"Ich habe genung" ("I an content") is one of the most beautiful solo cantatas Bach wrote, a lullaby for eternal sleep. There is no chorus or chorale, the cantata consists only of three arias and two recitatives, all for bass voice.
Written for the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary (Mariae Reinigung) on February 2, the cantata celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In ancient Israel, a woman who gave birth to a child was considered unclean for 40 days, after which she had to go to the temple for a purification rite and also to present her first-born son to the priests.
According to the Gospel story, an old man named Simeon recognized the baby Jesus as the Christ. In fact, God had promised Simeon that he would not die before he had seen Christ. He now expresses his joy at meeting Christ in a hymn (Canticum Simeonis, "Nunc Dimittis") that has often been set to music - and then he dies. The Lutheran feast of the Purgation of the Virgin Mary is therefore always a sign of acceptance of death. Incidentally, the Nunc Dimittis was not only sung at the Feast of the Purification on February 2, but also became a regular part of the daily Mass at the end of the day in monasteries. With the words of the Light of the World in mind, people could go to sleep in peace.
The first aria ("I have enough, I have taken the Savior, the hope of the righteous, into my eager arms") is a poignantly beautiful movement that treats the end of Simeon's long life with a mixture of melancholy and resignation. The way in which mortality was viewed in the eighteenth century is beautifully expressed here. Death was seen as a release from the earthly vale of tears and a chance to unite with the Creator. Thus, the music is not heartbreaking, but rather exudes a subdued melancholy. The first aria gives a more or less literal interpretation of Simeon's feelings. The oboe begins with a plaintive upward leap (a minor sixth). This interval plays an important role throughout the aria. Note that the bass deliberately uses the old word "genung" and not the modern pronunciation "genug" - as the bass Thomas Bauer explains in a very interesting short video, the soft old pronunciation fits Bach's music better than the modern, sharper one.
The second aria ("Fall asleep, you weary eyes, close softly and pleasantly") is the emotional climax of the cantata: a lullaby for both the death of Simeon and the sleeping Christ Child. It invites the listener to slip away from the cares of the day, gently but forever. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
The final aria is joyful and even life-affirming, although the text is about something else entirely: "I rejoice in my death, ah, if only it were already present...". A joyful dance rhythm celebrates the approaching end. Throughout the cantata, the solo wind instrument's contribution is crucial. At first plaintive, then mellow, and finally full of optimistic joy, the oboe propels the bass.
The Feast of the Purification is also known as Candlemas and traditionally marks the end of the Christmas-Epiphany season. While in some countries Christmas decorations are taken down on Twelfth Night (Epiphany), in others they are taken down on Candlemas. On this day, candles, both church and private, are blessed for use during the rest of the year - the blessed candles serving as a symbol of the Light of the World.
Aria: "Ich habe genug"
Recitative: "Ich habe genug"
Aria: "Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen" ("Fall asleep, you weary eyes")
Recitative: "Mein Gott! wenn kömmt das schöne: Nun!" ("My God, when will the lovely word come: 'Now!'")
Aria: "Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod" ("I look forward to my death")
Text & translation
Listen to: Netherlands Bach Society
Lars Ulrik Mortensen, harpsichord and direction
Thomas Bauer, bass
[Includes quotes from my article "Feast of Purification of Mary" and also from the very informative website of the Netherlands Bach Society]
Choral Masterworks
Bach Cantata Index