Luogo e data di registrazione		Miniemenkerk, Brussels (Belgium) - January 2006
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Recording Staff		Eckhard Steiger
	Prima Edizione CD		ACCENT - ACC 25304 - (1 CD) - durata 60' 39" - (p) 2006 - DDD
	Note		-

COMMENTARY on the cantatas presented here Of the four Cantatas recorded here, the first was performed on New Year's Day 1726. The three others all had their first performances in 1724 during the first Christmas/New Year's festival which Bach spent as Cantor in Leipzig. This was an extremely fruitful period. Between Christmas 1723 and the 9th January 1724 Bach had composed and performed for the Leipzig faithful no less than 9 works for the church, of which the last three are presented in our recording. "Herr Gott, dick loben wir" - BWV 16 (New Year's Day 1726) The libretto for this cantata comes from G. Chr. Lehms (1711), and, exceptionally, has no connection with the lessons for the New Year. The short opening chorus (vivace) is highly festive. The instrumental bass supports the joyous dactylic rhythm (short-short-long), continuously repeated in a motif, which goes on as an ostinato to the end of the piece. The text of Luther's translation of the Latin Te Deum is set here in a lively three-voiced texture for the lower voices, over which the soprano sings the German "Te Deum" with sustained notes, doubled by the "Corno da caccia" (here meant to sound like the "Tromba da tirarsi" [slide trumpet]). The strings and oboes reinforce the singers in vocal passages; in other places they play independently to intensify the polyphonic web. Bach could not deny himself putting the emphasis on the concept of "eternity" in this piece. Shortly after the soprano sings with long note values the section of text "Dick, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit" [Thee, God Eternal Father], the alto repeats the same section twice faster; on the other hand, it is notable that the obbligato figure dominating the basso continuo is twice as long. A symbol of time becoming eternal? In the following recitativo secco (bass), the poet bids us to sing our thanks anew, and thus introduces the aria (no. 3). The bass joins in the song ("Lasst uns jauchzen, lasst uns freuen") [Let us rejoice, let us be glad], and everyone repeats his appeal, supported by the instruments playing trumpet-like figures. With the words "Gottes Güt' und Treu", etc. [God's goodness and constancy], the sound becomes more tender and transparent; in part B of the text the bass on his own again takes up the word ("Krönt und segnet seine Hand", etc.) [If his hand crowns and blesses]. Here one notices the "visual" madrigalism on "krönt"; a rapid ornamental figure (already announced first in the violins) really "crowns" this syllable. This figure will illuminate strikingly and clearly several times. After a paraphrase of the opening in A minor, the piece returns to C major at the end. After this, the poet directs our attention to the future. In the recitativo secco for alto God is beseeched to continue "to protect his church and school" and "to frustrate Satan's evil tricks" - and we should put our trust in him "for evermore". This profound trust in God becomes more intense in the following aria (no. 5) in a veritable and prolonged declaration of love. Over a steady and simple andante in the bass, the obbligato solo instrument (here a violetta) develops a tender and dancing line, which resembles a stylized polonaise. The tenor makes his entry with a gentle flourish: "Geliebter Jesu, du allein", etc. [Beloved Jesu, thou alone], and an intense dialogue develops, with questions and answers and combined statements. Part B of the text goes back explicitly from the end to the da capo "A", thus describing in fact an eternal circle. The closing chorale (no. 6) to a text by Paul Eber (c1580) did not appear in the original libretto - Bach added this communal entreaty to conclude this festive cantata. "Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind" - BWV 153 (For the Sunday after New Year's Day, 2nd January 1724) This anonymous cantata text skilfully combines the themes from two Sunday lessons (the Massacre of the Innocents and the Flight into Egypt). After the short opening chorale (by D. Denicke, 1646), begging for God's mercy and help, the poet allows an almost theatrical picture to emerge in the following sections of the text. In the recitativo secco (no. 2) man makes his entrance, surrounded and threatened "by dragons and lions", and implores God for his help. In the Arioso (no. 3), God replies: "Fear not, I am beside thee". The threatened man is certainly reassured by these words, but they are not enough, so great is his distress and fear recitativo secco (no. 4). The Innocents' community now comes to help him, and he recalls God's promise to him: he will not retreat from the devil (no. 5) chorale to a text by P. Gerhardt, 1656). With this, the man, consoled, rejoices and expresses his joy in an aria, suddenly very confident: with God's help I will be protected from all storms and catastrophies! With this emotional outburst, the consoled man is calmer, and reflects further: endure thy pain, Jesus had to suffer worse from the beginning, console thyself with Him, suffer with Him andHe will summon thee to the Kingdom of Heaven recitativo secco (no. 7). The man, so full of despair until now, is completely comforted and sings God's praise with unconditional confidence (Aria no. 8). The hardships of his life will lead him to Heaven. After this succession of vivid ideas, the cantata ends symmetrically with a chorale of three verses (by Martin Moller, 1587), which sings once again by way of summary about life under Christ's protection. A few comments on the individual numbers: The text of the Arioso (no. 3) "Fürchte dich nicht" etc. is a quotation from Isaiah (Ch. 41, v. 10). Although this prose text is obviously not ruled by any regular verse metre, Bach sets it in a brisk triple time. The main motif in the introduction for basso continuo "announces" quite recognizably the rhythm of the words in the first four notes. This motif becomes the permanent leitmotif of the whole fragment; thus Bach illustrates the ever-present comfort of God: "Fear not, I am beside thee". In the tenor recitative (no. 4), it is notable how Bach colours the text with a striking madrigalism; thus, for example, on "Bogen" [bows] (the form of the melismas is a lively bowed line), and also for "sie richten ihre Pfeile" [they aim their arrows], where the rising interval of a second conveys a picture of the released arrow. On "sterben" [die], the melody and harmony are clearly chromatic and plaintive, and for "hilf, Helfer" [help, Helper] the repeated imitation of the sung motif in the basso continuo is an intensification and strengthening of the prayer ceaselessly repeated by the singer. In the tenor Aria (no. 6) a lively dotted rhythm forms the bass part above which there are rapid runs, which sometimes - with the soloist as well - are presented in unison. In this way Bach is able to describe the storm and the "Fluten" [billows], which are the subject of the text, as well as the "Unglücksflammen" [flames of woe]; and finally (at the end) the "Erretter" [redeemer] Himself. Is God not as powerful in His actions...? "Ruh" [peace] is on a long sustained note (as if one had to wait for it), which ends on a dissonant chord with a fermata. (This peace is not in any way final). The recitativo secco (no. 7) first of all goes back to a highly emotional telling of the gospel story of the Massacre of the Children in Bethlehem and the Flight into Egypt (note particularly the treatment of the word "Flüchtling" [one who flees]). Then follow, in strong contrast to the foregoing, the resigned decision "Wohlan, mit Jesu tröste dich" [Come, with Jesu be thou comforted] etc., and the through-composed "Andante" on the words "Denjenigen, die hier mit Christo Leiden / will er das Himmelreich bescheiden" [Those who suffer here, like Christ, they will be summoned by him to the Kingdom of Heaven]. Here reappear the instrumental bass and the vocal line, as if bound in dialogue with mutual imitation - symbol of union, of solidarity? The chief idea of the alto aria (no. 8) is the afterlife in Heaven, compared to the suffering of life on earth. A tremendous kind of noble and restrained dance music is heard (is this Heaven?); even the "lauter Jubilieren" [resounding jubilation] in verse 4 is not particularly emphasized; the trochaic metre (long-short) presents quite naturally a tempo of a kind of court minuet. For the words "Daselbsten verwechselt mein Jesu das Leiden mit seliger Wonne" [There will my Jesus change sorrow into blessed joy] the poet "changes" the metre very rapidly (from Trochaic to Dactylic). Bach reacts to this process with a new motif in the treble (at a somewhat heightened tempo, "Allegro"), which is immediately taken up by the basso continuo and the first violins, and leads to a long vocalise on the final word "Freuden" [joy]. The postlude brings us back to the opening theme, but now with a greater swing; the heavenly life? Exceptionally, this cantata makes no use of wind instruments. "Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen" - BWV 65 (For the Feast of Epiphany, 6th January 1724) The Gospel according to St. Matthew about the Kings from the East seeking to worship the newborn Christ Child inspired Bach to write one of his most attractive and colourful cantatas. The poet of the text, who is still unknown, opens his work with a literal quotation from the book of Isaiah (ch. 60 v. 6) "Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, Gold und Weihrauch bringen und des Herren Lob verkündigen" [All they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord]. To illustrate this theme, Bach had recourse to a colourful group of wind instruments: two "Corni da caccia", two recorders and two "Oboi da caccia", as well as the usual strings with basso continuo. The "Corni da caccia" (hunting horns) are smaller than normal in this cantata, and play more in the trumpet tessitura; similarly the recorders are played mostly in the high register; so the "Oboi da caccia" are here the deepest wind instruments (often doubled with the second violins and the viola). The entry of the voices is preceded by an instrumental introduction of 8 bars, which illustrates in an almost lifelike way the solemn procession of the Kings. The 12/8 time signature of this opening movement contains within itself the "binary" of a slow march with the "three-beat swing" of many an elegant dance. The high horns present the principal motif in two parts, which the voices develop, taken up directly by the other wind instruments and the high strings. After a short episode in which the different families of instruments are heard one after the other, the principal motif is played solemnly by all of them in unison, and ends with several voices. Then the singers make successive entries with the principal motif, and finally unite in four parts, supported by the instruments. The piece then develops in various combinations, until a long fugue begins in the bass (with a new motif), which leads the text to the end. After the four voices have entered in the fugue, the instruments reinforce each subsequent entry of the subject. After the initial motif has appeared in the treble, the movement closes with a festive unison from all the participants. Then follows, under the title of "Chorale", the fourth verse of the hymn known as "Puer natus in Bethlehem" (1545), in German: "Die Kön'ge aus Saba kamen dar" [The kings came there from Sheba]. In the recitativo secco (no. 3) for bass the poet tells the story quite briefly of what happened in Bethlehem, and places the events in relation to his own life: how the Three Wise Men "muss ich mich auch zu deiner Krippen kehren / und gleichfalls dankbar sein" [I must also seek Thy crib, and likewise give my thanks], and the most precious gift I could make is my heart. The sudden chromatic colouring in the harmony on "zu Bethlehem im Stall" [in Bethlehem in a stable] is remarkable, undoubtedly an allusion to the difficult circumstances of the birth of Jesus. In addition, the "Lebensfürst" [Prince of life] is particularly coloured, and the final sentence "so nimm es gnädig an / weil ich nichts Edlers bringen kann" [so accept it graciously, for I can bring nothing more precious] the secco declamation changes into a "precious" arioso. The aria (no. 4) for bass, 2 Oboi da caccia and basso continuo builds further on this idea: "Gold aus Ofir ist zu schlecht / Weg, nur weg mit eitlen Gaben" [Gold from Ophir is too poor, go away, just go with such vain gifts]. In the Old Testament it is told how King Solomon brought much gold from the land of Ophir - this shows us how vain such a gift would be: "Jesus will das Herze haben" [Jesus wants your heart], and nothing else. The two wind instruments and the basso continuo continuously imitate the prosody of the opening of the text "Gold aus Ofir ist zu schlecht"; through this repetition one can almost see how the gold is brought step by step. The same rhythmic motif comes later on the words "weg, nur weg mit eitlen Gaben" and also on "Schenke dies, O Christenschar" [Offer this, O Christians all]. Characteristic also is the extremely long vocalise on "eitle Gaben": how better could Bach have illustrated vanity? The tenor's recitativo secco (no. 5) addresses God with the plea not to reject his heart and all that it contains (the gifts of faith, of prayer and of patience are here compared to gold, incense and myrrh). The poet, however, goes even further, and asks directly that God should give himself to him. The virtuoso aria (no. 6), with which this recitative ends, uses once more the rich sonority of the entire instrumental ensemble, which again is occasionally laid out in "families". In a sort of rondo, the tenor sings of the total abandonment of his heart to God; the rich vocalise on "Alles, was ich bin" [All that I am] illustrates very clearly this theme of the text. Although in the main source for this cantata (Bach's autograph score) there is no text for the concluding chorale, traditionally the 10th verse of the song "Ich habe in Gottes Herz und Sinn" by Paul Gerhardt (1647) is used, which follows on well from the aria. "Mein liebster Jesus 1st verloren" - BWV 154 (For the first Sunday after Epiphany, 9th January 1724) The text of this cantata, of unknown origin, follows the gospel reading for Sunday (St. Luke, ch. 2, v. 41-52), in which it is told how the 12-year-old Jesus stayed unnoticed among the scribes in Jerusalem, while his parents, suspecting nothing, returned to Nazareth after the Passover. When they could not find him among their kinsfolk, they returned to Jerusalem, and found him among this noble company, listening and asking questions. The poet considers this famous episode in the life of Jesus from the perspective of his own spiritual life, personifying, as it were, the whole Christian community, and speaking in its name. Beginning "ex abrupto" with the plaintive cry "Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren / O Wort, das mir Verzweiflung bringt" [My dearest Jesus is lost, O Word, that brings me to despair] etc., significantly, this text is not presented by a vocal quartet, but only by a soloist as a passionate "personal" lament (aria for tenor and strings). Bach's composition reminds us of a passacaglia. The repeated bass figure is strongly chromatic, and, with its many pauses, has a kind of "hesitant" character (one can already see here the vain "search"). The first violin introduces the strongly dotted principal motif, with its plaintive appoggiaturas. The tenor repeats it then, interrupted by uneasy isolated figures on the violins. For "O Schwert, das durch die Seele dringt" [O sword which pierces my soul] Bach depicts the piercing and cutting movement in the violins and the viola. "Donnerwort" [word of doom] is illustrated by repeated notes. In the following recitativo secco the poet asks pathetically where can he find his Jesus, and indicates once again how hard he feels the loss. The tenor sings this passage almost as an extension of his aria. After this the community (in the "chorale", no. 3) sing out about the extent all hearts long for their "little Jesus" (text by Martin Jahn, 161). This chorale is a smooth transition to the next aria, which is almost a kind of lullaby! The beautiful naive text "Jesu, lass dich finden / lass doch meine Sünden / Keine dicke Wolken sein / wo du dich zum Schrekken / willst für mich verstekken / Stelle dich bald wieder ein!" [Jesu, reveal thyself, let not my sins be a thick cloud where, in order to scare me, thou concealest thyself. Come back soon!] is sung by the alto, accompanied by two Oboi d'amore and (in place of a basso continuo) by a "Bassetto", an octave higher, of violins and viola in unison. The whole gives a Christmas feeling; only on the words "Schrecken" and "verstecken" a brief dissonance appears. In the following bass aria Jesus' sobering answer to this prayer comes quite unexpectedly and directly, for the poet quotes literally from the gospel according to St. Luke (ch. 2, v. 49): "Wisset ihr nicht, dass ich sein muss in dem was meines Vaters ist?" [Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?] This piece is a purely monothematic duet, in which the basso continuo and the singer are entwined with each other in an imitative style. An announcement of the text's message? At this reply from Jesus, the believer jumps with joy: Jesus has returned! The significance of Jesus' words also becomes clear to him as a result, and he now "instructs" his own soul in what he has understood; just as Jesus went to his Father in the temple, so must thou, my soul, seek God the Father there recitative (no. 6), tenor. Now that Jesus has been found again and his commandment understood, the Christian can breathe again, and from now on he will "nimmermehr lassen" [nevermore leave] and "beständig umfassen" [steadfastly embrace] Jesus through the strenght of his faith. That this text (no. 8) was conceived by Bach as a duet, can perhaps be understood from the preceding recitative. We saw there (according to Baroque imagery) how the believer speaks to his soul as a "second person". Is this duet, then, not the "continuation" of the inner dialogue, in qhich the two reach an agreement and sing of their decision with one voice? This duet sounds to us like a gavotte, gay but controlled. In the first four verses Bach has switched to a quasi-binary from the trochaic metre (long/short: "Wohl mir, Jesus ist gefunden", etc.). At the moment, in the last two verses, where the poet passes from the trochaic to the dactylic (long/short/short: "Ich will dich, mein Jesu, nun nimmermehr lassen"), Bach changes to a swinging 3/8 (passepied?). The opening ritornello of the instruments (strings and 2 Oboi d'amore) then concludes the aria in the initial Gavotte tempo. In the closing chorale (Chr. Kaymann, 1658) the community confirms once again: "Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht... Selig, wer mit mir so spricht" [I will not leave my Jesus... Blessed is he who, with me, speaks thus]. Sigiswald Kuijken Translation: Christopher Cartwright and Godwin Stewart