No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Bach's Cantata Libretti
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2020
Extract
We have the statement of Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, confirmed by Forkel, Bach's earliest biographer, that his father composed five Cantatas for every Sunday and Festival of the ecclesiastical year. Concerted music was sung at Leipzig annually on forty-three Sundays and sixteen week-days. Bach therefore must have written at least 295 Cantatas. Of this number he composed at least thirty before 1723. Hence approximately 265 were written at Leipzig. But Bach's fertility does not appear to have outlived the year 1744. We have reason, therefore, to conclude that the 265 Leipzig Cantatas were written in the course of twenty-one years, that is, between 1723 and 1744. To complete that number Bach must have composed a new Cantata every month, a surprising but demonstrable conclusion.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Royal Musical Association, 1917
References
1 In Mizler's “Nekrolog.”Google Scholar
2 In his biography of Bach (1802).Google Scholar
3 See the present writer's “Bach's Chorals,” Part II., p. 1.Google Scholar
4 Ibid., p. 4. Four more Cantatas, of doubtful authenticity, are published by the Bachgesellschaft, Jahrgang XLI.Google Scholar
5 See the Table of Cantatas set out in chronological order.Google Scholar
1 Nos. 18, 24, 28, 59, 61, 142, 160.Google Scholar
2 Nos. 31, 70, 72, 80, 132, 147, 152, 155, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 168, 185, 186 (part).Google Scholar
3 Nos. 145, 148 (part), 156. 157, 159, 171, 174, 188. 190 (one version), “Ehre sei Gott” (incomplete).Google Scholar
4 Nos. 68, 74, 87, 103, 108, 128, 175, 176, 183.Google Scholar
5 Nos. 47, 141.Google Scholar
6 Nos. 50, 191, 196.Google Scholar
7 Nos. 4, 97, 100, 107, 112, 117, 118, 129, 137, 177, 192.Google Scholar
1 No. 15: “Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen.”Google Scholar
2 The intimate personal note of the opening words of the Recitativo—“Mein Jesus ware tot”—reveals him.Google Scholar
3 Spitta, i. 231.Google Scholar
4 Schweitzer i. 103.Google Scholar
5 No. 131: “Aus der Tiefe rufe ich, Herr, zu dir.”Google Scholar
6 No. 71: “Gott ist mein König.”Google Scholar
7 No. 196: “Derr Herr denket an uns.”Google Scholar
1 See Spitta, i. 359 ff.Google Scholar
2 Ibid., i. 374. On the other hand, Bach's art was visibly affected by Pietistic influences, as Schweitzer, i. 169, shows.Google Scholar
3 He died in 1715 (Spitta, i. 361).Google Scholar
4 No. 189: “Meine Seele rühmt und preist.”Google Scholar
5 No. 150: “Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich.”Google Scholar
6 Vol. i. 456.Google Scholar
7 “J.-S. Bach,” p. 87.Google Scholar
1 The conclusion is based on letters printed by Spitta, i. 517Google Scholar
2 Nos. 18, 61, 142, 160, and 59. See Table.Google Scholar
3 He was born May 12, 1671 (Spitta, i. 470).Google Scholar
4 The volume is entitled “Erdmann Neumeisters Geistliche Cantaten statt einer Kirchen-Music. Die zweyte Auflage.”Google Scholar
5 Entitled “Herrn Erdmann Neumeisters Fünffache Kirchen-Andachten,” Leipzig, 1716.Google Scholar
6 Spitta, i. 474.Google Scholar
7 Vol, i., 466 ff.Google Scholar
1 See the Aria (Duetto) of Cantata No. 28.Google Scholar
2 See particularly the Litanei in Cantata No. 18.Google Scholar
3 Telemann was Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach's godfather (Spitta, i. 486).Google Scholar
4 Nos. 24, 28, 59, 61.Google Scholar
5 No. 18.Google Scholar
6 Nos. 142, 160.Google Scholar
7 See Spitta, i. 630.Google Scholar
8 His influence is also detected in Nos. 27, 56, 199.Google Scholar
9 Telemann also set the libretti of Bach's Nos. 18 and 142. See Spitta, i. 487.Google Scholar
10 Vol. i. 530.Google Scholar
1 Wustmann, “Joh. Seb. Bach's Kantaten-Texte” (1913), p. xxii.n. The cycle is entitled “Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer.”Google Scholar
2 Only Nos. 70, 147, and 186 are taken from it.Google Scholar
3 Entitled “Evangelische Sonn- und- Fest-Tages Andachten.”Google Scholar
4 Vol. ii. 131.Google Scholar
5 For instance, the Aria in Cantata No. 168, beginning:
“Kapital und Interessen
Meiner Schulden gross und klein,
Müssen einst verrechnet sein.”
6 Spitta, ii. 5; Schweitzer, i. 106.Google Scholar
7 Spitta, ii. 3.Google Scholar
8 The two Cantatas are Nos. 47 and 141.Google Scholar
1 Wustmann, p. xxiii.Google Scholar
2 Spitta ii. 12n.Google Scholar
3 The Choral is absent from No. 141. It should be “Ghriste, du Lamm Gottes.”Google Scholar
4 Schweitzer, ii. 147. The Cantata is No. 47, “Wer sich selbst erhöhet.”Google Scholar
5 Vol. ii. 13.Google Scholar
6 Vol. ii. 147.Google Scholar
7 No. 141: “Das ist je gewisslich wahr.”Google Scholar
8 Vol. ii. 15.Google Scholar
9 Vol. ii. 148.Google Scholar
10 “Johann Sebastian Bach,” p. 108.Google Scholar
11 Op. cit., Note 195.Google Scholar
12 Spitta, ii. 147.Google Scholar
13 Nos. 134 and 173.Google Scholar
1 No. 134: “Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss.”Google Scholar
2 No. 173: “Erhötes Fleisch und Blut.”Google Scholar
3 No. 75; “Die Elenden sollen essen,” sung on May 30, the day preceding Bach's formal induction.Google Scholar
4 For instance, Nos. 67 and 102.Google Scholar
5 Wustmann, by implication, only associates eight libretti (Cantatas Nos. 104, 166, 86, 37, 44, 75, 76, 179) with Weiss. All of them belong to the early years, 1723–27.Google Scholar
1 See Nos. 75 and 105.Google Scholar
2 See Nos. 25, 42, 77. As an extreme illustration, the first Recitativo of No. 25 begins with the words, “Die ganze Welt ist nur ein Hospital.”Google Scholar
3 Vol. ii. 388.Google Scholar
4 Cantata No. 65: “Sie werden aus Saba Alle kommen.”Google Scholar
5 Vol. i. 361.Google Scholar
6 Wustmann, p. xxiv.Google Scholar
7 Ibid.Google Scholar
1 See the Table.Google Scholar
2 They are Nos. 6, 17, 22, 43, 48, 57, 144, 148, 157, 159, 171, 190, 195, and the incomplete Cantata, “Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe.”Google Scholar
3 Nos. 194, 63, 16, 153, 154, 81, 83, 23, 184. See the Table.Google Scholar
4 No. 4: “Christ lag in Todesbanden.”Google Scholar
5 Vol. ii. 393.Google Scholar
6 See the Table: No. 112, “Derr Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt.”Google Scholar
7 Nos. 20, 8, 93.Google Scholar
8 No. 148: “Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens.”Google Scholar
1 No. 8: “Liebster Gott, wann werd' ich sterben.”Google Scholar
2 No. 181: “Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister.”Google Scholar
3 Vol. ii. 340 ff.Google Scholar
4 The volume is entitled “Sammlung Erbaulicher Gedancken, Bey und über gewöhnlichen Sonn- und Festtags-Evangelien,” Leipzig.Google Scholar
5 “Cantaten auf die Sonn- und Fest-Tage durch das gantze Jahr,” Leipzig, 1728. He reprinted them in 1732 in his “Satyrische Gedichte.”Google Scholar
6 But see Cantata No. 148 and Spitta, ii. 693. Also No. 19.Google Scholar
7 Cantatas Nos. 145, 156, 159, 171, 174, 188, 190 (one version), and the Cantata “Ehre sei Gott.”Google Scholar
8 No. 157.Google Scholar
9 Nos. 19, 30, 36, 84, 148, 197.Google Scholar
10 Vol. ii. 346.Google Scholar
1 Nos. 32, 48, 57, 90, 144, 181.Google Scholar
2 Nos. 16, 22, 23, 27, 35, 51, 56, 58, 63, 66, 81, 82, 83, 153, 154, 194, 195. No. 184 is an adaptation. See also Nos. 19, 36, 84, 144, 145, 148, for Bach's collaboration with Picander.Google Scholar
3 Besides No. 80, a Choral Canata.Google Scholar
4 Schweitzer, ii. 332 ff.Google Scholar
1 Entitled “Versuch in gebundener Schreibart.”Google Scholar
2 Vol. iii. 71.Google Scholar
3 Vol. ii. 331n.Google Scholar
4 No. 85: “Ich bin ein guter Hirt.”Google Scholar
5 Note 60.Google Scholar
6 Vol. ii. 331n.Google Scholar
7 No. 33: “Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen.”Google Scholar
8 See Table.Google Scholar
9 No. 74.Google Scholar
1 Op. cit., p. 377.Google Scholar
2 See Table.Google Scholar
3 Nos. 100 and 107, both of them c. 1735.Google Scholar
4 No. 8, for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.Google Scholar
5 No. 93, for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity (1728)Google Scholar
6 Nos. 9 (? 1731), 99 (c. 1733).Google Scholar
1 No. 122.Google Scholar
2 No. 80.Google Scholar
3 Nos. 1. 2, 5, 8, 20, 26, 62, 78, 91, 92, 93, 96, 115, 121, 124, 127, 138, 140.Google Scholar
4 Nos. 7, 9, 10, 14, 33, 41, 94, 99, 101, 111, 113, 114, 116, 125, 126, 130, 139, 178, 180.Google Scholar
5 Nos. 4, 97, 100, 107, 112, 117, 129, 137, 177, 192.Google Scholar
6 Nos. 3, 38, 123, 133, 135.Google Scholar
7 P. xxiv.Google Scholar
8 Nos. 3, 123, 133, 135.Google Scholar
1 See supra.Google Scholar
2 Nos. 17, 34, 43, 151, 197, and “Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge.”Google Scholar
3 Nos. 30, 32, 48, 57, 90.Google Scholar
4 Nos. 45, 79, 110, 143.Google Scholar
5 No. 28.Google Scholar
6 No. 50.Google Scholar
7 No. 118.Google Scholar
8 Nos. 6, 11, 13, 146, 193.Google Scholar
9 See “Bach's Chorals,” Part II., Introduction.Google Scholar