I am happy in myself

Bach cantata
I am happy in myself
BWV:	204
Occasion:	unknown
Year of origin:	1726/27
Place of origin:	Leipzig
Genus:	cantata
Solo :	S.
Instruments :	Ft, 20b; 2Vl, Va; Bc
text
	Christian Friedrich Hunold
List of Bach cantatas

I am delighted in myself ( BWV 204) is a secular cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach , which he composed in Leipzig in 1726/27 for an unknown event.

history

Bach composed this cantata in Leipzig in 1726/27 for an unknown occasion. The text comes from the work of Christian Friedrich Hunold . Hunold and Bach are believed to have met, however the librettist died in 1721, years before the cantata was composed. The music of the final aria was used again in the wedding cantata Lustiert PleißenStadt , BWV 216 (1728).

Occupation and structure

The cantata is written for soprano soloists and features a transverse flute , two oboes , two violins , a viola and the figured bass .

The cantata has eight movements:

Recitative: I am happy within myself
Aria: Calm and self-satisfied
Recitative: You souls who are outside yourselves
Aria: The estimability of the wide earth
Recitative: It is difficult to have a lot of vain
Aria: Be happy with my soul
Recitative: A noble person is like pearl shells
Aria: Heavenly amusement.

music

The opening recitative is harmoniously active, but melodically fragmented, as balanced couplets are used unusually often . The first aria is characterized by a "restless feeling of exertion" that begins immediately after the short instrumental ritual and is the only one in da capo form. The second recitative is the only one that is accompanied, with the string instruments supporting a harmony that “begins to slide around like quicksand”. The second aria has a flowing Ritornello theme that the figured bass and obbligato - violin is played. The third recitative is a secco recitative with “two outbreaks of operatic virtuosity”. The third aria is ternary and in a minor key. The fourth recitative contains an Arioso passage that ends with an “extraordinarily strange” cadenza . The last movement is the only one that contains all instrumental parts with a dance opening theme and an ABAB structure.

Recordings

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir , Ton Koopman . JS Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 4 . Erato, 1996
Bach Collegium Stuttgart , Helmuth Rilling . Edition Bach Academy Vol. 62 . Hänssler Verlag , 1998
Württemberg Chamber Orchestra , Rudolf Ewerhart . Bach Cantatas . Vox, 1966.

Web links

Structure and text

I'm happy inside, BWV 204 : Sheet Music and Audio Files in the International Music Score Library Project

I am happy in myself BWV 204; BC G 45 Bach Digital

Individual evidence

^ Cantata BWV 204 I am happy in myself . Retrieved March 10, 2014.
↑ ^a ^b Mincham, Julian: Chapter 102 BWV 204 . December 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
↑ BWV 204 . University of Alberta. Retrieved May 17, 2013.

[bc-1] Cantata BWV 204 I am happy in myself . Retrieved March 10, 2014.

[Mincham-2] Mincham, Julian: Chapter 102 BWV 204 . December 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2014.

[3] BWV 204 . University of Alberta. Retrieved May 17, 2013.


Sacred cantatas	1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 65 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69a • 70 / 70a • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 • 80a • 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 100 • 101 • 102 • 103 • 104 • 105 • 106 • 107 • 108 • 109 • 110 • 111 • 112 • 113 • 114 • 115 • 116 • 117 • 118 • 119 • 120 • 121 • 122 • 123 • 124 • 125 • 126 • 127 • 128 • 129 • 130 • 131 • 132 • 133 • 134 • 135 • 136 • 137 • 138 • 139 • 140 • 143 • 144 • 145 • 146 • 147 / 147a • 148 • 149 • 150 • 151 • 152 • 153 • 154 • 155 • 156 • 157 • 158 • 159 • 161 • 162 • 163 • 164 • 165 • 166 • 167 • 168 • 169 • 170 • 171 • 172 • 173 • 174 • 175 • 176 • 177 • 178 • 179 • 180 • 181 • 182 • 183 • 184 • 185 • 186 • 187 • 188 • 190 • 191 • 192 • 193 • 194 • 195 • 196 • 197 • 199 • 244a
Secular cantatas	30a • 34a • 36c • 134a • 173a • 198 • 201 • 202 • 203 • 204 • 205 • 206 • 207 • 207a • 208 • 209 • 210 • 210a • 211 • 212 • 213 • 214 • 215 • 216a • 249a
Cantatas not preserved	App. 1 • App. 2 • App. 3 • App. 4 • App. 4a • App. 5 • App. 6 • App. 7 • App. 8 • App. 9 • App. 10 • App. 11 • App. 12 • App. 13 • App. 14 • App. 15 • App. 16 • App. 17 • App. 18 • App. 19
Passions	St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) • St. John Passion (BWV 245) • St. Luke Passion (BWV 246) (Bach's authorship questioned) • St. Mark Passion (BWV 247)
Oratorios	Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11) • Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) • Easter Oratorio (BWV 249)