BWV 57/7 & 8
Aria (S) and chorale Ich ende behende mein irdisches Leben - 1725 - Christmas 2
In this da capo-aria (A-B-A) from the same cantata (57), the text evokes the ‘joyful’ longing for death so typical of pietistic Lutheranism in the time of Bach, but so impossible to comprehend today. The opening bars depict the end of life symbolised by the falling of the body into the arms of Jesus. After 34 bars of lively g minor, with its 3/8 time signature, an extra, agitated (soprano) voice is added to the texture. She convinces the listener that such a longing for death should, at the very least, be considered sad. The B section ends in the relative major (B flat) with the question ‘was schenkest du mir?’. Instead of the usual recapitulation of the initial material, Bach continues the dialogue with a four-voice chorale setting in order to allow the question to be answered immediately: faith provides salvation from death.
III/P (C - c3)
Fragment BWV 57/7 Euwe & Sybolt de Jong Schnitger-organ - Martinikerk Groningen, The Netherlands HW: Gd 8, Sal 8 BW: Hf 8 RW: Rf 8, F 4, Gdq 3, Trem |
|
photo: Dick Sanderman | recorded July 2009 - WestraMedia |
57/7 player 1: medium 57/8 player 1: easy |
57/7 player 2: medium 57/8 player 2: easy |
Bach Cantatas volume IV > order cd
Euwe & Sybolt de Jong
Schnitger-organ - Martinikerk
Groningen, The Netherlands
Boeijenga Music Publications
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
ISBN: 978-90-70425-74-6
Ed.nr: BE 1083