Dearest God, when will I die
| Bach cantata | |
|---|---|
| Dearest God, when will I die | |
| BWV: | 8th |
| Occasion: | 16th Sunday after Trinity |
| Year of origin: | 1724 |
| Place of origin: | Leipzig |
| Genus: | Choral cantata |
| Solo : | SATB |
| Choir: | SATB |
| Instruments : | Co Ft 2Oa 2Vl Va Bc |
| AD : | approx. 18 min |
| text | |
| Kaspar Neumann , unknown | |
| List of Bach cantatas | |
Dearest God, when will I die? ( BWV 8) is a choral cantata for the 16th Sunday after Trinity by Johann Sebastian Bach . It was on September 24, 1724 premiere .
Emergence
This cantata is part of a cycle of choral cantatas that Bach composed and performed in 1724 and 1725. In the period from June 11, 1724 to March 25, 1725, when this cycle with the cantata for the Feast of the Annunciation suddenly broke off, Bach composed forty cantatas, about one per week. If you consider that during the big festivals of the church year (Christmas, Easter and Pentecost) several cantatas are allotted to one week, the enormous musical productivity of Bach becomes clear, which is evident in this cycle.
content
The text refers to the Sunday gospel Lk 7 : 11-17 LUT , the raising of the young man in Nain. Against this background he formulates the fear and trust in God of Christians in the face of death. The high tone repetitions of the solo flute in the opening movement impressively paint the “ticking of the clock of life”.
Frames
There are two versions of this cantata. The first version is in the key of E major, the second is in D major and was probably performed in Leipzig on September 17, 1747. Except for the different keys, there are no significant differences.
structure
The cantata comprises six movements:
- Chorus: Dearest God, when will I die? , E major, SATB choir. A choral movement interrupted by interludes , with the soprano performing the cantus firmus in long notes, while alto , tenor and bass figure a free counterpoint.
- Aria : What do you want to horrify yourself, my ghost? , C sharp minor, tenor solo, oboe d'amore and basso continuo .
- Recitative : Although my weak heart feels E major, alto solo, strings and continuo.
- Aria: But soften, you mad, futile worries! , A major, bass solo, flute and continuo.
- Recitative: Just keep mine, oh world! , E major, soprano solo and continuo.
- Choral: ruler of life and death , E major, tutti .
expenditure
- Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1851, printing plate BWI (first edition)
- Bach Society Edition, Volume 1, pp. 211–242
literature
- Alfred Dürr : The cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach . Deutscher Taschenbuch-Verlag, 1982, ISBN 978-3-423-04081-5 .
- Christoph Wolff : Johann Sebastian Bach . 2nd edition, S. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3-10-092584-X , p. 299 ff.
Web links
- Dearest God, when will I die? BWV 8 : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- BWV 8 Dearest God, when will I die Text, structure and cast on the personal homepage of Walter F. Bischof at the University of Alberta
Individual evidence
- ↑ Wolff suspects here that the librettist was Andreas Stübel , who suddenly died on January 27, 1725.
- ^ Christoph Wolff: Johann Sebastian Bach . 2nd edition, S. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3-10-092584-X , p. 301.
