I have one foot in the grave
| Bach cantata | |
|---|---|
| I have one foot in the grave | |
| BWV: | 156 |
| Occasion: | 3rd Sunday after Epiphany |
| Year of origin: | 1729 |
| Place of origin: | Leipzig |
| Genus: | cantata |
| Solo : | ATB |
| Choir: | SATB |
| Instruments : | If; 2Vl, Va; Bc |
| text | |
|
Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), Johann Hermann Schein , Kaspar Bienemann |
|
| List of Bach cantatas | |
I stand with one foot in the grave ( BWV 156) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach . He composed the work in Leipzig for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany and performed it for the first time on January 23, 1729. The cantata is known for its introductory sinfonia with solo oboe .
text
I stand with one foot in the grave. It was Bach's fourth and last cantata for the third Sunday after Epiphany. The prescribed scriptures for this Sunday were taken from Romans (rules for life, Romans 12, 17–21 EU ) and from the Gospel according to Matthew ( healing a leper , Matt 8: 1–13 EU ).
The librettist was Christian Friedrich Henrici (called Picander ). He brought in two stanzas from older chorales: Machs mit mir, Gott, after your goodness by Johann Hermann Schein (1628) and Lord, as you will, so send me by Kaspar Bienemann (1582).
Occupation and structure
The work is for three soloists ( alto , tenor and bass ), a four-part choir , one oboe , two violins , a viola and basso written.
The cantata has six movements:
- Sinfonia
- Chorale (soprano) and aria (tenor): I stand with one foot in the grave
- Recitative (bass): My fear and distress
- Aria (alto): Lord, I should like what you want
- Recitative (bass): And do you want me not to get sick?
- Chorale: Lord, as you will, so fate with me
music
The Sinfonia in F major is filled with oboe, string instruments and figured bass. It probably comes from an earlier oboe concerto and was later adapted as the middle movement in Bach's Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1056 . Compared to the later version for harpsichord and orchestra, the melody is clear, uncomplicated and harmoniously designed for the preparation of the second movement.
The second movement is a combination of a tenor aria and a soprano chorale with obbligato string instruments. The beginning with a syncopated figured bass line under unison string instruments is unusual. The set contains sequences and harmonic contrasts .
Both bass recitatives are written as secco recitative in the minor key. The first and third movements of the cantata are marked by a disjoint melody line and a concluding Arioso line. The second and fifth movements are comparatively “lighter in mood and spirit”. It anticipates the melody of the chorale version.
The altarie is accompanied by oboe and violin in thirds and sixths . The sentence contains several examples of word painting . Formally, the sentence is a modified da capo aria.
The last movement is a four-part version of the choir in C major . The phrase lengths are varied, which gives an impression of the "timelessness" in the face of death.
Recordings
- American Bach Soloists / Jeffrey Thomas . JS Bach: Cantatas Volume II . Koch International Classics, 1992
- Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir / Ton Koopman . JS Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 20 . Antoine Marchand, 2003
- Bach Collegium Japan / Masaaki Suzuki . JS Bach: Cantatas Vol. 49 . UNTIL 2010
- Figural choir of the Stuttgart Memorial Church / Bach Collegium Stuttgart , Helmuth Rilling . The Bach cantata . Hänssler Verlag , 1973
- Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium , Pieter Jan Leusink . Bach Edition Vol. 11 . Brilliant Classics, 1999
- Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists , John Eliot Gardiner . JS Bach: Cantatas for the 3rd Sunday of Epiphany . Archive production , 2000.
- Tölzer Knabenchor / Concentus Musicus Vienna , Nikolaus Harnoncourt . Harnoncourt Edition . TELDEC LC 0370 ,
Web links
- BWV 156 Text, structure and composition on the personal homepage of Walter F. Bischof at the University of Alberta
- BWV 156 : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- BWV 156 at Bach digital
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Cantata BWV 156 Bach Choir of Bethlehem
- ↑ Cantata BWV 156 bach-cantatas.com
- ↑ BWV 156 . University of Alberta. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
- ↑ a b c d e Julian Mincham, description of the cantata BWV 156 , jsbachcantatas.com (English)
- ↑ BWV 156 . Emmanuel Music. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
- ↑ Cantata No. 156 . Allmusic. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
