Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61

Now come, der Heiden Heiland ( BWV 61) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was composed in Weimar in 1714 for the first Advent, December 2, 1714.

History and words

Bach wrote the cantata in his appointment as concertmaster at the court of Johann Ernst of Saxe -Weimar for the first Advent and performed it on December 2, 1714 in the castle church for the first time on. The prescribed readings were Romans 13:11-14 and Mt LUT LUT 21.1 to 9, the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The librettist Erdmann Neumeister handles the first verse of Martin Luther's Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, the main song of the first Advent, for the opening chorus and used as the final chorale the swan song of the last stanza of Philipp Nicolai How beautiful the morning star shines. The third set contains the request for a " happy new year ", as with the first Sunday of Advent, the new church year begins. In Theorem 4 Neumeister quotes from Rev 3:20 LUT " Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me. " The poet combines the motives of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and his second coming ( from Revelation ) with the personal appeal for a place in the heart of the believer.

Bach led the cantata in his first year in Leipzig on November 28th, 1723 again.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is like other cantatas from Weimar small staffed with three soloists, soprano, tenor and bass, four-part choir, two violins, two violas and basso continuo.

Music

The first Advent begins the church year. Bach wrote the opening chorus on this occasion as a chorale fantasy in the form of a French overture, which slow the flow - fast ( fugal ) - slowly follows. The French king used to Ouverture to enter an idea; Bach paid homage to another king. Two lines of the chorale melody are processed in the first slow section, the third row is designed as a moving fugal, the last line again slowly. The melody of line 1 first appears in the continuo and is then sung by all the voices in succession to the solemn dotted rhythm in the orchestra. Line 2 is in four parts embedded in the orchestral setting, while the instruments in the fast section play colla parte, line 4 is similar to line 2

The recitative secco begins is, however, continued as arioso, with imitation of tenor and continuo. The tenor aria is accompanied by all the violins and violas in unison. Sentence 4, the Bible quote is entrusted to the bass as the Vox Christi, the waiting is expressed by pizzicato in the strings. The answer is a personal prayer of the soprano, which is accompanied by continuo, with a central part adagio designated. In the final chorale the violins play a jubilant fifth vote to four-part choral setting.

Recordings

  • J. S. Bach Collector's Series. Helmut Kahlhofer, Kantorei Barmen- Gemarke & German Bach Soloists, Ingeborg Reichelt, Theo Altmeyer, Eduard Wollitz. Bach Recordings, BACH 1117 (LP ), 1966.
  • Bach Cantatas Vol 1 - Advent and Christmas. Karl Richter, Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra, Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Archiv Produktion, 1971.
  • Bach Made in Germany Vol 4 - Cantatas VIII Hans -Joachim Rotzsch, St. Thomas Choir, New Bachisches Collegium Musicum, Arleen Augér, Peter Schreier, Siegfried Lorenz. Eterna, 1981.
  • J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol 2 Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Barbara Schlick, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens. Antoine Marchand, 1995.
  • Bach Cantatas Vol 13: Köln / Lüneburg. John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Joanne Lunn Jan Kobow, Dietrich Henschel. Soli Deo Gloria, 2000.
  • J. S. Bach: Cantatas. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien, Christine Schäfer, Bernarda Fink, Werner Güra, Christian Gerhaher. German Harmonia Mundi, 2006.
  • Bach: Cantates pour la Nativity, Intégrale of Cantates sacrées Vol 4 Head of the organ from: Eric Milnes, Montreal Baroque, Monika Mauch, Matthew White, Charles Daniels, Harry van der Kamp. ATMA Classique, 2007.
  • J. S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol 9 Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande, Gerlinde sower, Petra Noskaiová, Christoph Genz, Jan van der crabbing. Accent, 2008.
  • " Now come der Heiden Heiland ". Cantata BWV 61 Rudolf Lutz, choir and orchestra of the JS Bach Foundation, Maria Cristina Kiehr, Gerd Türk, Manuel Walser. Velvet introductory workshop and reflection Noldi Alder. Gallus Media, St. Gallen, 2012.
Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Bass (voice type) Karl Richter (conductor) Hans-Joachim Rotzsch Werner Neumann Integrated Authority File 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)
156768
de