In the Catholic tradition, it began with a three-day "rogation" to implore God's mercy, and the feast itself includes a procession of torches and banners symbolizing Christ's journey to the Mount of Olives and entry into heaven, and an all-night vigil.
According to the Christian doctrine found in the New Testament, 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus was physically taken up to heaven in his resurrected body in the presence of eleven of his apostles. This reflects the cosmological ideas of 2,000 years ago, when the earth was thought to be flat and the firmament was seen as a solid, inverted bowl, literally the floor of heaven, made of lapis lazuli - so the gods were close to humanity. Stories of ascension were quite common at the time, and usually concerned the deification of a notable person, such as the Roman emperor Augustus (whose ascension was witnessed by senators), or individuals with prophetic gifts.
In Christian art, the Ascension is a common theme and its iconography was already established by the 6th century. Many Ascension scenes have two parts, an upper heavenly part and a lower earthly part. The ascending Christ may carry a resurrection banner or give a sign of blessing to an earthly group below him (the disciples representing the whole Church). Ascension scenes were often depicted on church domes.
There are three Bach cantatas and an oratorio for this important day.
Readings:
Acts 1:1–11, "Farewell and Ascension"
Mark 16:14–20, "Ascension"
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)
[Christi Himmelfahrt by Gebhard Fugel, c. 1893]
Cantatas:
- Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37, 18 May 1724
Coro: "Wer da gläubet und getauft wird"
Aria tenor: "Der Glaube ist das Pfand der Liebe"
Chorale (Duetto Alro & Soprano): "Herr Gott Vater, mein starker Held!"
Recitativo bass: "Ihr Sterblichen, verlanget ihr"
Aria bass: "Der Glaube schafft der Seele Flügel"
Chorale: "Den Glauben mir verleihe"
("He that believeth and is baptized")
Text & translation
Scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo.
This is Bach's first cantata composition for the Feast of the Ascension. Surprisingly for a major feast day, it is scored modestly; only two oboes d'amore add to the sound of the regular strings and basso continuo accompanying four vocal parts. An anonymous poet derived thoughts from the prescribed Gospel, but excluded the Ascension itself, concentrating on the Lutheran idea of justification by faith alone. The cantata is short, but in two parts, each ending with a chorale: the third movement is the fifth stanza of the hymn "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" (1599) by Philipp Nicolai, and the final chorale is the fourth stanza of the hymn "Ich dank dir, lieber Herre" (c. 1535) by Johannes Kolrose. The first three movements of the cantata reflect the love of Jesus, for which the chorale in the third movement expresses thanks; movements 4 through 6 argue like a sermon, recalling Paul's teaching in Romans 3:28, that good works alone are not enough for a blessed life if they are not grounded in faith. The final chorale is another hymn of thanksgiving.
The cantata begins with an extended instrumental sinfonia and a dancing chorus. The quote from Jesus is given not to the bass as the usual vox Christi, but to the choir - as if to show that the faithful have already absorbed his message to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". A genial tenor aria with obbligato violin follows, singing that faith is a kind of guarantee of Jesus' love. Next, soprano and alto sing the chorale "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern," reviving the dancing character of the opening.
The bass recitative and aria are darker in tone. They remind us that while one should do good works, justification and salvation come from faith alone - a dogmatic treatise on the power of the Christian faith. The work ends with an austere choral harmonization.
Video: J.S. Bach-Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German) - "Bach Factory" (English)
- Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128, 10 May 1725
Coro (horns, oboes, strings): Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein
Recitativo (tenor): Ich bin bereit, komm, hole mich
Aria e recitativo (bass, trumpet): Auf, auf, mit hellem Schall
Aria (alto, tenor, oboe d'amore): Sein Allmacht zu ergründen
Chorale: Alsdenn so wirst du mich
("On Christ"s Ascension Alone!")
Text & translation
Scored for three vocal soloists, alto, tenor and bass, a four-part choir, two horns, two oboes, oboe d'amore, oboe da caccia, two violins, viola and basso continuo.
Choral cantata with full orchestra, including horns and trumpet, to a text by Christiana Mariana von Ziegler, based on the opening words of the first stanza of Ernst Sonnemann's chorale after Josua Wegelin (1636) "On Christ's ascension into heaven alone I base my own ensuing journey." The text outlines the theological significance of the Ascension and expresses confidence that the righteous will join Christ in heaven - "there is nothing left to keep me on earth, for I am promised to see him face to face," a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13. In movement 2, she alludes to the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:4), and in movement 3, she sees the incomprehensible power of Jesus everywhere, not just in one place. He will lift me up to his right hand, according to Matthew 25:33, and judge me justly, according to the closing chorale, the fourth stanza of Matthäus Avenarius' "O Jesu, meine Lust".
The cantata begins with an attractive and lively choral fantasia with prominent horns. The chorale, set to the melody of the German Gloria "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" by Nikolaus Decius, is embedded in an orchestral concerto. The cantus firmus is sung in long notes in the soprano, while the lower voices imitate it.
The tenor recitative alludes to the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:4). The bass aria "Up, up, with clarion ring proclaim everywhere: my Jesus sits at the right hand!" is in heroic style and accompanied by a virtuoso trumpet, the royal instrument of the Baroque, to symbolize the reign of Jesus. It is a vision of the disciples seeing Jesus in heaven.
The duet for alto and tenor in da capo aria form has a characteristic rhetorical drop on the "Ergrunden," "Fathom." The final four-part harmonized chorus (the fourth verse of Matthäus Avenarius' "O Jesu, meine Lust") again uses the horns to great effect.
Audio: Ton Koopman
[Ascension (1775) by John Singleton Copley]
- Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BWV 43, 30 May 1726
Chorus: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen
Recitativo (tenor): Es will der Höchste sich ein Siegsgepräng bereiten
Aria (tenor): Ja tausend mal tausend begleiten den Wagen
Recitativo (soprano): Und der Herr, nachdem er mit ihnen geredet hatte
Aria (soprano): Mein Jesus hat nunmehr
Recitativo (bass): Es kommt der Helden Held
Aria (bass): Er ists, der ganz allein
Recitativo (alto): Der Vater hat ihm ja
Aria (alto): Ich sehe schon im Geist
Recitativo (soprano): Er will mir neben sich
Chorale: Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ
("God is gone up with a merry noise")
Text & translation
Scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, two violins, viola and basso continuo.
The text of the cantata is unusual in that it consists largely of a poem in six stanzas, which forms movements 5 through 10 of the 11-movement work. The structure is similar to that of the cantatas of Bach's cousin Johann Ludwig Bach, court conductor in Meiningen, which Bach performed in 1726: Old Testament quotation, recitative, aria, New Testament quotation, poem, chorale. The first quotation is from Psalm 47 (Psalms 47:5-7) and is traditionally understood as a reference to the Ascension. The unknown poet paraphrased in recitative and aria an idea from Psalm 68, as well as its quotation from the Epistle to the Ephesians: "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive". In movement 7 (the bass aria), he used the motif of Christ in the wine press (a motif in Christian iconography that shows Christ standing in a wine press, where Christ himself becomes the grapes in the press).
The cantata ends with the first and thirteenth stanzas of Johann Rist's hymn "Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ" (1641). Bach would later use the fourth stanza of the chorale for his Ascension Oratorio. The cantata is in two parts, to be performed before and after the sermon.
The cantata begins with a magnificent opening chorus with trumpet and percussion, expressing the joy of the Ascension, the focus of the cantata - unfortunately, it passes all too quickly, as do the other eleven short and condensed movements of this cantata.
A secco recitative leads to the first aria (for tenor), accompanied by the violins in unison. The entire text is sung three times in different sections. The New Testament quotation is not sung by the bass as vox Christi, but, probably because Jesus does not speak himself, the soprano narrates "And when the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God" as a secco recitative. Movement 5, the aria for soprano, concludes Part I and is based on the first stanza of the poem. The soprano is accompanied by the strings, doubled by the oboes. In the middle section, the words "Er schließt der Erde Lauf" are expressed by an upward melisma and a downward melisma on the repetition of the words.
Part II deals with the other five stanzas of the poem, alternating recitative and aria. The first recitative (for bass) is accompanied by the strings, the others are secco. The bass aria originally was highlighted by an obbligato trumpet part, but it was so difficult that Bach assigned it to a violin in a later performance. The words "full of pain, agony and suffering" are illustrated by a slower tempo and harmonic tension. The following recitative (for alto) refers at the end to the view of heaven, expressed by an upward movement. The final aria (also for alto), accompanied by the oboes, celebrates the victory over the enemies, in a vision of peace rather than a description of battle, but emphasizes the words "aus Jammer, Not und Schmach" by "harmonic darkening". It is a melancholy meditation on the sad side of the Ascension story. The final chorale is a four-part setting of the melody of Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist, composed by Johann Schop in 1641.
Video: J.S. Bach-Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German) - Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11, 19 May 1735 - Ascension Oratorio
Chorus Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen
Evangelist (tenor) Der Herr Jesus hub seine Hände auf
Recitative (bass) Ach, Jesu, ist dein Abschied schon so nah?
Aria (alto) Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben
Evangelist Und ward aufgehoben zusehends
Chorale Nun lieget alles unter dir
Evangelists (tenor and bass) Und da sie ihm nachsahen gen Himmel fahren
Recitative (soprano) Ach ja! so komme bald zurück
Evangelist Sie aber beteten ihn an
Aria (soprano) Jesu, deine Gnadenblicke
Chorale Wenn soll es doch geschehen
("Praise God in His Riches")
Text & translation
Scored for four voices, three trumpets, timpani, two flauti traversi, two oboes, two violins, viola and basso continuo.
"Praise God in His Realms" was probably written in 1735. The work contains two flanking choruses, a central chorale, two arias, and recitatives - so in style and structure it is little different from a sacred cantata. In the old Bach Complete Edition, the work was assigned to the cantatas (hence the low BWV number), but in the Bach Compendium it is assigned to the oratorios because the action is presented by an evangelist and others in the recitatives. The two-part work consists of eleven movements and was described by the composer himself as "Oratorio Festo Ascensionis Christi".
The text for the Ascension Oratorio, a compilation of several biblical sources, free poetry and chorales, was probably written by Picander, who had written the libretti for the St. Matthew Passion and other works by Bach. It follows the story of the Ascension as told in Luke, Mark and the Acts of the Apostles. The biblical narrative is compiled from several sources: the first recitative of the Evangelist (movement 2) is from Luke 24, the second (5) from Acts 1 and Mark 16, the third (7) from Acts 1, and the last (9) from Luke 24, Acts 1, and Luke 24. The biblical words are narrated by the tenor as an evangelist. In his third recitative, two men are quoted; for this quotation, the tenor and bass both sing an arioso.
Part I, which recounts the Ascension, concludes with the fourth verse of Johann Rist's hymn "Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ" in a four-part setting. The second part reflects the reaction of the disciples. The closing chorale to the seventh verse of Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer's "Gott fähret auf gen Himmel" is set as a chorale fantasia. While the music for the narrative and the first chorale were newly composed in 1738, Bach based the framing chorale movements and the two arias on earlier compositions.
The puzzling thing about this beautiful work is that it is relatively unknown - perhaps its neglect is due to the fact that its main parts are all based on (now lost) secular cantata movements? The text of the cantata is a dramatization of the Ascension story, with the tenor as the Evangelist. The cantata begins with a brilliant chorus led by virtuoso trumpets. This festive chorus is based on a lost secular cantata that Bach conducted in 1732 to celebrate the renovated St. Thomas School. This chorus is the magnificent beginning of the entire work, a radiant and overwhelming hymn with a festive, maximum instrumentation: in addition to strings and continuo, three trumpets and timpani, two oboes and two traversos.
The action begins, "Der Herr Jesus hub seine Hände auf," with Jesus blessing the disciples and leaving them. A reflective recitative for bass, "Ach, Jesu, ist dein Abschied," shows the situation of the disciples, who fear that Jesus will soon leave them.
The atmosphere of the oratorio is mostly melancholy. The alto aria "Ich bleibe doch" is a good example, with its almost begging violins. The singer begs Jesus to stay: "Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebes Leben". Bach later used this aria for his Agnus Dei in the B Minor Mass. In the middle of the work is a choral setting, "Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist," with a low melody, symbolizing how those who are left behind are literally at Jesus' feet.
The Evangelist continues the narrative with the Ascension: "Und ward aufgehoben zusehends" (And he was apparently lifted up).
The first chorale, which concludes the first part, on the text "Now all is under you", imagines Jesus in heaven, with the angels and the elements at his service.
The Evangelist begins the second part, "And as they watched", telling of two men in white robes addressing the disciples. The two men are represented by tenor and bass in a duet. A reflective recitative for alto, "Oh yes! so come back soon," calls for the return of Jesus. The Evangelist concludes the narrative with "Sie aber betete ihn an", telling of the disciples' return from the Mount of Olives.
The soprano aria "Jesu, deine Gnadenblicke" is also based on the wedding cantata "Auf, süß entzückende Gewalt". It is one of the few pieces in Bach's music without a basso continuo, with the two unison flutes, oboe and unison strings playing a trio, expanded to a quartet by the singer, giving it a mysterious character that fits the text - Jesus' bodily departure from earth is suggested by the absence of the continuo, while the floating spirit is reflected in the accompaniment for the upper strings.
In the final chorus, "If it should happen," the chorale melody, originally in the minor key, is enhanced by a triumphant orchestral movement in D major, similar to the final chorus of the Christmas Oratorio. Written in the first person, it expresses the speaker's longing for the "dear time" when he sees the Savior in his glory.
Video: J.S. Bach-Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German) - Explanation "Bach Factory" (in English)