In art, Michael is depicted as an angelic warrior, armed with a helmet, sword, and shield. He may also stand over a serpent, a dragon, or the defeated figure of Satan, whom he sometimes pierces with a lance.
His feast day, Michaelis or Michaelmas, is celebrated on September 29, a very important day in the Lutheran church calendar - on a par with Christmas and Easter. Michael is one of the four quarter days of the financial, judicial, and academic year, marking the transition to the winter half-year.
St. Michael's Day was important in the commercial life of Leipzig, as it marked the beginning of one of the city's annual fairs, which was attended by many people from other parts of Germany and abroad. In Bach's time, the celebration of St. Michael's Day in Leipzig was traditionally accompanied by the largest orchestra available - all of Bach's cantatas for the occasion include trumpets and timpani.
The theme of the battle against evil obviously appealed to Bach - his musical responses to the story are varied and strikingly evocative. There are three complete cantatas for this day, plus a fragment.
By the way, the cantata BWV 219, "Siehe, es hat uberwunden der Lowe," which was also written for St. Michael's Day, is not by Bach, as was long thought (I wonder how, since it is completely different in style!), but is a composition by Georg Philip Telemann.
Readings:
Epistle: Revelations 12: 7-12, Michael fighting the dragon
Gospel: Matthew 18: 1-11, heaven belongs to the children, the angels see the face of God
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)
[Michael, the archangel, by Guido Reni, 1636]
Cantatas:
Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, BWV 130, 29 September 1724
Chorale: Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir
Recitative (alto): Ihr heller Glanz und hohe Weisheit zeigt
Aria (bass): Der alte Drache brennt vor Neid
Recitative (soprano, tenor): Wohl aber uns, daß Tag und Nacht
Aria (tenor): Laß, o Fürst der Cherubinen
Chorale: Darum wir billig loben dich
"Lord God, we all praise you"
Text & Translation
Scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, flauto traverso, three oboes, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir" pulls out all the stops - from spectacular trumpets and timpani to an intimate song of praise. It belongs to Bach's second annual cycle. The anonymous libretto is based on Paul Eber's 1554 Lutheran hymn in twelve stanzas "Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir", which in turn is based on the Latin hymn "Dicimus grates tibi" by Luther's colleague Philipp Melanchthon. Bach wrote this cantata for the feast day of the archangel Michael, who, according to the Book of Revelation, conquered the dragon in heaven with his troops of angels. Although this did not eradicate all evil, it did cast it back to earth. So this day focuses on the firm conviction that good will conquer evil.
The first choral movement, which sets the first stanza of the hymn, is magnificently scored for three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, strings and continuo. It is about the eternal struggle between good and evil - in this case in the form of a dragon. The very first notes make it clear who will win: God's angels. God is praised and thanked with triumphal music, while the chorale is heard in the soprano voice.
Movement 3 is the theological core of the cantata, a bass aria with trumpets and drums, in which the confrontation of St. Michael and his angels with Satan, the "old dragon," is described in fiery terms. Luther's angels were not friendly, feminine creatures with wings, but sturdy representatives of the militant Church, capable of doing their part in the war against evil. It is a fierce confrontation and one of the most thrilling arias Bach ever wrote.
The warm and transparent recitative for soprano and tenor that follows is a striking contrast to these military tones. It is full of calm, peace and security after the storm has subsided, setting the stage for the seductive tenor aria. The text includes two classic Old Testament examples of angelic guardianship: the protection Daniel enjoyed in the lion's den and the three men who emerged unharmed from the burning furnace at Babel. In a gentle song of praise with an angelic flute solo, the tenor asks the angels for protection, after which the cantata concludes with a straightforward setting of the chorale melody.
Video: Netherlands Bach Society - Interview Van Veldhoven (conductor)
Es erhub sich ein Streit, BWV 19, 29 September, 1726
Es erhub sich ein Streit (Chorus)Gottlob! der Drache liegt (Recitative, Bass)
Gott schickt uns Mahanaim zu (Aria, Soprano)
Was ist der schnöde Mensch, das Erdenkind? (Recitative, Tenor)
Bleibt, ihr Engel, bleibt bei mir! (Aria, Alto)
Laßt uns das Angesicht (Recitative, Soprano)
Laß dein' Engel mit mir fahren (Chorale)
"There arose a war"
Text & translation
Scored for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass), four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, oboe da caccia, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
The text of the cantata is loosely based on a poem by Picander that was published in Leipzig in 1725 in his collection of edifying thoughts. The text may have been revised by Bach himself. Picander includes a stanza from a hymn by Christoph Demantius as the final chorale. The chorale theme is Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, which was codified by Louis Bourgeois in his setting of Geneva Psalm 42 (1551).
The cantata text refers to various biblical events associated with the appearance of angels: they assisted Jacob at Mahanaim in his encounter with his enemy brother Esau (Genesis 32:2), arranged for the ascension of the prophet Elijah in a chariot drawn by horses of fire (2 Kings 2:11), and accompanied poor Lazarus to heaven (Luke 16:22).
As with other Bach cantatas written for the feast of St. Michael, this work opens with an imposing chorus, a great fugal movement in which Bach illustrates the conflict between heaven and hell with stirring ferocity. This opening movement has no instrumental introduction, creating an immediate dramatic effect. It presents a realistic picture of the struggle against evil and maintains its powerful style to the end.
A simple bass recitative follows, declaring the outcome of the battle in favor of the archangel Michael. The third movement is a soprano aria with obbligato oboes d'amore, an oasis of protective calm. The text is about the protection offered to humanity by the angelic host.
The tenor recitative is again in the minor mode, this time to describe the fragility of man. This leads into a striking tenor aria that contains a plea for heavenly guidance. The aria, in a siciliana rhythm, is the longest movement in the cantata (and its second highlight after the opening chorus) and is technically quite demanding. The trumpet plays the full chorale melody of "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr," probably with the third verse, which mentions angels, in mind, over a siciliano rhythm in the strings and continuo.
After a brief secco soprano recitative, the final chorale, which has the feel of a minuet, reintroduces the full instrumental arsenal heard in the opening chorus.
Video: J.S. Bach Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in Geman) - Contemplation (in German)
Bleibt, ihr Engel, bleibt bei mir! (Aria, Alto)
Laßt uns das Angesicht (Recitative, Soprano)
Laß dein' Engel mit mir fahren (Chorale)
"There arose a war"
Text & translation
Scored for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass), four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, oboe da caccia, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
The text of the cantata is loosely based on a poem by Picander that was published in Leipzig in 1725 in his collection of edifying thoughts. The text may have been revised by Bach himself. Picander includes a stanza from a hymn by Christoph Demantius as the final chorale. The chorale theme is Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, which was codified by Louis Bourgeois in his setting of Geneva Psalm 42 (1551).
The cantata text refers to various biblical events associated with the appearance of angels: they assisted Jacob at Mahanaim in his encounter with his enemy brother Esau (Genesis 32:2), arranged for the ascension of the prophet Elijah in a chariot drawn by horses of fire (2 Kings 2:11), and accompanied poor Lazarus to heaven (Luke 16:22).
As with other Bach cantatas written for the feast of St. Michael, this work opens with an imposing chorus, a great fugal movement in which Bach illustrates the conflict between heaven and hell with stirring ferocity. This opening movement has no instrumental introduction, creating an immediate dramatic effect. It presents a realistic picture of the struggle against evil and maintains its powerful style to the end.
A simple bass recitative follows, declaring the outcome of the battle in favor of the archangel Michael. The third movement is a soprano aria with obbligato oboes d'amore, an oasis of protective calm. The text is about the protection offered to humanity by the angelic host.
The tenor recitative is again in the minor mode, this time to describe the fragility of man. This leads into a striking tenor aria that contains a plea for heavenly guidance. The aria, in a siciliana rhythm, is the longest movement in the cantata (and its second highlight after the opening chorus) and is technically quite demanding. The trumpet plays the full chorale melody of "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr," probably with the third verse, which mentions angels, in mind, over a siciliano rhythm in the strings and continuo.
After a brief secco soprano recitative, the final chorale, which has the feel of a minuet, reintroduces the full instrumental arsenal heard in the opening chorus.
Video: J.S. Bach Foundation (St. Gallen) - Workshop (in Geman) - Contemplation (in German)
[Jacomart, Archangel St MIchael, 1441-42]
Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg, BWV 149, 29 September, 1729
Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg (Chorus)[Jacomart, Archangel St MIchael, 1441-42]
Kraft und Stärke sei gesungen (Aria B)
Ich fürchte mich (Recitative A)
Gottes Engel weichen nie (Aria S)
Ich danke dir (Recitative T)
Seid wachsam, ihr heiligen Wächter (Aria A T)
Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein (Chorale)
"One sings with joy about victory"
Text & translation
Scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, two violins, violas, bassoon, violone, and basso continuo.
Bach's third fully extant St. Michael's Cantata has seven movements and exudes a festive aura. The libretto, by Christian Friedrich Henrici, also known as Picander, was published in 1728/29 as part of a series of cantata texts. Beginning with two verses from Psalm 118 and ending with the third verse of Martin Schalling the Younger's chorale "I love you, O Lord," the libretto echoes the day's prescribed readings from the Book of Revelation, depicting Michael's confrontation with the dragon, symbolizing the devil or Satan. While battle scenes were common in artistic and musical depictions, this cantata emphasizes the guardian angels as "holy protectors". The concluding chorale implores the Lord to allow the believer's soul to be taken into Abraham's bosom at death and to participate in the resurrection of the flesh on Judgment Day.
Inspired by his 1713 Hunting Cantata, Bach created the opening chorus and skillfully adapted it with stirring trumpet calls to rejoice. More celebratory than confrontational, this rendition reflects Bach's significant revisions, including the substitution of horns for three trumpets and timpani, the transposition from F major to D major, and the overall expansion.
Continuing the theme of divine struggle, the bass aria features an active continuo line accompanied by a violone. The soloist's agility is paramount, complementing the independent staccato bassoon and adding to the movement's power.
A tonally evocative alto recitative leads into a poignant soprano aria accompanied by strings, reflecting on the protection of guardian angels.
The tenor recitative, which concludes with an ascending plea to heaven, transitions seamlessly into the third aria, a duet for alto and tenor featuring an energetic bassoon line. Its playful, agile figurations are echoed in canon by the alto and tenor voices.
Beginning with a simple chorale setting, the cantata erupts into a crescendo of color as trumpets and timpani join in the final two bars, bringing the composition to a glorious close.
Video: Trinity Church, Wall Street
Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft, BWV 50
Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft (chorus)"Now has the salvation and the strength"
Text & translation
Scored for two four-part choirs, three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
BWV 50 is a chorale movement long associated with Johann Sebastian Bach and thought to be part of a lost cantata, possibly composed for St. Michael's Day. However, the exact dates of its composition and first performance remain elusive.
First published in 1860 as part of the first comprehensive edition of Bach's works, BWV 50 has captivated Bach scholars because of the uncertainties surrounding its origins. With no autograph sources and Bach's name missing from the earliest surviving copies, intrigue continues. Some argue that the existing double-choir version is an arrangement by an unidentified hand of a lost five-part original by J.S. Bach, citing irregularities in BWV 50's part-writing that are inconsistent with Bach's style. In 2000, American performer and scholar Joshua Rifkin proposed an alternative theory, suggesting that the composer of BWV 50 may not have been Bach, but rather an anonymous but highly skilled contemporary. This claim remains controversial, however.
Within the surviving fragment of BWV 50, Bach, or whoever the composer may be, demonstrates remarkable skill in the imposing opening double chorus of "Nun ist das Heil. Like other Michaelmas cantatas, it employs intricate textural layering from the lowest registers to the highest, presenting contrapuntal depictions of battles and massing armies. The movement contains elements of call-and-response and evokes military rhythms.
Regrettably, this fragment is all that remains of what would undoubtedly have been a remarkable cantata.
Video: Netherlands Bach Society