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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

THE CANTATAS OF DOUBTFUL AUTHENTICITY 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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THE CANTATAS OF DOUBTFUL AUTHENTICITY1

II.

Gott der Hoffnung erfulle euch2 . Whit Sunday

lf1393-02_figure_206

Melody: “Komm, Gott Schopfer, heiliger Geist”

Anon. 1524

lf1393-02_figure_207

Melody: “Komm, Gott Schopfer, heiliger Geist”

Anon. 1535

The words and melody of the concluding Choral are from Luther’s Hymn, “Komm, Gott Schopfer,” a translation of the “Veni Creator Spiritus,” first published, with the melody, in the Erfurt Enchiridion Oder eyn Handbuchlein (Erfurt, 1524) and in Klug’s Geistliche Lieder (Wittenberg, 1535 [1529]). The melody is that of the Latin Hymn.

The melody does not occur elsewhere in the Cantatas, Oratorios, or Motetts. There is another harmonisation of it in the Choralgesange, No. 218. Organ Works, N. xv. 97; xvii. 82.

The words of the Choral are the first stanza of Luther’s Hymn:

  • Komm, Gott Schöpfer, heiliger Geist,
  • Besuch’ das Herz der Menschen dein,
  • Mit Gnaden sie full’, wie du weisst,
  • Das dein’ Geschopf’ vorhin sein.

  • B.G. xli. 238.

Translations of the Hymn into English are noted in the Dictionary of Hymnology, p. 1209.

Form. Embellished (2 Corni, Strings, Continuo). Choralgesange, No. 219.

III.

Siehe, es hat überwunden der Lowe. Feast of St Michael the Archangel

For the melody of the concluding Choral, the anonymous “Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält,” see Cantata 73.

The words of the Choral are the ninth and tenth stanzas of Justus Gesenius’ (?) Hymn “für den Schutz der Heil. Engel,” “O Gott, der du aus Herzensgrund,” first published, to the melody “Wo Gott der Herr” (supra), in the New Ordentlich Gesang-Buch (Hanover, 1646).

Gesenius was born at Esbeck, in Hanover, in 1601. In 1636 he became Court preacher and chaplain at the Cathedral in Hildesheim and in 1642 was appointed chief Court preacher and General Superintendent of Hanover. With David Denicke he edited the Hanoverian Hymn books of 1646-59. He died in 1673:

    • Lass’ deine Kirch’ und unser Land
    • Der Engel Schutz empfinden,
    • Dass Fried’ und Freud’1 in allem Stand
    • Ein Jeder2 moge finden;
    • Lass sie des Teufels Mord und List,
    • Und was sein Reich und Anhang ist,
    • Durch deine Kraft zerstoren.
    • Zuletzt lass sie an unserm End’
    • Den Satan3 von uns jagen,
    • Und unsre Seel’ in deine Hand’
    • Und Abrahams Schooss tragen,
    • Da alles Heer dein Lob erklingt
    • Und Heilig! Heilig! Heilig! singt
    • Ohn’ einiges Aufhoren.

    • B.G. xli. 258.

Form. Embellished (2 Trombe). Choralgesange, No. 387.

IV.

Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde1

The words and melody of the opening Choral are Ludwig Helmbold’s Hymn, “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen” (see Cantatas 11 and 73).

The words are the fifth stanza of the Hymn:

  • Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde,
  • Welch’s er uns beides schenkt.
  • Das ist ein’ sel’ge Stunde,
  • Darin man sein gedenkt;
  • Sonst verdirbt alle Zeit,
  • Die wir zubring’n auf Erden:
  • Wir sollen2 selig werden
  • Und bleib’n in Ewigkeit.

  • B.G. xli. 259.

Form. Simple3 . Choralgesange, No. 327.

[1 ] B.G. xli contains four Cantatas of doubtful authenticity. The first of them, “Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet,” Spitta, ii. 695, does not regard as being by Bach. It appears to have been written for a Public Fast and contains no Chorals.

[2 ] Spitta, ii. 683, holds that the Cantata is not by Bach.

[1 ] 1646 Heyl.

[2 ] 1646 Sich bey uns.

[3 ] 1646 Bösswicht.

[1 ] The occasion for which the Cantata was composed is not stated in the Score.

[2 ] 1569 Sollen wir.

[3 ] The orchestration is not stated in the Score.