Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115
Arise, my spirit, willing ( BWV 115 ) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig in 1724 for the 22th Sunday after Trinity and led them on 5 November 1724 on. It is based on the hymn by Johann Burchard Freyenstein ( 1695).
History and words
Bach composed the cantata in 1724, his second year in Leipzig for the 22th Sunday after Trinity. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were Phil 1:3-11 LUT, " thanksgiving and of Paul to the church in Philippi ," and Matthew 18:23-35 LUT, the parable of the unforgiving servant. The cantata is based on the same hymn in ten stanzas of Johann Burchard Freyenstein ( 1695). His topic to be alert and ready for the coming of the Lord, considers one aspect of the gospel.
The unknown librettist retained the first and last verse in the text as in sentences 1 and 6 of the cantata and worked the inner verses to an alternating sequence of arias and recitatives. From verse 2, he developed set of 2, from verses 3-6 set 3, from verse 7, Clause 4, in which he made the first two lines of the same, and from verses 8 and 9, Theorem 5 The song is anonymous to the tune of " Criminal me not in thine anger " ( 1681) sung.
Bach led the cantata on 5 November 1724 for the first time.
Scoring and structure
The cantata is staffed by four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), four-part choir, horn as a reinforcement of the soprano in the chorale, Flauto Traverso, Oboe d' cupids, two violins, viola, violoncello piccolo and continuo.
Music
The opening chorus is a chorale fantasy in the form of a chaconne. The instruments play independent concert of chamber music in three voices, flute, oboe d' amore and strings in unison. The soprano sings the melody as a cantus firmus, the lower voices sing mostly homophonic, partly in imitation.
The alto aria begins, as Klaus Hofmann notes, " as a musical slumber scene as it would have done honor to any opera of the time". The beginning is denoted by Adagio, the oboe d' amore playing a solo in siciliano rhythm, which leads to a long " as it were sleeping resting tone ". The reminder to be vigilant, is emphasized in a contrasting Allegro section.
In the soprano aria "Pray also this " play the flute and piccolo cello chamber music, in which the soprano with "noble Cantilena " to occur. The final chorale is a simple four-part set with a request for truth and freedom.
Recordings
- Bach Cantatas Vol 5 - Sundays after Trinity II Karl Richter, Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra, Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Ernst Haefliger, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Archiv Produktion, 1978.
- J. S. Bach: The cantatas, Episode 29 - BWV 115-117, 119 Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Tölz Boys Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien, soloist of the Tölz Boys' Choir, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher. Teldec, 1979.
- The Bach Cantata Vol 57 Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz -Michael Harder, Wolfgang Schöne. Hänssler, 1980.
- JS Bach: Cantatas with Violoncello Piccolo. Christophe Coin, The Leipzig Concerto Vocale, Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, Barbara Schlick, Andreas Scholl, Christoph Prégardien, Gotthold Schwarz. Auvidis Astrée, 1993.
- JS Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol 11 Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Lisa Larsson, Annette Markert, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens. Antoine Marchand, 1999.
- Bach Edition Vol 11 - Cantatas Vol 5 Pieter Jan Leusink, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Marjon Strijk, Sytse Buwalda, Nico van der Meel, Bas Ramselaar. Brilliant Classics, 1999.
- Bach Cantatas Vol 12: Tooting / Winchester / For the 22nd Sunday after Trinity. John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Joanne Lunn, Robin Tyson, James Gilchrist, Peter Harvey. Soli Deo Gloria, 2000.
- JS Bach: Cantatas Vol 27 - Cantatas from Leipzig 1724 - BWV 5, 80, 115 Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Susanne Rydén, Pascal Bertin, Gerd Türk, Peter Kooij. BIS, 2003.