Luogo e data di registrazione		Predikherenkerk, Leuven (Belgium) - Juli 2007
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Recording Staff		Eckhard Steiger
	Prima Edizione CD		ACCENT - ACC 25307 - (1 CD) - durata 64' 25" - (p) 2007 (c) 2008 - DDD
	Note		-

COMMENTARY on the cantatas presented here "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort" - BWV 20 Bach began his second year of office in Leipzig with this Cantata. It is, at the same time, the first Cantata of the year of his so-called “Chorale Cantatas”, those works which were all based on a complete chorale text from the rich treasury of existing Lutheran chorales (in the other Cantatas Bach mostly used only one or at the most a pair of chorale verses). In 1724-1725 Bach wrote 41 such Chorale Cantatas (Trinity‚ 24 to Easter‚ 25). Among Bach’s Chorale Cantatas two types may be distinguished. In the first, the existing text is used word for word and complete, without any addition. In the second, on the other hand, all the verses would have been edited later, but occasionally poured into some combination and/or new poetic form. The Cantata BWV 20 belongs (like most of the Chorale Cantatas) to the second type. From the twelve verses of the hymn by Joh. Rist of 1642 (printed in 1682 representing a shortened version of the original 16 verses) the unknown editor combined the fourth and fifth verses into one (Recitativo secco no. 4). The original text of the first, eighth and twelfth verses were retained (nos. 1, 7 and 11 in Bach’s composition). All the others were reworked from Rist. This work was first heard on the 11th June 1724. The text of this Cantata follows closely the Gospel for the First Sunday after Trinity (St. Luke 16, 19-31), which presents to the faithful the stern parable of the poor, ill Lazarus and the rich man. The latter allows Lazarus to die in misery on his doorstep, while he himself lives it up sumptuously. But after he also dies and is buried with all honours, he suffers the worst torments of hell and sees Abraham afar off with Lazarus in his lap. In misery he begs Abraham for his help, but the latter explains that what had befallen him was only what he deserved, and that on earth he had received his share of good things and Lazarus bad things - therefore Lazarus now is comforted, but he (the rich man) is tormented for ever. Hereupon, the rich man begged Abraham to send a messenger to his five brothers on earth, to warn them lest they also come to this place of torment, but Abraham answered that they had Moses and the Prophets, and if they will not listen to them, then a message from the dead will not persuade them. For the beginning of this new cycle Bach composed an extremely theatrical, highly calculated Cantata to this text. Accordingly, he employed the form of an overture in the Opening Chorus (to the original text of the first verse of Rist’s hymn). At fi rst one thinks that an opening opera ouverture in the purest French style is being heard! In the twelfth bar, however, with violent repeated semiquavers in the strings, which sound threatening, the voices enter. The soprano, supported by the slide trumpet, sings the chorale melody. This fi rst line is simply and transparently harmonised. On “Donnerwort” (word of thunder) the three lower voices take on the pointed rhythm of the instruments (through which the meaning of these words is strongly emphasised). The Overture continues, and in the twenty-third bar the second line starts (again with repeated semiquavers), in which the words “...das durch die Seele bohrt” (that bores through the soul) are illustrated anew, musically and vividly, by the lower voices and the strings. The third line, “O Anfang ohne Ende” (O Beginning without end), is calmer, combined with the continuing Overture. The instruments close the slow part of the ouverture form after six more bars, and commence the customary faster fugal movement (Vivace in 3/4 time). Three contrasting motifs are interwoven here by the instruments. The vocal ensemble develops the next three lines in three sections. Here Bach portrays, as we would expect, the concept of “Traurigkeit” (sorrow) and “(Ich weiss) nicht wo ich mich hinwende” (I know) not whither I can turn) very effectively and full of affekt. Five bars later this middle section breaks off with a sudden dissonance (a fermata increases the effect here). Then a return to the binary time of the opening follows, with each time sharp “interjections” from the instruments, an “anticipation“ of the following text (seventh line) “mein ganz erschrokken Herz erbebt” (full of fear my heart trembles), and now the singers also take up the “frightened” rhythm. The eighth and last line “dass mir die Zung am Gaumen klebt” (so that my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth) is clearly shown by the horizontal polyphonic tension in the vocal and instrumental parts. This opening movement contains many more beauties. Note for instance how, on the words of the third line “O Anfang ohne Ende” (O Beginning without end) several instruments always spin out long sustained notes (Eternity!), whether in the bass or the wind or the upper strings. After this overwhelming movement there follows a reworking of the second original verse in a Recitativo secco for tenor. The text aims to remind us in almost a macabre way, that such pain has an end on earth, but that the pain of hell is “without release”. How rhetorical are the sudden slow staccato quavers in the bass for “ewig dauernd” (lasting for ever), a moment of “non-motion” – time stands still! There follows a passionate tenor Aria (no. 3), in C minor, 3/4 time, with string accompaniment. This is a kind of complaint “Ewigkeit, du machst mich bange / Ewig ist zu lange” etc. (Eternity, thou maketh me afraid / For ever is too long etc.). As in the opening chorus Bach uses long-held notes, to portray the concept of “eternity”, alternating between all the parts. The unease of an anxious mankind is suggested continually by sighing appoggiaturas. For “Flammen” (flames) the tenor presents rapid semiquavers in a long vocalise. “Pein” (pain) gets a long melisma with large and difficult intervals. For “es erschrickt und bebt mein Herz” (it terrifies me and makes my heart tremble) we hear a distant echo of the same thoughts described in the opening chorus. The Recitativo secco (no. 4) for the bass repeats the idea of the previous recitative, but goes more richly and more fully into the description of earthly suffering (which can last incredibly long, but will stop at some time) and the eternal punishments of hell, “die Zeit, so niemand zählen kann / fängt jeden Augenblick / zu deiner Seelen ew’gen Unglück / sich stets vom neuem an” (Time, which no one can count / catches every moment / of eternal misery for thy soul / eternally renewed). The myth of Sisyphus is not far away! In the next Aria (bass, three oboes and basso continuo) (no. 5) the description of hell is not extended. We are assured how just God’s judgement is: “Gott ist gerecht in seinem Werken / Auf kurze Sünden dieser Welt. Hat er so lange Pein bestellt / Ach wollte doch die Welt dies merken /” etc. (God is just in His works; / for brief sins in this world / He has decreed such long pain; / Ah! Would the world but take note of this! / The time is short, death swift, / think on this O child of man! Etc.). In truth a miserable prospect; how distant is God’s mercy here. Bach goes so far as to set this text to cheerful music. Thus (it seems to me) the instruments illustrate God’s indestructible joy in himself and his purpose - the three oboes in “close harmony” symbolise the Holy Trinity well, with carefree interaction, in which they are joined by the basso continuo and the solo singer. The rhythmic staccato arpeggio motif in quavers at the start of the basso continuo surfaces again and again, and easily anticipates the scansion of the text “Gott-ist-ge-recht” or “Die-Zeit-ist-kurz”, even if it is not yet there. Here the chief idea of the Gospel lesson really comes through; the eternally valid “Judgement”. There follows here (almost like an epilogue) the Aria (no. 6) “O Mensch, errette deine Seele / Entfliehe Satans Sklaverei” etc. (O Man, save thy soul / escape from Satan’s slavery etc.). The alto soloist, with string accompaniment, really dances a courante! Here Sofia (Wisdom), elegant and petite, appears to us from heaven on high to give us a golden piece of advice. Even more than in the previous aria this truly “courtly” music has a disconcerting effect - gripping. The first part of this vivid Cantata closes with a simple Chorale (no. 7). The text is literally the eighth verse of J. Rist’s hymn of 1642, which again sums up the essence of everything that has been said before. In the second part (Seconda Pars) of this work - probably played after the sermon - the poet shows us how we can avoid paying the price of eternal torments in hell. No. 8 is an Aria for bass, trumpet, oboes and strings, “Wacht auf, wacht auf, verloren Schafe / Ermuntert euch vom Sündenschlafe,” etc. (Wake up, wake up, lost sheep / arouse thyselves from the sleep of sin, etc.). Here the ‘Vox Dei’ rings out - traditionally a bass singer and trumpet symbolise the voice of God the Father - as carrier of a Divine commandment. It cannot be more clearly conveyed than by a dotted rhythm (at the same time similar to an ouverture), as it is portrayed here. On the words “eh die Posaune erschallt” (before the trumpet sounds) Bach achieves the right spatial effect with the echoing interplay between the trumpet and the other instruments, while the bass lets his vocalise ring out. In the following Recitativo Secco (no. 9) the alto comments more closely on this commandment. We must “Wollust dieser Welt verlassen, / Pracht, Hof-fart, Reichtum, Ehr und Geld” (abandon the lust of this world, splendour, pride, riches, honour and money). These slogans are scanned strongly and separately, in which the basso continuo, in a very obvious portrayal, performs an extreme fluctuating, uncertain line, which, in the language of Baroque music, is often used to depict a ship almost sinking in a stormy sea. Life should be lived as if every day was the last; “man kann noch diese Nacht den Sarg vor deine Türe bringen” (even on this night the coffin could be brought to your door). With the Duetto (no. 10) for alto, tenor and basso continuo we find ourselves for the last time in the disconcerting atmosphere which dominated the end of the first part of this Cantata. Once again we hear the warning “Voice of God” - but now with two voices! (A “unison” which is really “two” - does Bach not mean the Son and Holy Ghost here, in his inner imagination? - Maybe...) “O Menschenkind / Hör auf geschwind / Die Sünd und Welt zu lieben...” (O Child of man, cease quickly / from loving sin and the world...). The music has a strange “objective” but kind aspect here, as in Aria no. 8. So the pointedly “artificial” dryness at the beginning, where the start of the text “O-Mensch-en-kind” is recognised in the bare, staccato, ostinato motif of the continuo - and also “hor-auf-ge-schwind”, and later “dass-nicht-diePein” (that not the pain) and “...am-reich-en-Mann” (in the rich man). The movement seems to be almost wrathful in its abstract construction. Above all, the basso continuo never gives up its sternness - in the solo voices it is approached more expressively with a firm authority, even up to the extreme chromaticism on the words “Heulen und Zahnklappen” (wailing and gnashing of teeth), as well as “betrüben” (oppress). “Qual” (torment) and “Tröpflein Wasser” (drop of water) receive supple and appropriate figures. The Cantata BWV 20 (no. 11) ends with the original twelfth verse of the hymn from 1642 (1682). The movement is musically identical to the Chorale at the end of the first part, only the text is different. The first six lines repeat word for word the six opening lines of the first verse - but then it differs: “Nimm Du mich, wenn es dir gefällt / Herr Jesu, in dein Freudenzelt” (Take Thou me, if it pleases Thee / Lord Jesus, into Thine pavilion of joy). "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" - BWV 2 Bach wrote this work for the Second Sunday after Trinity in 1724, the 18th June. It was performed a week after the previous Cantata in our recording, BWV 20, mentioned above. It is also a Chorale Cantata. The text is based on Luther’s translation (reworking rather, from 1524) of the twelfth Psalm. Luther extended this short Psalm into a hymn with six verses each of seven lines. The first and last of these Lutheran verses were adopted unchanged, the others were altered by an anonymous editor from Bach’s time for the recitatives and arias, in which, here and there, a line is quoted with the original word order. (We will see that Bach then treated these lines in a particular way). Bach had often attached great importance to providing contrasting compositions from one Sunday to the next. As an absolute opposite to the “modern” opening chorus of BWV 20, which the congregation had heard on the previous Sunday, here was an “old-fashioned” Cantus firmus Motet as the first movement. The text portrays for us the lonely and disillusioned faithful, who beg their Lord for His help and mercy in this wicked world. The Cantus firmus (the chorale melody) is taken in “double length” notes (as very often traditionally) by the alto, with long pauses between the lines. The three other voices always anticipate the motif of each line in “simple” note values. One after another they join in with their respective motif, and only when all three have introduced this motif polyphonically, does the Cantus firmus join in with the chorale section which has been “presented”. This process is repeated seven times, until the end of the verse. In the second and fourth sections (second and fourth lines) Bach has “adapted” the Cantus firmus a little (for “und lass dichs doch erbarmen” [and grant us Thy Mercy] and “verlassen sind wir Armen” [we poor ones are forsaken]), so that the melody on “erbarmen” and “Armen” really displays a plaintive chromaticism. This modest alteration immediately gives the whole opening movement an affekt of pain. (In the closing chorale of the Cantata (no. 6) one hears the original “neutral” form in the soprano - without chromaticism!). This “opening motet” shows Bach as the absolute master of the “old” style. So the consecutive fragments which follow are combined in an astonishing way into an ever-flowing, strong counterpoint, in which the basso continuo is sometimes independent, but also sometimes in unison with the bass singer or supporting him an octave lower. Through this colla parte doubling of the vocal part by the strings, oboes and above all by the trombone quartet an archaic sound is achieved, that is fantastically appropriate for the affekt and the style of the movement. After this impressive first movement there follows a Recitativo secco for tenor - a paraphrase of Luther’s second verse. Here the troubled believer expresses in more detail his critical thoughts about faithless mankind. The Baroque poet has again used two verses of Luther’s original almost word for word. This is not set by Bach in a free recitative but in a measured Adagio tempo. He makes use of the old chorale melody, as it was in the hymn to these words, and even allows it to be played canonically each time by the continuo. It deals with the opening words, “Sie lehren eitel falsche List” (They teach vain, false cunning) and “Der eine wählet dies, der andre das” (The one chooses this, the other that). The other (new) lines are set in the usual secco style, with all the familiar Baroque characteristics of declamation and textual interpretation. The Aria (no. 3) for alto, solo violin and basso continuo follows: “Tilg, O Gott, die Lehren / So dein Wort verkehren” (Destroy, O God, the doctrines / which pervert Thy Word). The rhythmic and “eloquent” chief motif of the basso continuo, immediately imitated by the solo violin, clearly scans the core words of the text: “Tilg, O Gott, die Lehren”. This motif is repeated as a neverending idée fixe in the continuo a dozen times during the course of the aria, and is taken up by the violin and the solo voice. The (false) “Lehren” (doctrines) and the “verkehren” (to pervert) are represented by the solo violin (less by the singer) with many nervous semiquaver triplets. When the poet arrives at the line “Trotz dem, der uns will meistern” (Defy Him, who would master us), (the sense of this line is: “Listen not to them - God! - who would tell us how we should live”!), Bach suddenly goes back, in the vocal line of the last section, to the original melody of the Lutheran hymn. This line is actually almost identical to the original Lutheran text - which is why Bach wishes it to be heard as in the original hymn, even though this fragment stands as an isolated foreign body in the current musical context. After this the Bass takes on the paraphrased Fourth Verse of the Hymn (an Accompanied Recitative with strings). Here at last the complaints of the anguished believers are heard by a merciful God - the ‘Vox Dei’, full of mercy, says: “Ich hab ihr Flehen gehört (...) Mein heilsam Wort / Soll sein die Kraft der Armen” (I have heard their pleas (...) My healing Word shall be the strength of the poor). This comfort is declaimed in a flowing Arioso, in which the string accompaniment sometimes imitates the voice. The Tenor Aria (no. 5) “Durchs Feuer wird das Silber rein” (Through fire the silver is purified) (with strings and oboes) follows. The text of this very affirmative aria emphasises how the true Christ achieved His spiritual salvation through the patient endurance of His Cross and suffering. The constant simultaneous repetition of thematic combinations of two widely separated scale fragments (for instance the upper voice against the basso continuo) probably suggests here the “difficulty”, the apparent paradox of this stance of the faithful. The closing Chorale (no. 6) presents the last verse of Martin Luther’s hymn in the original wording, richly and affectionately harmonised. "Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn" - BWV 10 (For the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 2nd July) This Cantata was performed on the 2nd July, 1724, two weeks after the above Cantata BWV 2, (in this year the Fourth Sunday after Trinity coincided with the Festival of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is always celebrated on the 2nd July). Like BWV 20 and BWV 2 this work is also a Chorale Cantata. The text is an anonymous reworking of Luther’s translation of the Magnificat. The Magnificat is one of the best loved and most highly valued hymns in the liturgy. Every service of Vespers in the church closes with this text. It is the spontaneous song of praise for the Lord by the Virgin Mary, as it is handed down in the Gospel according to St. Luke (1, 46-56). The context is as follows (St. Luke 1, 39-45): Mary visits her old cousin Elisabeth, in a city in the hills of Judæa. She salutes Elisabeth and, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb (she is pregnant with the child, who one day would be John the Baptist), and she said unto Mary: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, Io, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (That is, it had in the meantime been announced to Mary by the angel Gabriel, that she would bear a child by the Holy Ghost, and that he would be called Jesus, Son of God.) Mary immediately knew the reason for Elisabeth’s reaction, and sang the praises of the Lord with the words of the “Magnificat” (“My soul doth magnify the Lord”, etc.). This is one of the most important “moments“ in the Christian mythology. In Bach’s time this Magnifi cat was sung in German in the church service to the Gregorian melody in the ninth Psalm Tone. Bach also used this bipartite melody as the chorale in this Cantata (incidentally it should be noted that Mozart also used the same Gregorian melody in the first and last movements of his famous Requiem). The text editor of this Cantata has quoted unchanged the beginning of the German Magnificat (that is the prose text of the Opening Chorus). He has also retained the original wording in the fi fth movement, which was so well-known to the congregation, (Duetto “Er denket der Barmherzigkeit”, etc. [In remembrance of His Mercy etc.]) as well as in the seventh movement (Choral “Lob und Preis” etc. [Glory and praise etc.]). This is the so-called “doxology”, the usual closing eulogy for the Christian Trinity. In all the remaining movements, however, this Baroque poet has reworked the original German text. Bach’s composition begins with a magnificent Opening Movement (no. 1: Vivace, G minor, with strings, oboes and trumpet together with a vocal quartet). Right at the beginning of the movement the tone is set; festive and inwardly eventful, enthusiastic. Under the dialogue of both the upper voices (violins and oboes in unison) a clear bass line stands out, with an obstinately repeated “anapest” rhythm (short, short long, a figure full of enthusiasm). This line is the “foundation” of the whole movement. Not by chance does it, above all, rise (“Meine Seel erhebt den Herren”!) (My soul doth magnify the Lord!). The four sections of this part of the text are sung to the above chorale with long notes (doubled by the trumpet), the first two by the soprano and the last two by the alto - the latter repeats the complete “Cantus firmus” a fifth lower. The other voices, meanwhile, contribute to the lively instrumental texture. Immediately after the alto has completed the last words of the text set to the chorale melody, Bach repeats the last section of text, “Siehe, von nun an werden mich selig preisen alle Kindeskind” (Behold, from henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed), in a free coda, in which all the four singers are equally engaged. Long enthusiastic vocalises on “Preisen” and “alle” show Bach’s involvement with the text. A Soprano Aria (no. 2), “Herr, der du stark und mächtig bist” (Lord, Thou who art strong and mighty) follows - a reworking of St. Luke’s verse 49. The affekt of this brilliant aria is very close to the opening chorus. The still very young Mary (therefore a soprano here) thanks the Lord for all the great things He has done to her. Bach sets the aria in B major, the relative major key for the G minor of the opening movement. The rising main motif and the concertante style of writing illustrate Mary’s enthusiasm for the might and strength of God. In the Recitative (no. 3) for tenor we again find the contents in St. Luke’s verses 50-51. These display two contrasting thoughts. On the one hand, God’s mercy is on them that fear Him, and on the other hand, the power of his arm, if that is needed, punishes the halfhearted Christians and scatters like chaff (“wie Spreu zu zerstreun”) the proud and haughty. Above all, this second thought is portrayed by Bach in this Baroque kind of recitativo secco (for example the virtuoso vocalise on “zerstreun” [scatter]). The Bass Aria (no. 4), which follows next, “adapts” the next two verses of St. Luke’s text. How God has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. (Yes, the young enthusiastic Mary is overjoyed by the hidden power of God.) This aria is set for bass and basso continuo alone - it contains one of Bach’s most figured, concertante continuo parts. The original source has only “continuo”, without any further instructions about instrumentation. It is clearly discernible that this apparently very solo-like part is conceived for the “8-foot violone” tuned Cgda (transcribed by us, in the interests of greater clarity, for “basse de violon” (bass violin), the important larger version from those days of today’s cello), in which, above all, it uses the deeper part of the tessitura of this instrument. Accordingly, in this piece, a “violoncello” is out of the question (incidentally the whole Cantata - like most of the others - contains no violoncello part). For the vocal part a bass is the best-suited to illustrate the might of the Pantocrator - the power of God the Father. The whole aria is performed in the low register, and throughout Bach wishes to make hell plain (the “Schwefelpfuhl”, the sulphur pool), and the whole content of this text is linked to the deeper forces. The vocalises of the bass soloist occasionally illustrate the text in a direct, vivid way, as on the “Gewaltige”, (the mighty) “hinunter in den Schwefelpfuhl” (into the sulphur pool) and on “bloß und leer” (bare and empty). No. 5 (Duet and Chorale) is, as we have mentioned, the original version by Luther of St. Luke’s verse 54, namely the (prose) text “Er denket der Barmherzigkeit und hilft seinem Diener Israel auf” (In remembrance of His Mercy, He hath holpen his servant Israel) (the Latin text “suscepit Israel” etc. in the Magnificat). Bach wrote it for alto and tenor, with basso continuo - in which the chorale (without words) can also be heard on the slide trumpet with long notes, as a memory of the main text. Musically, mercy is portrayed here as being tied in with the sorrows of mankind, through countless painful “sighs” (appoggiaturas). Thus Bach shows us “mercy” as “compassion”. The piece is almost a lamento, sung under the “umbrella” (in the chorale the trumpet!) of God’s help. The Accompanied Recitative (no. 6) for tenor and strings is once again a free reworking of St. Luke’s text (verse 55). Here the connection to the Old Testament is established, which is God’s promise to Abraham and Sara, that Sara would, in spite of her age, give birth to a son, namely Isaac, whose lineage (from St. Matthew 1, 1-16) eventually leads to the birth of Jesus. (Here it should briefly be noted that St. Matthew’s Gospel is different, in that there Joseph is Mary’s husband and there is no mention of a “dove from the Holy Ghost”). The recitative is secco until the words “Sein Same musste sich so sehr / Wie Sand am Meer...” (His seed would multiply like the sand on the seashore), when the strings enter with a portrayal, which reminds us, with soaring flakes, of the spreading lineage of Abraham. Like so many cantatas, this one closes with a simple Chorale (no. 7). It is as is said in the literal phraseology of the old German text for the doxology “Lob und Preis sei dem Vater und dem Sohn und dem Heiligen Geiste” etc. (Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost etc.). Until the last section of text, “Und von Ewigkeit” etc. (and world without end etc.), the movement is relatively simple and homophonic - but then it closes with a beautiful horizontal polyphonic final phrase. Sigiswald Kuijken Translation by Christopher Cartwright and Godwin Stewart