Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64

Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us ( BWV 64) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig in 1723 for the 3rd Christmas Day, which is also the feast day of St. John the Evangelist, and performed it on the first time on December 27, 1723.

History and words

Bach wrote the cantata in his first year in Leipzig for the 3rd Christmas Day, which was celebrated as the feast of St. John the Evangelist. The prescribed readings were Hebrews 1:1-14 John 1:1-14 LUT and LUT, the prologue of John's Gospel. The unknown librettist applies only in a general way on the readings and emphasizes the aspect that the believer who so loved by God knows how it shows Christmas to worry no longer needs the "world" needs. Three hymns are included in the text, it is only one a Christmas song, the seventh stanza of Luther Blessed are You, Jesus Christ. Three Chorales in a cantata in Bach are rare, but they also come in the cantata Darzu the Son of God before, which was performed the day before as the first cantata that Bach wrote it in Leipzig for Christmas. Maybe both texts are from the same author. The opening chorus is based on 1 John 3.1 LUT. Sentence 4 is the first verse of Balthasar Kindermann's What I ask of the world, the final chorale is Good night, o being the fifth stanza of Johann Franck's Jesu, meine Freude.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is staffed with three soloists, soprano, alto and bass, a brass choir of zinc and three trombones, which amplifies the voices in the opening chorus and the chorales, oboe d' amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo.

Music

The opening chorus is held in archaic motet style, reinforced by the tone of the brass choir. The alto recitative is accompanied by lively movement in the continuo. In the soprano aria, a gavotte, a virtuoso solo violin possibly illustrates the "world". In the alto aria the oboe d' amore accompanied lyrical melody. The final chorale is simply set in four parts.

Recordings

Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ First Epistle of John Bass (voice type) Karl Richter (conductor) Anna Reynolds (singer) Peter Kooy BIS Records Peter Harvey (baritone) Werner Neumann 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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