Sunday Bach - 16th Sunday After Trinity

All four of the cantatas Bach composed for this particular Sunday in the liturgical calendar focus on death as a welcome release from the burdens of this life on earth, a common belief in Bach's time. Of the four cantatas written for this Sunday, BWV 8, Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben? (Dearest God, when shall I die?, Leipzig, 1724) has always been a favorite of mine. Despite the subject matter of the text of the cantata, the music itself is warm, friendly, and leisurely. Musicologist Philipp Spitta described it as having the sound of a “church-yard full of flowers in the springtime.” The flute figure in the opening chorus is always described as the sound of bells, but to me it sounds like birdsong, adding to that feeling of a church-yard in Spring, hence my choice of the photo of a Song Sparrow in full voice above. Here's what musicologist Simon Crouch has to say about this cantata:

A word from Philipp Spitta about the opening movement of this chorale cantata: "..the sound of tolling bells, the fragrance of blossoms pervades it - the sentiment of a churchyard in springtime". The continuo tolls the bell low in the harmony, the upper strings repeat a pizzicato bell-like figure and the flute alternates between arpeggios and repeated staccato high notes. All the while the oboes d'amore intertwine their sinuously attractive melody with the choir's chorale. This is a very lovely movement!

The theme is a common one in the cantatas: When shall we take leave of the sufferings of mortal life and achieve eternal life in Heaven? The bells continue tolling in the tenor aria and the (solo) oboe d'amore has another beautiful line. After a recitative, Heaven is achieved in the tour-de-force that is the bass aria. It is really difficult to avoid the feeling that here we have a movement, a gigue, from a lost flute concerto. It is a wonderful, optimistic, virtuoso piece and if you have any love for the flute as a solo instrument, do try to hear this. The cantata closes, after a recitative, with a lovely chorale setting with orchestral accompaniment. Especially effective is the low bass note that precedes the voices. The chorale melody itself, by Daniel Vetter, is especially attractive.

Copyright © 1996 & 1998, Simon Crouch.

The performance chosen for today is from a 1998 recording by the Collegium Vocale Gent under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe. Enjoy!

       

Photo © 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger