Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2

Oh God, from heaven look into it ( BWV 2) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote it in Leipzig for the second Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on June 18, 1724 for the first time. It is based on the eponymous song by Martin Luther, which was published in 1524 Eight Songs book. The cantata is the second in Bach's second Leipzig cantata cycle, which is also known as a chorale cantata cycle.

Topic

The work is the same Reformation hymn, Oh God, look down from heaven into it, by Martin Luther from the end of the year 1523 is based. The first and the last chorale verse have been adopted in the wording in sentences 1 and 6, while the other texts are Umdichtungen an unknown poet. The directly acquired verses underlies each of which goes back to vorreformatorisches Good in the core modal melody. The song, a paraphrase of Psalm 12 LUT, was the main song for the 2nd Sunday after Trinity and is closely related to the activities planned in the lectionary readings of the Sundays: 1 Jn 3.13 to 18 LUT as the Epistle and Luke 14:16 - 24 LUT, the parable of the great supper as Sunday Gospel.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is staffed with three soloists, alto, tenor and bass, four-part choir, four trombones, three oboes, two violins, viola and basso continuo.

Music

Striking in comparison to other cantatas of Bach is the design of the input sentence, in which the instruments are limited entirely to the accompaniment of the chorale melody and as a Choralmotette of deliberately old-fashioned blank looks. The cantus firmus is sung by the Old in long notes, strengthened by the oboes. Each line is prepared by imitative inserts of the votes on the same issue. Set 2 is a secco recitative, which is extended in two rows to Arioso. These lines quote the text verbatim from the chorale and adagio are overwritten. The alto aria is written in a new style and is accompanied by vivid figuration of a solo violin. The bass recitative is accompanied by strings. In the first part of the tenor aria concert oboe and strings, while the central part is accompanied only by the continuo. The final chorale is a simple four-part set, in which all instruments play colla parte.

Selected recordings

Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein First Lutheran hymnal Protestant Reformation Psalms Revised Common Lectionary First Epistle of John Gospel (liturgy) Bass (voice type) Collegium Vocale Gent Peter Kooy Werner Neumann Christoph Wolff Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 3 Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33 Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68 Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72 Alles, was von Gott geboren, BWV 80a Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten in meinem Namen, BWV 87 Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114 Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121 Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128 Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn! BWV 132 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136 Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148 Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162 Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185 Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen, BWV 249a St Mark Passion (Bach)
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