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 Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow Cantata X.: Meine Seel' erhebt den Herren 3 . Feast of the Visitation of the B. V. M. ( c. 1740) - Bach's Chorals, vol. 2 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motetts

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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

Cantata X.: Meine Seel’ erhebt den Herren 3 . Feast of the Visitation of the B. V. M. ( c. 1740) - 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 X.

Meine Seel’ erhebt den Herren3 . Feast of the Visitation of the B. V. M. (c. 1740)

A Choral Cantata, on the Magnificat.

The melody of the first and last movements of the Cantata is Tonus Peregrinus, immemorially associated with Psalm cxiv, “In exitu Israel.”

Bach introduces the melody into the Terzetto “Suscepit Israel,” in the Latin “Magnificat” (No. 10). Two harmonisations of the melody are in the Choralgesange, Nos. 120, 121. Organ Works, N. xvi. 8; xviii. 75.

(a)

The words of the first movement are the first three clauses of the Magnificat:

  • Meine Seel’ erhebt den Herren
  • Und mein Geist freuet sich Gottes, meines Heilandes.
  • Denn er hat seine elende Magd angesehen. Siehe, von nun an werden mich selig preisen alle Kindes Kind.

  • B.G. i. 277.

Form. Choral Fantasia (Tromba, 2 Ob., Strings, Continuo). The cantus is first with the Sopranos and then with the Altos.

(b)

The words of the concluding Choral are the doxology to the Magnificat:

  • Lob und Preis sei Gott dem Väter, und dem Sohn
  • und dem heiligen Geiste;
  • Wie es war im Anfang, jetzt und immerdar, und von
  • Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen.

  • B.G. i. 303.

Form. Simple (Tromba, 2 Ob., Strings, Continuo). Choralgesange, No. 122.

Bach uses the melody as an obbligato (2 Ob. and Tromba in unison) to the Alto-Tenor Duetto (fifth movement), “Er denket der Barmherzigkeit und hilft seinem Diener Israel auf” (B.G. i. 299)1 .

[3 ] An English version of the Cantata, “My soul doth magnify the Lord,” is published by Breitkopf & Haertel.

[1 ] The movement is No. 4 of the Schuble’ Chorals (N. xvi. 8).