The twelfth Sunday after Trinity treats the theme of God constantly doing good for man (taking its cue from the story of the healing of a deaf mute man in the readings for this day). The Twelfth Sunday after the Trinity also was the day when town elections were celebrated, which meant this was a festive occasion on which trumpets and drums were at Bach's disposal.
There are three cantatas for this Sunday.
Readings:
2 Corinthians 3:4–11, "the Ministration of the Spirit"
Mark 7:31–37, "the healing of a deaf mute man"
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)
[Christ healing the deaf mute of Decapolis,
by Bartholomeus Breenbergh, 1635]
Cantatas:
- Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a, 15 August 1723
Chorus: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele
Recitativo (soprano): Ach, daß ich tausend Zungen hätte!
Aria (tenor, oboe da caccia, recorder, bassoon): Meine Seele, auf, erzähle
Recitativo (alto): Gedenk ich nur zurück
Aria (bass, oboe d'amore): Mein Erlöser und Erhalter
Chorale: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, darbei will ich verbleiben
"Praise the Lord, my soul"
Text & translation
Scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, a four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, recorder, bassoon, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
Bach composed this festive cantata during his first year in Leipzig, which began after Trinity of 1723, specifically for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. The readings for the Sunday were from the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, focusing on the ministry of the Spirit, and from the Gospel of Mark, recounting the healing of a deaf mute man. Although the poet behind the text is unknown, he drew inspiration from the gospel narrative, interpreting the healing as a broader demonstration of God's constant benevolence towards humanity. The opening chorus, derived from Psalms 103:2, urges the soul to praise the Lord and remember His kindness.
Throughout the cantata, the theme of "telling" recurs, reflecting the healed man's newfound ability to speak. Several movements borrow phrases from a cantata by Johann Oswald Knauer, originally published in 1720. To close the cantata, Bach incorporates the sixth verse of Samuel Rodigast's hymn "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (What God does, is done well) from 1675.The opening chorus, a double fugue, magnificently begins with "Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget the good He has done for you," featuring a majestic trumpet introduction following an orchestral ritornello.
The cantata maintains its connection to the gospel story, with subsequent movements often referencing "telling" and "tongues," as seen in the first recitative for soprano. The first aria for tenor, while continuing to extol God's grace, offers a delicate pastoral melody accompanied by recorder and English horn, providing a pleasing contrast to the preceding chorus.
In contrast, the bass aria employs chromatic coloraturas to juxtapose suffering and joy, conveying a solemn plea for protection and assistance during times of hardship.
Video: J.S. Bach Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German)
The cantata concludes with a heartfelt harmonization of "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan," bringing the work to a warm and affirming end. - Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137, 19 August 1725
Coro: Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren
Aria (alto): Lobe den Herren, der alles so herrlich regieret,
Aria (soprano, bass): Lobe den Herren, der künstlich und fein dich bereitet
Aria (tenor): Lobe den Herren, der deinen Stand sichtbar gesegnet
Chorale: Lobe den Herren, was in mir ist, lobe den Namen!
"Praise the Lord, the mighty King of Honor"
Text & translation
Scored for four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and bass, a four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
Bach composed this cantata for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity as part of the cycle of chorale cantatas he composed in Leipzig from 1724 to 1725. In 1724, his second year in the city, Bach had concentrated on chorale cantatas from the First Sunday after Trinity through Palm Sunday. For Easter, however, he returned to composing cantatas with more varied texts, possibly due to the loss of his librettist. Later, Bach resumed composing chorale cantatas to complete his second annual cycle, and this cantata is one of those concluding works. It is based entirely on the unaltered words of the hymn "Praise the Lord, the Mighty King of Glory" (1680) by Joachim Neander, without reference to the Sunday readings.
John Eliot Gardiner suggests that, given its festive instrumentation and themes of praise and thanksgiving, the cantata may have been performed that year to celebrate the inauguration of the City Council.
Musically, the opening chorus, like other cantatas for this Sunday, is an example of an occasional piece, even bordering on popular music, with festive trumpets and drums. Structurally, it revolves around variations on the chorale melody. The lively fugue-like chorus, accompanied by an exuberant orchestra (which plays a concerto-like role), is followed by an alto aria with a violin obbligato that embellishes the chorale melody. It is noteworthy that Bach included this movement in his Schübler chorales.
In a departure from the keys of C major and G major, the central duet for soprano and bass is in E minor, with two obbligato oboes. The first vocal section is uniquely repeated three times.
The fourth movement, a tenor aria in A minor, sees a battle for harmonic supremacy between the trumpet's cantus firmus in C major and the independent vocal line, which quotes parts of the chorale melody.
The cantata concludes with a triumphant chorale, once again featuring the majestic trumpet.
Video: Netherlands Bach Society - Interview with conductor Peter Dijkstra, organist Leo van Doeselaar and cellist Lucia Swarts /
J.S. Bach Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German) - Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35, 8 September 1726
Part I
1. Sinfonia
2. Aria: Geist und Seele wird verwirret
3. Recitativo: Ich wundre mich
4. Aria: Gott hat alles wohlgemacht
Part 2
5. Sinfonia
6. Recitativo: Ach, starker Gott
7. Aria: Ich wünsche nur bei Gott zu leben
"Spirit and soul become confused"
Text & translation
Scored for an alto soloist, two oboes, taille, obbligato solo organ, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
A festive and long cantata with an alto soloist and no chorus, set to a poem by Georg Christian Lehms, first published in 1711. The text quotes ideas from the Gospel and draws from them the analogy that just as the tongue of the deaf and dumb man was opened, so the believer should be open to admire God's miraculous acts. The cantatas for this Sunday have a positive character, which Bach emphasized in earlier works for this occasion by including trumpets in the score. In this work, however, he uses an obbligato solo organ in several movements.
It is possible that parts of this work predate the first recorded performance in Leipzig in 1726. The work contains two large concerto movements for organ and orchestra - the organ is both an instrumental soloist in the two sinfonias and a partner for the singer in all three arias.
The opening Allegro sinfonia incorporates concerto techniques, suggesting an origin in a pre-existing concerto, and other parts may be derived from other music - making this cantata a treasure trove of lost music. The organ plays both the solo melody and the continuo line, punctuated by quasi-cadenza passages and interspersed ten-bar ritornellos.
The first aria in da capo form, "Geist und Seele wird verwirret," is characterized by a broken ritornello and a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The rhythm is a siciliano, a common feature in slow concerto movements by Bach and others.
A secco recitative expresses reverence for creation. It begins in a major mode that contrasts with the preceding aria, then turns to a solemn minor mode.
An aria with obbligato organ, "Gott hat alles wohlgemacht," is the first movement in a major mode and expresses joy at God's creation. It has a dominant two-part ritornello.
Part 2 begins with another sinfonia, this time in binary form, an intriguing perpetuum mobile introduced by the keyboard. It may be based on the final movement of a concerto.
Another secco recitative, "Ach, starker Gott, laß mich," is a prayer for the ability to always reflect on the miracle of creation.
The cantata concludes with an aria with the complete orchestra, "Ich wünsche nur bei Gott zu leben" (I wish to live with God alone). It expresses the desire to dwell with God forever in a minuet of a positive character. The movement again uses a two-part ritornello. The organ provides triplet figures, which the voice also uses to express a joyful hallelujah.
Bach himself probably played the virtuoso organ part.
Video: Netherlands Bach Society (countertenor) - Interview countertenor Engeltjes /
J.S. Bach Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in German) - Contemplation (in German)
Bach Cantata Index