Luogo e data di registrazione		Casino Zögernitz, Vienna (Austria): - novembre 1981, gennaio 1983 (BWV 140) - novembre 1981, gennaio 1982, gennaio e marzo 1983 (BWV 147)
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		-
	Edizione CD		TELDEC - 8.43203 XH (243 109-2) - (1 CD - durata 59' 55") - (c) 1989 - DDD
	Originale LP		TELDEC "Kantatenwerk, vol.35" - 6.35653 EX - (2 LP's - durata 55' 21" & 47' 40") - (p) 1984 - Digitale (BWV 140, LP 1/a) TELDEC "Kantatenwerk, vol.36" - 6.35654 EX - (2 LP's - durata 49' 24" & 51' 33") - (p) 1985 - Digitale (BWV 147, LP 1/a)
	Note		-

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140), based on a hymn by Philipp Nicolai, was written for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, which only occurs in the liturgical year if Easter falls before March 27. During the time that Bach spent at Leipzig this Sunday fell on November 25, 1731 (for which the cantata was composed) and occurred again in 1742. The hymn’s three long stanzas and expansive melodic line, and also the concept of Jesus’ love, with the faithful soul as his bride, inspired Bach to an exceptionally grand design. The three stanzas constitute the beginning, middle and end, interspersed by two recitatives and two duets (called ”arias”) for which an anonymous librettist made extensive use of bible quotations, particularly from the Song of Songs. In the great opening chorus, accompanied by oboes and strings, the lines of text and the orchestral interludes are arranged, somewhat in the manner of a chorale prelude, into seven sections, corresponding to the seven movements of the whole cantata. The twelve knocks (dotted notes) in the first four bars, repeated several times, probably symbolise the midnight bell. The other choral parts and the motivic work in the orchestra have been evolved from the hymn tune. The recitative (No. 2) "Er komnrt, der Bräutgam kommt” is followed by a duet (No. 3) in which Jesus appears as the bridegroom of the soul, represented as one of the "wise virgins.” The violino piccolo, tuned a third higher, endows this duet with special brilliance. The accompanied recitative (No. 5) describes the bridegroom, Jesus, taking his bride unto hirnself. Unusual harmonies introduce the second duet in which heavenly and earthly love merge into one, Like No. 3 it is one of the most beautiful love duets ever written, almost ardent yet relaxed and dancelike, while No. 3 is yearning and mystical. Equidistant between the great opening chorus and the final chorale, where the violino piccolo imparts splendour to this ”sacred bridal song” (Philipp Nicolai’s title), there is a three-part chorale concerto (No. 4). The unison strings and the continuo bass play an instruntental piece into which the hymn stanza is interwoven line by line. Bach transposed this movement for the organ (BWV 645) and placed it at the beginning of the Schübler Chorales. The unity of the work is based on the way in which its form is conceived, and also on the fact that its most important motifs are derived from the hymn tune. ·········· Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (BWV 147) was written in its present form for the Feast of the Visitation of Mary (July 2) in the year 1723. Bach had started working on this cantata in Weimar for the Fourth Sunday in Advent 1716, but evidently never completed it. In Leipzig no cantatas were sung on that Sunday, but the passage from the Bible on which this work is based contains the Magnificat and is therefore quite appropriate for a Marian feast day. Rearrangements of the text, additional recltatives and an interpolated chorale stanza (No. 6) produced a cantata in two parts, the inclusion of a trumpet in the otherwise traditional scoring imparting a festive splendour to the work. The opening chorus, the introduction to which is repeated at the end, is in three parts with fugal outer sections. The tenor recitative is followed by an aria for alto (Mary) with a strangely indeterminate rhythm that erratically changes from 3/4 time to an implied 3/2 time. This feature derives from a notion current in the late Middle Ages according to which triple rhythm (but not triple time) was a symbol of the Trinity and thus the musical expression of perfection. In this context the oboe represents the supernatural, while the solo violin in the soprano aria (No. 5) represents Jesus, the Son of Man. The instrumental symbolism is quite obvious from the text. The two chorale stanzas which conclude the sections before and after the sermon are characterised by an independent orchestral accompaniment which also serves as a prelude and has been popularised under the name of "Jesu, joy of Man’s desiring." The dotted notes and triplets, a feature in organ chorales which often symbolises the joy of Christmas, forge the link with the festive season. The second part opens with a tenor aria in which the vocal line is based on the phrase ”Hilf, Jesu, hilf” (Help, Jesus); quite exceptionally the cello and organo in the continue are not kept in unison, the organo playing the decorated line. An expressive alto recitative with two oboes da caccia is followed by a bass aria in which for the first time a solo part is accompanied by the whole orchestra. The words “Ich will von Jesu Wundern singen” (”Of Jesus am I ever singing"; some editions still print the older version in which "Wunder” - marvels - is replaced by "Wunden” - wounds) are eloquently painted by the many coloratura passages. Gerhard Schuhmacher