BWV 125
Bach’s cantata BWV 125 was written for the Feast of the Purification, a feast also referred to as ‘Presentation’ or ‘Visitation’ and first performed on February 2 of 1725. Bach wrote three other cantatas specifically for this day in the liturgical year, BWV 83, BWV 82 and BWV 200.
During Bach’s second cantata cycle in Leipzig, which occurred from June 11, 1724, until the Lenten season of 1725, each of Bach’s cantatas were based on a chorale, which is the German word for hymn, and he used the chorale melody as a cantus firmus in the cantata’s he composed.
The Feast on February 2nd celebrates Jesus’ presentation at the Temple and the words of the biblical character Simeon, who responds upon seeing Jesus with a song. In Latin, this ‘Song of Simeon’ is known as the Nunc dimittis, and it is this Latin text that Martin Luther used as inspiration for his own chorale in the vernacular language, “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin”. This chorale text has three verses, the first serves as the text for movement one in the cantata and the last verse for movement six, the chorale. Bach’s anonymous librettist incorporates the second verse of Luther’s chorale in the third movement, using the Middle Ages principal known as ‘trope’ – the insertion of a new text within a prescribed text.
Of the four cantatas Bach wrote for the Feast of the Purification, only our cantata today includes a chorus, two of the others include a chorale at the end, but not a chorus. This opening chorus is somewhat reminiscent of the composers setting of The St. Matthew Passion. Lilting meter, notes in groups of 3, in this case with a 12/8 meter. These lilting notes have an upward trajectory, painting a picture on the chorale text “In Peace and Joy I go to that place” and later, “Meek and quiet” and “Death has become my sleep”. This upward motion reminding of us the heaven that God as promised.
Rising flute and violin melodies
The instrumental ritornello of this movement is one of Bach′s most rich compositions. Flute and oboe imitate and overlap each other above the continuo line and contrasting upper string parts which Schweitzer (vol 2, p 361) interprets as ‘the weary, uncertain steps of the pilgrim of heaven’.
The instrumental ritornello of this movement is one of Bach′s most rich compositions. Flute and oboe imitate and overlap each other above the continuo line and contrasting upper string parts which Schweitzer (vol 2, p 361) interprets as ‘the weary, uncertain steps of the pilgrim of heaven’.
Of the six chorale entries, the first three are treated similarly. The lower voices enter imitatively always in the order tenor, alto, bass with either the opening motive or other material taken from the ritornello. On the fourth phrase with the words ‘meek and quiet’, the order of entries is altered (A, T, B) and all voices fade away, simply harmonized in the remote key of G minor. One bar later (bar 52) the orchestra comes to a stop for a moment of reflection. The writing for phrase five is loud and assertive, which reflects the text of God’s ‘promise’. But it is the final entry, for the setting of the line, ‘death has become my sleep’, that counterpoint is now abandoned in the choir, and the harmonic language is changed, moving to the expressive Neapolitan chord that heightens the drama towards the conclusion of this movement. This movement is a par excellence example of Bach’s vocal writing, reminiscent of his opening choruses in his St. John and St. Matthew Passion settings.
In movement two, and alto aria is accompanied by the duet of transverse flute and oboe d’amore in a concertante style using dotted rhythms.
Flute and oboe
Bach’s text painting comes out on the word ‘Heiland’, meaning ‘Savior’, as every time the alto sings this word on a dotted rhythm (Dotted eighth & sixteenth), which historically is used to describe royalty. In this case, Jesus as King.
This third movement is accompanied throughout by a modified joy motif played by the strings showing that since Jesus is now in the world, death no longer needs to be looked upon as a source of terror and dread.
The fourth movement is a quintet for violin 1, violin 2, tenor soloist, bass soloist and continuo instruments using unifying themes. The opening 6 bars contain all the motives used for the whole movement.
The main section contains four vocal passages for the soloists in the form a ab a ab, which is an expansion and imitation of the instrumental writing from bar 1 (above).
A plain recitative for the alto makes up movement five (listen for the unexpected chord on the line ‘Ein Stuhl der Gnaden’ – ‘A seat of Grace’) which leads into Bach’s harmonization of Luther’s chorale for movement six.
~David Long
