The Bach Cantatas

[Sergeant Rock]

Cantata 21 is probably one of the most profound and beautiful ever written.   

Bach wrote the Cantata when he arrived home from a journey only to discover that his wife had died so suddenly that the messages calling him to her deathbed and funeral had no time to reach him.  He went into a despair, and wrote this Cantata which deals with the basic questions of faith in God in the face of senseless tragedy.   It is the most personal of all the Cantatas, and to me the most powerful.

It is also one of the first to make use of the dramatic devices of the Italian opera, and was heavily criticized for the way the words were put to the music.  Nowadays, the repetition of words and phrases for emphasis is not remarkable.  Back then it created a firestorm of criticism.

21 I don't own...definitely going on my wishlist now. Thanks, Bunny.

Sarge

[Marc]

Cantata 21 is probably one of the most profound and beautiful ever written.   

Bach wrote the Cantata when he arrived home from a journey only to discover that his wife had died so suddenly that the messages calling him to her deathbed and funeral had no time to reach him.  He went into a despair, and wrote this Cantata which deals with the basic questions of faith in God in the face of senseless tragedy. It is the most personal of all the Cantatas, and to me the most powerful.

It is also one of the first to make use of the dramatic devices of the Italian opera, and was heavily criticized for the way the words were put to the music.  Nowadays, the repetition of words and phrases for emphasis is not remarkable.  Back then it created a firestorm of criticism.

21 I don't own...definitely going on my wishlist now. Thanks, Bunny.

Sarge, it's a true masterpiece and surely an essential cantata, you're going to enjoy this one. If I were you, I'd choose Herreweghe's recording. It's combined with a fine performance of BWV 42 Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats.
If you want to hear different versions of BWV 21, you should check the cantata series of Koopman and/or Suzuki.

It is assumed that the first version of the cantata BWV 21 was composed in 1713, to support an application at the Liebfraukirche in Halle. Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara, was still very much alive then. Probably she and her husband were 'composing' C.P.E. together, at that time.

The first revision of BWV 21 was made in 1714. This manuscript of this version is marked by a personal note of Bach himself. Thanks to this we know that the cantata was performed at Weimar, on the 3rd Sunday after Trinity, 1714.
Maria Barbara was also still alive & kicking in 1714 . She gave birth to their 'composition' C.P.E., Bach's second son. She was to give birth to two other sons after him.

We do not have any proof that Bach wrote music to deal with personal circumstances. That's a romantic vision, influenced by many invented stories that went around during the 19th century, and is far away from the meaning of Bach's early 18th century music, IMHO. I've read tearjerking stories like this many many times. In fact, the same story is told about the organpiece Fantasia & Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, being also a very personal statement of grief after Bach was confronted with the death of his wife. Again: no proof.
(BTW: Bunny, no personal offense meant. I just guess you were misinformed.)

When Bach returned from a journey to Karlsbad in 1720, he heard that his wife had died and was already buried. That was six to seven years after he composed BWV 21.

After this tragic event, he tried to get a job in Hamburg. It might be the case that Bach performed a third version of BWV 21 in November 1720 in Hamburg. This assumption is not confirmed by any historical source, though. But some scholars think this, because Johann Mattheson (a composer and music theorist from Hamburg, who was very influential) wrote a critical review of the piece. Bunny already mentioned this criticism in his post.

This third version was also performed in Leipzig, 1723, as a part of Bach's first Kantatenjahrgang.

Only one revision of BWV 21 was to follow: Leipzig, 1731. Maybe it was in this last version that Bach added the trombone part for the beautiful chorus with choral "Sei nun wieder zufrieden, meine Seele".

[Anne]

mn dave and 71DB,

Thanks for your help.  Much obliged.

[Marc]

mn dave and 71DB,

Thanks for your help.  Much obliged.

And I would like to thank the moderator(s), for bringing the 'essential' Bach cantatas together with the (also essential) whatever-Bach cantatas.
This way it's much more conveniently arranged.

Before going to bed last night, I listened to BWV 21 (recording of Kuijken) and had a very good and peaceful night of sleep after that!
It had been some time since I last listened to it. What a great cantata it is indeed.

[marvinbrown]

 

  I don't want to die without having heard the best of Bach's compositions.  Recently every time I have bought a Bach cantata CD I was amazed at how much I am loving Bach's cantata output.

  An opportunity has presented itself now for me to buy the above set at a £100 flat that's 60 CDs for £100.  But before I go ahead and slurge I would like some feedback.  What do you guys (and gals) think of this set?

  marvin   

[hornteacher]

I don't want to die without having heard the best of Bach's compositions. 

Don't worry, I'm told they play Bach in Heaven. 

[springrite]

Don't worry, I'm told they play Bach in Heaven. 

Well, you have only answered half of the question... 

[Don]

Harnoncourt/Leonhardt is a great set and a must-buy for anyone who loves Bach's cantatas.

[Que]

Harnoncourt/Leonhardt is a great set and a must-buy for anyone who loves Bach's cantatas.

Seconded. For me still the greatest Bach cantata cycle to date.
Maybe a few rough edges, but loads and loads of character.

So, get it! Unless...there is no chance in the world that you could be able to listen to boy sopranos.

Q

[val]

marvinbrown


  I don't want to die without having heard the best of Bach's compositions.  Recently every time I have bought a Bach cantata CD I was amazed at how much I am loving Bach's cantata output.

  An opportunity has presented itself now for me to buy the above set at a £100 flat that's 60 CDs for £100.  But before I go ahead and slurge I would like some feedback.  What do you guys (and gals) think of this set?

Bach's Cantatas are one of the greatest moments in all music. Harnoncourt and Leonhardt gave, in general, the best version, with good soloists such as Equiluz and van Egmond. However,the soprano boys sometimes are not very convincing.
Start by listening the Cantata BWV 20 by Harnoncourt and you will understand my enthusiasm for this set.

[marvinbrown]

  Wonderfull!  This is really good feedback, just what I was looking for!  3 GMG Bach experts (Don, Que and Val) have responded positively    to the set.  Thanks guys I really appreciate this, I owe you guys one! I'll be picking this set up on my way back from work today.

  marvin

[marvinbrown]

   OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE  , WHAT HAVE I DONE    I JUST BOUGHT THIS SET  :

 

  I have been staring at this set since the moment I bought it.  It's sitting on my desk next to me as I am typing this post.  It is still wrapped, unopened.  The more I stare at it the more it stares back at me  .  60 CDs, the complete sacred cantatas, I do not know where to begin, nor how to manage this purchase.  I have never bought so much music in one go at one time! 

  Any ideas as to how I should proceed. Val recommended cantata 20 as a good starting point, but what next??  What next  ??

  marvin

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Any ideas as to how I should proceed. Val recommended cantata 20 as a good starting point, but what next??  What next  ??

It might seem improbable but the quality of these works is so uniformly high that a dud is hard to find (though I haven't heard every Bach cantata).

A good one to try might be Trauerode, BWV 198. But don't look to be 'blown away' by this one. It's more about peace, solemnity, and grace, as opposed to a lightning display. But it still gives me goosebumps. 

[Don]

   OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE  , WHAT HAVE I DONE    I JUST BOUGHT THIS SET  :

 

  I have been staring at this set since the moment I bought it.  It's sitting on my desk next to me as I am typing this post.  It is still wrapped, unopened.  The more I stare at it the more it stares back at me  .  60 CDs, the complete sacred cantatas, I do not know where to begin, nor how to manage this purchase.  I have never bought so much music in one go at one time! 

  Any ideas as to how I should proceed. Val recommended cantata 20 as a good starting point, but what next??  What next  ??

  marvin

I recommend starting with Tr. 1/Disc 1 and proceed accordingly.  I see no good reason to hop all over the set.

[Que]

I recommend starting with Tr. 1/Disc 1 and proceed accordingly.  I see no good reason to hop all over the set.

Seconded. That is how I did it: just start with no. 1.  I found a short read on the occasion each cantata was written for, and possibly following the text, very helpful - especially at the first listening.

Q

[marvinbrown]

I recommend starting with Tr. 1/Disc 1 and proceed accordingly.  I see no good reason to hop all over the set.

  I can always rely on you Don to suggest a sensible approach!  Very well I shall proceed in numerical order as you suggest  .

  marvin

[marvinbrown]

Don't worry, I'm told they play Bach in Heaven. 

  That I am sure of hornteacher  and after I am done listening to ALL of the sacred cantatas  0:) I'd like to think that I would be eligible to "knock on heaven's door"  ...........I should think  .

  marvin

[Don]

  I can always rely on you Don to suggest a sensible approach!  Very well I shall proceed in numerical order as you suggest  .

  marvin

Tell that to my wife!  Lately, we've been going back and forth about the kitchen sink.  To me, the sink is to be used - she thinks of it as storage for dirty dishes, pots and utensils. 

[marvinbrown]

Tell that to my wife!  Lately, we've been going back and forth about the kitchen sink.  To me, the sink is to be used - she thinks of it as storage for dirty dishes, pots and utensils. 

  LOL   ,  I would love to help you out here my friend but I'm having "woman" trouble of a similar nature on this side of the pond as well and not coping very well with it either  .

  marvin

[Marc]

   OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE  , WHAT HAVE I DONE    I JUST BOUGHT THIS SET  :

 
 

Congratulations!