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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

Cantata IX.: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her. Sixth Sunday after Trinity (? 1731) - Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 2 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motetts [1917]

Edition used:

Bach’s Chorals. Part I: 2 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motetts, by Charles Sanford Terry (Cambridge University Press, 1915-1921). 3 vols. Vol. 2.

Part of: Bach’s Chorals, 3 vols.

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Cantata IX.

Es ist das Heil uns kommen her. Sixth Sunday after Trinity (? 1731)

lf1393-02_figure_078

Melody: “Es ist das Heil uns kommen her”

Anon. 1524

A Choral Cantata1 , on Paul Speratus’ Hymn, “Es ist das Heil uns kommen her,” founded on Romans iii. 28. It was published in the Etlich Christlich lider Lobgesang, und Psalm (Wittenberg, 1524) and repeated in the Erfurt Enchiridion of the same year.

Speratus (Hoffer or Offer) was born in Suabia in 1484. He was among the earliest and most able supporters of Luther and visited Wittenberg in 1523 to help him in the preparation of the first Lutheran Hymn book, the “Achtliederbuch” (supra), to which he contributed three hymns. He drafted the Prussian Book of Church Order (1526), became Bishop of Pomerania in 1529, and died in 1551.

The melody of Speratus’ Hymn, which Bach uses in the opening and closing movements of the Cantata, was published, along with the Hymn, in the “Achtliederbuch” of 1524. The tune originally was sung to the Easter Hymn, “Freu’ dich du werthe Christenheit,” which was in use in 1478.

Bach uses the melody in Cantatas 86, 117, 155, 186, and in the “Drei Chorale zu Trauungen” (Choralgesange, No. 89). Organ Works, N. xv. 109. There is traditional usage (1535 and 1586) for Bach’s version of lines 5 and 6, and also for the C sharp in line 2.

(a)

The words of the first movement are the first stanza of Speratus’ Hymn:

  • Es ist das Heil uns kommen her
  • Von Gnad’ und lauter Gute;
  • Die Werk’ die helfen nimmermehr,
  • Sie mögen nicht behuten;
  • Der Glaub’ sieht Jesum Christum an;
  • Der hat g’nug fur uns all’ gethan,
  • Er ist der Mittler worden.

  • B.G. i. 245.

English translations of the Hymn are noted in the Dictionary of Hymnology, p. 1074.

Form. Choral Fantasia (Flauto, Oboe d’amore, Strings, Continuo).

(b)

The words of the concluding Choral are the twelfth stanza of Speratus’ Hymn:

  • Ob sich’s anliess, als wollt’ er nicht,
  • Lass dich es nicht erschrecken;
  • Denn wo er ist am besten mit,
  • Da will er’s nicht entdecken.
  • Sein Wort lass dir1 gewisser sein,
  • Und ob dein Herz2 sprach lauter Nein,
  • So lass doch dir nicht grauen.

  • B.G. i. 274.

Form. Simple (Flauto, Oboe d’amore, Strings, Continuo). Choralgesange, No. 87.

[1 ] See p. 32 supra.

[1 ] 1524 das las dir.

[2 ] 1524 fleisch.