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 Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow Cantata XLII.: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbaths. First Sunday after Easter (Quasimodo geniti) ( c. 1731 1 ) - 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 XLII.: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbaths. First Sunday after Easter (“Quasimodo geniti”) ( c. 1731 1 ) - 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 XLII.

Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbaths. First Sunday after Easter (“Quasimodo geniti”) (c. 17311 )

(a)

The words of the fourth movement are the first stanza of Johann Michael Altenburg’s “Verzage nicht, du Häuflein klein,” first published (to no specified tune) as a broadsheet c. 1632 (Leipzig), and later in Andächtige Hertz- und Seelen-Musica (Nordhausen, c. 1635). The Hymn is also attributed, on doubtful evidence, to Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.

Altenburg was born at Alach, near Erfurt, in 1584. In 1608 he was appointed pastor of Ilversgehofen, near Erfurt, and later to other charges near the city. Forced by the war to seek refuge in Erfurt in 1631, he composed the Hymn “Verzage nicht” there. The rest of his life was passed in Erfurt, where he died in 1640. He was a good musician and in early life was Cantor of St Andrew’s Church, Erfurt. A number of hymn melodies by him are known:

  • Verzage nicht, O2 Hauflein klein,
  • Obgleich3 die Feinde willens sein,
  • Dich gänzlich zu verstoren,
  • Und suchen deinen Untergang,
  • Davon dir wird rechst4 angst und bang
  • Es wird nicht lange5 wahren.

  • B.G. x. 82.

Translations of the Hymn into English are noted in the Dictionary of Hymnology, pp. 55, 1721.

Form. A Soprano and Tenor Duetto (Fagotto, Violoncello, Organ, Continuo). Though marked “Choral,” Bach does not use the Hymn melody.

lf1393-02_figure_117

Melody: “Verleih’ uns Frieden gnadiglich”

Anon. 1535

lf1393-02_figure_118

Melody: “Gieb unsern Fursten”

Anon. 1566

(b)

The melody of the last movement is that of Luther’s “Verleih’ uns Frieden gnadiglich,” published, with the Hymn, in Kirchē gesenge, mit vil schönen Psalmen unnd Melodey (Nürnberg, 1531), and in Joseph Klug’s Geistliche Lieder (Wittenberg, 1535 [1529]). The musical texts are nearly identical, Bach’s version conforming rather to the latter. The tune bears relationship to that of Luther’s “Erhalt’ uns, Herr” (see Cantata 6): both derive from the melody of the Antiphon, “Da pacem, Domine.” The melody occurs also in Cantata 126. There is late sixteenth century authority for the F. sharp at the fourth note (supra), which Bach adopts. But his variation of the second line is not indicated by Zahn as occurring earlier.

The melody of the additional stanza, “Gieb unsern Fürsten,” was first published, with the Hymn, in Das christlich Kinderlied D. Martini Lutheri (Wittenberg, 1566). The melody occurs also in Cantata 126. The “Amen” which Bach uses is found in association with the melody in 1573.

The words of the concluding Choral are the first stanza of Luther’s “Verleih’ uns Frieden gnadiglich,” a translation of the Antiphon, “Da pacem, Domine.” It appeared first in prose in 1527 and in metrical form in Klug’s Geistliche Lieder (supra). The additional stanza, “Gieb unsern Fürsten,” founded on 1 Timothy ii. 1, 2, was attached to the Hymn in 1566 (supra):

    • Verleih’ uns Frieden gnadiglich,
    • Herr Gott, zu unsern Zeiten,
    • Es ist ja doch1 kein Andrer nicht,
    • Der fur uns könnte streiten,
    • Den du uns’r Gott alleine.
    • Gieb unsern Fürsten und der2 Obrigkeit
    • Fried’ und gut Regiment,
    • Dass wir unter ihnen
    • Ein geruhig3 und stilles Leben fuhren mogen
    • In aller Gottseligkeit und Ehrbarkeit, Amen!

    • B.G. x. 91.

Translations of the Hymn into English are noted in the Dictionary of Hymnology, p. 276.

Form. Simple (2 Ob., Fagotto, Strings, Organ, Continuo). Choralgesange, No. 322.

[1 ] See Wustmann, p. 281.

[2 ]c. 1632 du.

[3 ]c. 1632 Ob schon.

[4 ]c. 1632 gantz.

[5 ]c. 1632 lang mehr.

[1 ] 1535 denn.

[2 ] 1566 aller.

[3 ] 1566 geruhlich.