Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! BWV 70

Awake! pray! pray! keep watch! ( BWV 70a and 70) is the title of two church cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed a cantata in six sets 1716 in Weimar for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, and expanded it in 1723 in Leipzig to a two-part Cantata for the 26th Sunday after Trinity.

History and words

Bach wrote the cantata in 1716 shortly before the end of his time as concertmaster at the court of Johann Ernst of Saxe -Weimar for the 2nd Advent and led them on December 6, 1716 in the castle church for the first time on. The prescribed readings were Romans 15.4 to 13 LUT and Luke 21.25-36 LUT, the return of Christ. The court poet Salomon Franck wrote the text and published it in 1717 in Evangelical Sundays and feast -day devotions. He wrote a chorus and four arias and ended with the fifth stanza of the hymn My Jesus I will not let Christian Keymann.

Since prevailed in Leipzig in Advent tempus clausum and no cantata music was allowed to be listed in worship, Bach dedicated the Cantata for the 26th Sunday after Trinity to a similar topic. The prescribed readings for this Sunday were 2 Pet 3.3-13 LUT and Mt 25:31-46 LUT, the Last Judgement. An unknown poet retained the existing records and expanded it to recitatives and a chorale at the end of the first part, the last verse of Rejoice greatly, o my soul by Christoph Demantius.

Bach led the extended cantata in his first year in Leipzig on November 21, 1723 the first time, and a second time on 18 November 1731.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is set in Leipzig for four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and bass, four -part chorus, trumpet, oboe, bassoon, two violins, viola and basso continuo. The block numbers of the early cantata are in parentheses.

Music

The music of the cantata is available only in the version of BWV 70. Bach designed the opening chorus in varied da capo form and built the choir in the concerto of instruments. A characteristic trumpet blows and wake-up calls figurative movement in the other voices out. The choir contrasts short calls, "Watch! " with long sustained chords " pray ".

All instruments accompany the first recitative that sequentially describes the fear of the sinner, the rest of the elect, the destruction of the universe and the fear of the court to the called subscriber.

The first part is completed by the last verse of Rejoice greatly, o my soul in a four-part set.

The recitative in block 9 begins with a Furioso, which describes the " outrageous final blow ," while the trumpet of the hymn It is most certainly cited at the time as a sort of this was understood irae in the Thirty Years' War. The recitative ends in a long melisma on the words " Well, then, I finish my course with joy ." The following bass aria immediately follows, without the usual ritornello, called molt ' adagio. After the intimate viewing of thought "Jesus guides me to silence, to the place where desire the fullness. " The final chorale is busy rich, three independent high string parts give the four -part choir special shine.

Recordings

Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Bass (voice type) Kurt Thomas (composer) Karl Richter (conductor) Peter Kooy BIS Records 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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