Complain, children, complain to the world

Laments, children, laments the world (BWV 244a), the so-called Köthener funeral music , is a lost funeral cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach . The cantata was composed for the memorial service for Prince Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen , held on March 24, 1729 in the St. Jakobs Church in Köthen . The prince, who died on November 19, 1728, had been buried in the church's crypt the previous evening .

The libretto is by Christian Friedrich Henrici , known as Picander. Three versions of the text that differ slightly from one another have been preserved.

1. An incomplete copy of the text from the files on Prince Leopold's funeral
2. The first print as a text booklet
3. A shortened reprint in Picander's Ernst-Schertzhaffte and Satyrische Gedichte
4. Another reprint that was only slightly divergent in spelling and typography in Picander's first publication of 1732 in Serious Joking and Satyrical Poems published in Picander's first publication in 1732 , overlooked in the new and placed in the light of better choice and order

This occasional work, both sacred and secular, gained importance mainly because of its parody relation to the St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and to the mourning ode Laß, Princess, let another ray (BWV 198).

Structure of the plant

The funeral music is a large-scale cantata in 24 movements (choirs, arias and recitatives). It is divided into four so-called departments. The first section deals with the mourning of the country , the second with the departure of the prince and the redemption of his soul. The third section, which resounds after the sermon, deals with the memory of the deceased among those left behind, the last farewell and eternal rest.

Reconstructions

Wilhelm Rust already recognized that the Köthen funeral music is related to the St. Matthew Passion and the funeral ode Laß, Fürstin, let another ray stand for Electress Christiane Eberhardine.

A partial reconstruction wrote u. a. the musicologist Hans Grüß (2000). In this concert version it is planned to have the recitative texts performed by a speaker.

The harpsichordist Alexander Ferdinand Grychtolik presented the first complete reconstruction in 2010. Here, the recitatives of the funeral music (with a few exceptions) are reconstructed by reworking Accompagnato recitatives from the St. Matthew Passion. This work is based on a thesis of the Bach researcher Detlef Gojowy , who assumed beyond the established connections of a parody relationship that there was also a parody relationship between the Accompagnato recitatives of the St. Matthew Passion and the funeral music. With his Ensemble Deutsche Hofmusik , Alexander Grychtolik released a recording of his reconstruction version of the funeral music in 2015 on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi ( Sony ).

The musicologist Morgan Jourdain created a version on behalf of the French early music specialist Raphaël Pichon; Pichon, his ensemble Pygmalion and a singer quartet recorded them. The CD was released by Harmonia Mundi in autumn 2014 . Another recording by the musicologist Andrew Parrott was released in 2011.

Web links

• Data, text and sources at Bach Digital
• Text of the funeral music in the three traditional versions by Bach Cantatas (English)
• Overview of the structure of funeral music and the parody dependency of individual movements

Individual evidence

1. ^ In: Staatsarchiv Magdeburg, Abt. Köthen, A 6 No. 26 I, fol. 96, 97, 102 (after recounting) and an uncounted sheet (after fol. 102); Facsimile reproduction in the critical report of the New Bach Edition on BWV 244a, Series II, Volume 5b, p. 137 ff.
2. ↑ Köthen 1729 , Magdeburg State Archives, Dept. Köthen, A 6 No. 26 I, fol. 91 (bis) r -94v; Facsimile reproduction in: All texts set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach , ed. v. Werner Neumann, Leipzig 1974, p. 398 ff.
3. ↑ Picander's Ernst-Schertzhaffte and Satyrische Gedichte , Part III, Leipzig 1732, pp. 189–195; Facsimile reproduction in: All texts set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach , Ibid., P. 344 ff.
4. ↑ Picander's up to anhero published Serious-Joking and Satyrical Poems, overlooked in the new and presented to the light in a better choice and order . Leipzig 1748, pp. 328-333.
5. ↑ Bach Complete Edition (BG), Volume 20/2, pp. X ff.
6. ↑ Hans Grüß ( Memento of the original from October 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the Wiki of the Institute for Musicology at the University of Leipzig. 
7. ↑ Detlef Gojowy: On the question of Köthener funeral music and the St. Matthew Passion . In: Bach Yearbook 1965 , p. 86 ff. And p. 131 ff.
8. ↑ audio sample
9. ↑ audio sample
10. ^ Taverner Consort, Taverner Players, Andrew Parrott: audio sample