This feast usually fell during Lent, when Leipzig observed tempus clausum and no music was played in the churches. However, when this day coincided with Palm Sunday, the ban was lifted. Such an occasion occurred in 1725 and again in 1736. We have one complete cantata by Bach for this day, the masterful BWV 1 of 1725. Bach also used BWV 182 for this day, but it was originally written for Palm Sunday and is discussed there. Cantata BWV Anh 156 "Herr Christ der ein'ge Gottessohn" was written for this day, but is not by Bach but by Telemann (TVWV 1:732). Finally, one cantata for this day has been lost: BWV 1135 / BWV Anh. 199, "Siehe, eine Jungfrau ist schwanger", first performed in 1724.
Readings:
Isaiah 7:10–16, prophecy of the birth of the Messiah
Luke 1:26–38, the angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus
Cantata Studies:
Bach Cantatas Website | Simon Crouch | Emmanuel Music | Julian Mincham | Wikipedia | Eduard van Hengel (in Dutch) | Bach Companion (Oxford U.P.) | Bach: The Learned Musician (Wolff) | Music in the Castle of Heaven (Gardiner)
[Annunciation by El Greco]
Cantata:
- Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1, 25 March 1725
Coro: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Recitativo (tenor): Du wahrer Gottes und Marien Sohn
Aria (soprano,oboe da caccia): Erfüllet, ihr himmlischen göttlichen Flammen
Recitativo (bass): Ein irdscher Glanz, ein leiblich Licht
Aria (tenor, violins): Unser Mund und Ton der Saiten
Chorale: Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh
"How beautifully the morning star shines"
Text & translation
Scored for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, two horns, two oboes da caccia, two solo violins, strings consisting of two violin parts and one viola part, and basso continuo.
This cantata, despite being labeled BWV No. 1, isn't Johann Sebastian Bach's earliest work of its kind. "Aus der Tiefe rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131," written in 1707, is likely his earliest. However, BWV No. 1 was chosen intentionally. When the Bach Society started publishing Bach's complete works in 1850, they planned to start with the Mass in D Minor. But lacking a full score at that time, they opted to publish ten diverse and beautiful cantatas in the first volume instead. Eight of these were from Bach's second cantata collection in Leipzig. "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern," distinguished by its unique instrumentation, led this volume and became cantata number 1.Bach introduced this cantata on March 25, 1725, also Palm Sunday that year. Although the cantata alludes to the Annunciation, not Christ's entry into Jerusalem, the "morning star" symbolizes Christ, as mentioned in Revelation 22:16. With its intricate orchestration, including horns, this is one of Bach's most joyful cantatas, fitting its theme.
Based on Philipp Nicolai's 1599 chorale "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme," expressing yearning for the Savior amidst worldly suffering, the cantata captures a heavenly contrast to earthly pain. Nicolai composed it during a plague outbreak in Unna, Germany. Bach frequently incorporated Nicolai's chorales, highlighting themes of the Messiah's arrival. Bach's orchestration vividly depicts images, with solo violins representing the morning star and oboes accentuating crucial moments. The oboe da caccia's sound, heard first in the opening chorus, recurs in the initial aria. In the closing chorale, the choir and colla parte instruments harmonize the hymn melody while a second horn adds a counter-melody. The instrumentation echoes BWV 65, composed for Epiphany in 1724. Bach later used the horn pair in Part IV of his Christmas Oratorio, relating to Jesus's naming as announced to Mary.
The first movement, "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern," is a grand chorale fantasia about Christ's future birth and the journey of the Magi. The chorale melody is sung by sopranos in long notes, while other voices create a fugal interweaving. A significant 12-bar orchestral ritornello or sinfonia opens the movement, with solo instruments prominent; its broad harmonic scope contrasts with the mostly F major chorale. The horn calls symbolize the king's majesty, while the virtuosic violin passages represent the morning star and universal joy. This opening chorus is one of Bach's most inspired pieces.
In a secco recitative, the tenor expresses faith, echoing the hymn's second verse and referencing the Annunciation. The subsequent soprano aria with oboe da caccia obligato maintains a dance-like quality.
The bass recitative Ein irdscher Glanz, ein leibliches Licht is accompanied secco, emphasizing the text. It refers to the "morning star" as a joyful radiance.
In the da capo tenor aria, accompanied by two violins to express the "strings" to which the text refers, the structure of the opening chorus is evident. A expression of gratitude and praise, it features a graceful minuet pulse.
In the final chorale, one horn and the first violin join the sopranos, while the other horn plays its melody. The two oboe da caccia, with the string orchestra, accompany the alto and tenor.
Video: J.S. Bach Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German)