his exalted Lord,
must convey to him the
injunction: Set thine house
in order, for thou shalt
die, and not live. Now I
note that with Hezekiah
there is in no wise the
terrible agitation,
perceivable in the case of Belsazar,
whose countenance was
straightway changed, and
whose joints were loosened
and shook for terror, as he
became aware of the finger,
which wrote his judgment
upon the plaster of the
wall. Nevertheless we see,
that Hezekiah was not a
little disturbed thereat. It
is surely revealed by the
tears streaming from his
eyes; and by his troubled
bearing. He has no doubt,
however, but that he knows
the way to the most
trustworthy physician. To
him he makes plaint of his
sickness, and prays
fervently for aid. He
recalls his blameless life,
and the uprightness and
faithfulness of his heart
before God. The heart of his
divine Physician, already
overflowing with
lovingkindness, is more than
won over thereby. For the
prophet has hardly left the
sick King, when the word of
the Lord comes to him,
commanding him to return,
and give to Hezekiah the
welcome tidings of the
continuance of God’s love
towards him, and that he
should remain ruler of his
people: his tears and
lamentations had pierced the
clouds; he should be healed,
and on the third day go up
into the house of the Lord;
and that he and his royal
city would be delivered out
of the hand of the King of
Assyria. The almighty and
wonderful God sealed this
wonderful promise with a
sign, an exceptional wonder
of nature. He gave Hezekiah
a number to mark, by which
number in proportione
sesquialtera, the
years of his life would be
lenghtened; namely that the
shadow, in returning 10
degrees backward in the dial
of Ahaz, should signify to
him, that the hour of his
death would be deferred for
15 years. What joy this
lenghtening of his life must
have awakened in him; such a
joy only those can
comprehend, who by sickness
have learnt, to assess the
value of health and life.
Der Heyland
Israelis/Gidon - Gideon,
the deliverer of Israel
We often desire an honour
which we do not deserve, and
venture to take upon
ourselves tasks, for which
we are too weak. Gideon was
of a different cast of mind.
just as it had never entered
his thoughts, that he might
bear the title of a valiant
soldier and leader in
battle: so neither could he
imagine, when the Angel
appeared unto him as he
threshed wheat, that he
would wield, instead of the
threshing-flail, the sceptre
or rod of justice over
Israel, that he would subdue
their enemies, or that he
would also thereby winnow
out with thorns and briers
certain evil-minded leaders.
Thus the salutation of the
Angel came strangely to him:
The LORD is with thee, thou
mighty man of valour. In
addition to feeling himself
unworthy of the appellation,
he could not conceive, how
he and his people might
assure themselves of the
presence of God, for the
midianitish yoke already lay
heavy upon them. His
unbelief was great. He
desired a sign, whereby the
Angel might give proof of
his high mission. Firstly
his offering was consumed:
then the fleece which he
laid on the ground remained
dry while all around lay a
heavy dew, and again, while
the earth around it remained
quite dry, his fleece was
wet through with the dew.
God revealed His
immeasurable goodness; He
performed all, that Gideon
desired, and by these
miracles assured him of His
presence. Yea, even though
God might have with
justification poured down
the fire of His wrath upon
the disbeliever, and
consumed him as the offering
upon the altar, He
nevertheless did more, than
Gideon desired, and gave him
a new sign, that he would of
a certainty overthrow and be
lord over the Midianites.
The eyes that see into the
hearts of all men perceived,
that the courage of the
chosen deliverer would fail
by reason of the fewness of
men, at most 300, left to
him after the dismissal of
the rest of the people.
Thereupon God commanded him,
to rise up in the night, and
go down secretly into the
camp of the enemy, either
alone or, should he fear to
go down alone, to go with
his servant Phurah, and hear
what the enemy might say
amongst themselves. Gideon
accordingly went down with
Phurah in order to make a
reconnaissance. Now they
encountered such a mighty
army, that the most valiant
must have been dismayed. For
there the Midianites and
their allies, the
Amalekites, arrayed in the
full splendour of the
Orient, lay along in the
valley like grasshoppers for
multitude, and their camels
without number, as the sand
by the sea side for
multitude. But although the
camp of the enemy appeared
so formidable, they took
heart, when they heard one
of the men recount to
another his dream, and also,
to Gideon’s great advantage,
give the interpretation
thereof, namely that a cake
of barley bread tumbled into
the host of Midian, and
smote against a tent so that
it fell, and overturned it;
whereby was surely indicated
nothing else save the sword
of Gideon, into whose hand
the Lord had delivered
Midian and all the host. At
this, Gideon worshipped, and
returned into his own camp,
able to put new heart into
his three hundred soldiers
(for God desired to perform
this miracle with a very few
men), and, assuring them of
the Lord’s help, gave them
the command, that, when they
came to the outside of the
camp, whatsoever he should
do, they should do likewise.
He marched out with a
hundred men. As it came to
the beginning of the middle
watch, the trumpets were
sounded, and all brake their
pitchers even as he did. The
remaining 200 did likewise,
and at the same time, as
they had been commanded,
cried out the words: The
sword of the Lord, and of
Gideon. At this the enemy’s
courage failed, and they fled
in gread confusion, not only
were they slaughtered by the
pursuing Israelites, but
even among themselves was
set every man’s sword
against his fellow. Now this
was an especially noteworthy
victory, as two midianitish
kings, Sebah and Zalmunna,
were slain, together with
their two princes Oreb and
Zeeb. This without
mentioning that Gideon not
only taught the impolite
elders of Succoth their
manners, by binding together
thems and briers, and
scourging them with these,
but that he also beat down
the tower of Pnuel, and slew
the men of that city.
Jacobs Tod und Begraebniß
- The death and burial
of Jacob
Should anyone desire an
example of a man facing
death and departing to meet
his God in perfect peace, he
has only to attend at the
death-bed of Israel, the
father of the twelve tribes
of the people of God. Oh!
who would not wish himself,
to die the death of this
righteous man? The one
hundred and forty-seven
years, which he carried,
must surely have weighed
upon his shoulders, like a
great burden. He whose eyes
have looked out upon the
world for nigh on a century
and a half, may in truth
close them and see not
through a glass darkly, but
face to face, and finally
lay himself in the
resting-place of his
fathers. He who can lift up
his hands in blessing upon
his mourning ones, and
moreover leave his house
thus well set in order, may
of a surety go to his rest
with a good will. Can one
see, therefore, without
one’s heart being moved, how
his noble son Joseph, the
flower of all the land of
Egypt, in response to his
beloved father’s last
request, laid his hand under
his thigh, and swore that he
would indeed perform this
last service of love, that
he would cause him to be
buried with his fathers in
the land of Canaan, or how
at this oath the godly
patriarch bowed himself upon
the bed. It is again
infinitely moving, when
Israel bestows his blessing
upon Joseph’s two sons,
Ephraim and Manasseh, with
fatherly love as upon his
own children, and gives a
powerful and eloquent
blessing to Joseph himself,
when he provides for his
remaining sons, as they
stand about his bed, due
admonition and final
blessing, and this done,
gathers up his feet into the
bed, and falls asleep in the
Lord. Yea finally, who may
without weeping behold the
scene, when Joseph falls
upon his father’s now pallid
face, laving it with a son’s
tears of love, and covering
it with ceaseless kisses?
There was now more to be
done, but pay the final
honour to the deceased, and
entrust his body to the
grave. And so that the
memory of the beloved father
should not fade from the
hearts of the children,
Joseph, the most noble son
of them all, desired that
his father’s corpse should
not suffer mortal decay, and
to this end caused his
physicians to exenterate and
embalm the body.
Thereupon the mourners took
the body of Jacob, according
to his last injunctions, and
brought it into the land of
Canaan, to the burial place
of his fathers. Now this was
with a great company of the
elders and chief councillors
of Pharaoh’s court, together
with many other Egyptians
and servants, in numbers no
fewer than the servants of
the departed, so, that the
attendants in all were as a
great army. And
notwithstanding that the
Egyptians had already wept
seventy days with the
mourners over the death of
the father of their ruler,
Joseph, yet it came to pass,
that as they came to the
thereshing-floor of Atad in
the land of Canaan, so they
wept a further tenth of this
time in a bitter and
grievous lamentation. And
the Canaanites, seeing this
remarkable thing, called
that place “the mourning of
the Egyptians”. Now it may
have been so, that the
mourning of the Egyptians
consisted only of outward
ceremonies and public
lamentations: yet this much
is certain, that at such a
burial ceremony, the hearts
of the sorrowing brethren
must have been deeply
stirred by the deed itself.
And just as at like events
the condolence of good
friends is not lacking, and
just as reasonable persons
recognise in these events
the will of God and the
inescapable laws of Nature,
and consider, that the
righteous man, through
death, is released from
misfortune, and brought to
perfect and everlasting
bliss: so is there also no
doubt, that the mourners
made their journey back
strengthened wih fresh hope
and comfort.
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