Weimar cantata (Bach)
Johann Sebastian Bach worked in Weimar from 1708 to 1717. The composition of cantatas for the Schlosskirche (court chapel) on a regular monthly basis started with his promotion to Konzertmeister in March 1714.[1]
Contents
Church cantatas[edit]
From 1714 to 1717 Bach was commissioned to compose one church cantata a month. His goal was to compose a complete set of cantatas for the liturgical year within four years. In the course of almost four years there he thus covered most occasions of the liturgical year.[2]
For former employers?[edit]
Uncertain purpose and date of origin:
- New Year: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 143 (1709–1711? For Council Election? By Bach?)[3]
Weimar cycle[edit]
The expression "Weimar cycle" has been used for the cantatas composed in Weimar from 1714 (which form the bulk of extant cantatas composed before Bach's Leipzig time).[4][5]
Cantatas 54 and 199 were performed within the cycle but possibly composed earlier.
- Annunciation (Mariae Verkündigung): Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 (performed on Palm Sunday 25 March 1714)
- Jubilate (third Sunday after Easter): Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 (22 April 1714)
- Pentecost: Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172 (Weimar version in C major: 20 May 1714)
- Third Sunday after Trinity: Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 (C minor, Weimar: 17 June 1714; D minor, Köthen/Hamburg: 1720)[6]
- Oculi (Third Sunday of Lent): Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54 (4 March 1714?)
- 11th Sunday after Trinity: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 (12 August 1714: Weimar version in C minor; restaged in Köthen in a version in D minor)
- First Sunday of Advent: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 (2 December 1714)
- Christmas Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63 (25 December 1714)[7]
- Sunday after Christmas: Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 (30 December 1714)
- Sexagesima (Second Sunday before Lent): Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 (early version in G minor, Chorton: 24 February 1715)[8]
- Oculi (Third Sunday of Lent): Alles, was von Gott geboren, BWV 80a (24 March 1715 or 15 March 1716; music lost)[9]
- Easter: Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31 (Weimar version: 21 April 1715)
- Cantate (fourth Sunday after Easter): Leb ich, oder leb ich nicht, BWV Anh. 191 (19 May 1715 – music lost, extant libretto by Salomon Franck published Weimar 1715)[10][11]
- Trinity: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 (16 June 1715)
- Fourth Sunday after Trinity: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185 (14 July 1715)
- 20th Sunday after Trinity: Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162 (25 October 1716 or possibly 3 November 1715)
- 23rd Sunday after Trinity: Nur jedem das Seine, BWV 163 (24 November 1715)
- Fourth Sunday of Advent: Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn, BWV 132 (22 December 1715)
- Second Sunday after Epiphany: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 (19 January 1716)
- 16th Sunday after Trinity: Komm, du süße Todesstunde, BWV 161 (6 October 1715 or 27 September 1716)
- Second Sunday of Advent: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! BWV 70a (6 December 1716; in 1723 expanded to BWV 170 for Trinity XXVI)
- Third Sunday of Advent: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186a (13 December 1716; in 1723 expanded to BWV 186 for Trinity VII)
- Fourth Sunday of Advent: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147a (20 December 1716; in 1723 expanded to BWV 147 for Visitation)
Passions[edit]
Passions performed in the Weimar period, however not considered to be passion cantatas, thus not generally listed in the Weimar (cantata) cycle:
- "Keiser"'s St Mark Passion, version BC D 5a (early 1710s, with possibly a few movements added or arranged by Bach)
- Weimarer Passion (26 March 1717, lost)
Secular cantatas[edit]
Bach composed the first version of his secular cantata Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 (Hunting Cantata) for performance on 23 February 1713.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Koster, Jan. "Weimar 1708–1717". let.rug.nl. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
- ^ Dürr, Alfred (2006). The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text. Translated by Richard D. P. Jones. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4. pp. 13–20
- ^ BDW 0175 at Bach Digital website
- ^ Joshua Rifkin (2001). Liner notes to Three Weimar Cantatas, Dorian 93231
- ^ Richard D. P. Jones (2006). The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Volume I: 1695-1717: Music to Delight the Spirit. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191513244, p. 212
- ^ BDW 0024 and 0025 at Bach Digital website
- ^ BDW 0079 at Bach Digital website
- ^ BDW 0021 at Bach Digital website
- ^ BDW 0100 at Bach Digital website
- ^ BWV2a, p. 454
- ^ BDW 1502) at Bach Digital website
- ^ BDW 0261 at Bach Digital website
| Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach by chronology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bach's early cantatas |
Weimar cantatas 1708–17 |
Succeeded by Köthen: Lobet den Herrn, alle seine Heerscharen, BWV Anh. 5 |
