Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79

God the Lord is sun and shield ( BWV 79 ) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for Reformation Day and first performed it on for the first time on October 31, 1725.

History and words

Bach composed the cantata in his third year in office in Leipzig. The prescribed readings for the feast day were 2 Thess 2.3 to 8 LUT exhortation to steadfastness against the adversary, and Rev 14.6 to 8 LUT, " Fear God and give him glory ."

An unknown librettist did not respond to the readings, but treated the festive occasion, beginning with a verse of the Psalm, Psalm 84.11 LUT. As a set of three he moved into the first verse of Martin Rinck Arts song " Now thank we all our God ", and as a final chorale the last verse of Ludwig helmet Bolds "God Now let us to the Lord ."

Bach led the cantata on 31 October 1725 for the first time. For another performance, probably in 1730, he changed the instrumentation, by doubling the oboes and flutes by the flute began as Obligat instrument in the alto aria. He used the music of the opening chorus and the duet in his Missa in G, BWV 236 and the alto aria in the Missa in A, BWV 234

Scoring and structure

The cantata is staffed with three soloists, soprano, alto and bass, four-part choir, two horns, timpani, two Flauti traversi, two oboes, two violins, viola and basso continuo.

Music

John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the cantatas for the Reformation in Wittenberg Castle Church, where the Reformation began, describes the opening chorus as a solemn entry and hears the " insistent drumbeats " ( insistent drumbeat ) to the horn fanfare as the hammering of Luther's theses. The instrumental introduction presents two themes, a festive march -like theme for horns and timpani, and a more vivid counter-theme, which starts from an often repeated note. The following aria brings similar thoughts as the opening chorus, but in your personal quiet color. In sentence 3, the first chant, Bach reused the first theme of the first movement, at the same time with the chorale melody. Helmuth Rilling noticed the thematic unity, praise and thanksgiving, the first three sentences. Gardiner suggested that after this chant the sermon was preached.

The only recitative is sung by bass and mentioned the occasion for praise and thanksgiving: "You have shown us by your word ", in a reference to a central concern of the Reformation, as Rilling highlights. Gardiner hears in the " innocent " duet a taste of Papageno and Papagena, enhanced by a hint A Little Night Music in the principal theme in the violins. The cantata ends with a simple four-part chorale setting, asking for truth and freedom.

Selected recordings

  • The RIAS Bach Cantatas Project (1949-1952), Karl Ristenpart, RIAS Chamber Choir, RIAS Chamber Orchestra, Agnes Giebel, Lorri Lail, Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau, audite 1950
  • J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 39 & BWV 79 ', Fritz Lehmann, Berlin Motet Choir, Berlin Philharmonic, Gunthild Weber, Lore Fischer, Hermann Schey, Archiv Produktion 1952
  • J. S. Bach: Cantata ' God, the Lord, is Sun ' and sign ', Karl Richter, Munich Bach Choir, members of the Bavarian State Opera, Antonia Fahberg, Beatrice Krebs, Kieth Engen, Decca 1955
  • J. S. Bach: Cantata No.. 140, Cantata No.. 57, Karl Ristenpart, Chorus of the Conservatory of Sarrebruck, Chamber Orchestra of the Saar, Ingeborg Reichelt, Annelotte Sieber- Ludwig, Jakob Stämpfli Accord 1958
  • Les Grandes Cantates de J. S. Bach Vol 19, Fritz Werner, Heinrich-Schütz -Chor Heilbronn, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra, Edith Selig, Claudia Hellmann, Jacob Stämpfli, Erato 1964
  • J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 80 & BWV 79, Wolfgang Gönnenwein, South German Madrigal Choir, Consortium Musicum, Elly Ameling, Janet Baker, Hans Sotin, EMI 1967
  • J. S. Bach: The Kantatenwerk · Complete Cantatas · Les Cantates, sequence / Vol 20 - BWV 76-79, Gustav Leonhardt, Hannover Boys Choir, Collegium Vocale Gent, Leonhardt - Consort, soloist of the Hannover Boys Choir, Paul Esswood, Max van Egmond, Telefunken 1980
  • Bach Made in Germany Vol 4 - Cantatas X, Hans -Joachim Rotzsch, St. Thomas Boys Choir, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Arleen Augér, Ortrun Wenkel, Theo Adam, Eterna 1982
  • Lecture Concerts - New Recordings Cantatas, Helmuth Rilling, Frankfurter Kantorei, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Sibylla Rubens, Ingeborg Danz, Markus Marquardt, Haenssler 1997
  • Bach Edition Vol 15 - Cantatas Vol 8, Pieter Jan Leusink, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Ruth Holton, Sytse Buwalda, Bas Ramselaar, Brilliant Classics 2000
  • For the 19th Sunday after Trinity; For for the Feast of the Reformation, John Eliot Gardiner, Joanne Lunn, William Towers, Peter Harvey, Soli Deo Gloria 2000
  • J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol 16, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Sandrine Piau, Bogna Bartosz, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 2001
  • J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol 40 - BWV 79, 137, 164, 168, Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Yukari Nonoshita, Robin Blaze, Makoto Sakurada, Peter Kooy, TO 2007
  • J. S. Bach: Where the Lord God does not hold us, Georg Christoph Biller, Thomas Choir, the Gewandhaus Orchestra, soloists from the St. Thomas Boys Choir, Gotthold Schwarz, Rondeau Production 2008
Martin Rinkart The Ninety-Five Theses Protestant Reformation Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Second Epistle to the Thessalonians Psalms Obbligato Bass (voice type) All Saints' Church, Wittenberg Ritornello RIAS Kammerchor Karl Richter (conductor) Decca Records Knabenchor Hannover Leonhardt-Consort Hans-Joachim Rotzsch Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra Peter Harvey (baritone) BIS Records 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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