Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54

Resist but the sin ( BWV 54) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote the solo cantata for alto in Weimar, probably for the 7th Sunday after Trinity on July 15, 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. Alfred Dürr believed that he composed for the 7th Sunday after Trinity and in the Castle Church aufführte first time on 15 July 1714. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were as Epistle Romans 5.19 to 23 LUT, " The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life "and the Gospel Mk 8:1-9 LUT, the feeding of the 4000. The cantata text written Georg Christian Clay for Sunday oculi, the third Sunday of Lent, and published it in 1711 in churches for God - Opffer. The theme is the warning against the lure of sin, it is thus the readings of both oculi and the 7th Sunday after Trinity close, but not the Gospels. The first line of the third verse quoted verbatim 1 John 3:8 LUT.

Some Bach researchers assume that the cantata for oculi was determined on 1 March 1714. It is the first of four solo cantatas for alto. The other three came in 1726, mind and soul is Confused, Hilarious Ruh, popular soul desire and God alone shall have my heart, it is based also on two texts of clay. In Bach's time, the cantatas were sung by a boy -Alt, today most of a woman's voice or a countertenor.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is chamber music filled with alto, two violins, two violas and basso continuo.

Music

The first aria, Resist but sin is a da capo aria, which begins with a startling dissonance and the key of E-flat leaves nothing to the cadence in bar 8. Dürr sees the call to resistance and compares it with the beginning of the recitative Behold, I stand at the door, come a call for vigilance in Bach's Advent Cantata Well, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, which was also composed in 1714.

The recitative The kind of wicked sins secco, accompanied by continuo. The words "This shows only an empty shadow and white washed grave " are illustrated in " pale " harmonies. Bach lifts the closing words out as arioso and illustrated in "She's as like a sharp sword, that drives us through body and soul ", the curved sword through fast runs in the continuo.

The last aria, Whosoever committeth sin is of the devil is also a da capo aria, but it also shows elements of a four -part fugue for the singing voice, the violins in unison, the violas in unison and the continuo.

Bach used the music of the first aria again in his St. Mark Passion.

Recordings

A remarkable recording is the only recording of a Bach cantata by Glenn Gould with the countertenor Russell Oberlin, 1962. Gould himself played a Harpsipiano, a wing which has been edited to sound like a harpsichord ( harpsichord ).

  • J. S. Bach: Cantatas No.. 53, no. 54, no. 170 Hermann Scherchen, Hilde Rossel - Maidan, Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera. Westminster, 1952.
  • Alfred Deller Edition 7th Gustav Leonhardt, Alfred Deller, Leonhardt Baroque Ensemble. Vanguard, 1954.
  • Bach Made in Germany Vol 2 - Cantatas III. Kurt Thomas, Marga Höffgen, Gewandhaus Orchestra. Eterna, 1959.
  • The Bach Cantata Vol 43 Helmuth Rilling, Julia Hamari, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Haenssler, 1975.
  • J.S.Bach Cantatas / Cantatas: No. 169, no. 54, no. 200, Jard van Nes, Leo van Doeselaar, Amsterdam Bach Soloists, Fidelio, 1988.
  • J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol 3 Ton Koopman, Andreas Scholl, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Antoine Marchand, 1995.
  • Baroque Arias. Masaaki Suzuki, Yoshikazu Mera, Bach Collegium Japan. In 1996.
  • J. S. Bach: Cantates pour alto ( BWV 170, 54, 35). Philippe Herreweghe, Andreas Scholl, Orchestra of the Collegium Vocale Gent. Harmonia Mundi, 1997.
  • Solo Cantatas. Güttler, Christoph Genz, Virtuosi Saxoniae. Dresden Classics, 1999.
  • Bach Cantatas Vol 21: Cambridge / Walpole St Peter / For Quinquagesima Sunday ( Estomihi ) / For Annunciation / Palm Sunday / Oculi. John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Nathalie Stutzmann. Soli Deo Gloria, 2000.
  • Resist but sin. Cantata BWV 54 Markus Forster ( Altus ), Orchestra of the JS Bach Foundation, Rudolf Lutz ( direction and organ ). With the introduction workshop and reflection by Thomas spokesman. 1 DVD. Gallus Media, St. Gallen, 2009.
Georg Christian Lehms Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis Gospel (liturgy) First Epistle of John St Mark Passion (Bach) Kurt Thomas (composer) Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra 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
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