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Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow No. 53.: This proud heart within us swelling ( Zwar ist solche Herzensstube ) - Bach's Chorals, vol. 1 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Passions and Oratorios

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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

No. 53.: This proud heart within us swelling ( Zwar ist solche Herzensstube ) - Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 1 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the “Passions” and Oratorios [1915]

Edition used:

Bach’s Chorals. Part I: The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the “Passions” and Oratorios, by Charles Sanford Terry (Cambridge University Press, 1915-1921). 3 vols. Vol. 1.

Part of: Bach’s Chorals, 3 vols.

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No. 53.

This proud heart within us swelling (Zwar ist solche Herzensstube)

lf1393-01_figure_024

Melody:Gott des Himmels und der Erden

Heinrich Albert 1642

The melody, “Gott des Himmels und der Erden,” was composed by Heinrich Albert, or Alberti, for the Hymn, of whose words also he was the author. He was born at Lobenstein in 1604, and in 1631 became organist of Konigsberg Cathedral. He died at Konigsberg in 1651. He published in eight Parts his Arien oder Melodeyen Etlicher theils Geistlicher theils Weltlicher (Konigsberg, 1638-50). The Hymn “Gott des Himmels” was first published in Part v. of that collection in 1642. For all but the last two bars (which are closer to the Darmstadt Cantional of 1687) Bach gives the tune (with modifications necessitated by the rhythm of the words) as it appears in Daniel Vetter’s Leipzig Hymn-Book (1713).

Bach has not used the melody elsewhere.

The words of the Choral are the ninth stanza of Johann Franck’s Morning Hymn, “Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lufte.” Franck was born at Guben in 1618, educated at Konigsberg, became a lawyer, Burgomaster of Guben, and its representative in the Landtag of Lower Lusatia. He died in 1677. His hymns, 110 in number, were collected in his Geistliches Sion (Guben, 1674):

  • Zwai ist solche Herzensstube
  • Wohl kein schoner Furstensaal,
  • Sondern eine finstre Grube;
  • Doch, sobald dein Gnadenstrahl
  • In dieselbe nur wird blinken,
  • Wird sie voller Sonnen dunken.
  • B.G. v. (2) 208.

Form. Simple (2 Ob. d’amore, Strings, Organ, and Continuo).