Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36c

Schwingt freudig euch empor (Soar joyfully upwards), BWV 36c, is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.

It was composed in Leipzig, most likely in 1725, probably as an homage to one of Bach's teachers (perhaps Johann Matthias Gesner); there is evidence of a performance of this cantata taking place in April or May 1725.

The text is likely by Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander)^[1][2][3].

Scoring and structure

The piece is scored for oboes d'amore, viola d'amore, violins I/II, viola, and basso continuo, along with three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor, bass) and four-part choir. It is in nine movements:

1. (Coro): "Schwingt freudig euch empor" for choir, oboe d'amore, strings, and continuo .
2. Recitativo: "Ein Herz, in zärtlichem Empfinden" for tenor and continuo.
3. Aria: "Die Liebe führt mit sanften Schritten" for tenor, oboe d'amore, and continuo.
4. Recitativo: "Du bist es ja" for bass and continuo.
5. Aria: "Der Tag, der dich vordem gebar" for bass, strings, and continuo.
6. Recitativo: "Nur dieses Einz'ge sorgen wir" for soprano and continuo.
7. Aria: "Auch mit gedämpften, schwachen Stimmen" for soprano, viola d'amore, and continuo.
8. Recitativo: "Bei solchen freudenvollen Stunden" for tenor and continuo.
9. Coro & Recitativi: "Wie die Jahre sich verneuen" for tenor, bass and soprano soloists, choir, oboe d'amore, strings, and continuo.

Recordings

• Bach made in Germany Vol. VII - Secular Cantatas I - Sopr.: Edith Mathis; Ten.: Peter Schreier; Bass: Siegfried Lorenz; Berliner Solisten (Chorus master: Dietrich Knothe), Kammerorchester Berlin; Peter Schreier, conductor. Label: Eterna/Leipzig Classics/Brilliant Classics/Teldec
• Edition Bachakademie Vol. 139 - Congratulatory and Hommage Cantatas - Sopr.: Eva Oltiványi; Ten.: Marcus Ullmann; Bass: Andreas Schmidt; Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; Helmuth Rilling, conductor. Label: Hänssler
• J.S. Bach: Kantate Nr. 36c - Sopr.: Adele Stolte; Ten.: Hans-Joachim Rotzsch; Bass: Theo Adam; Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig; Kurt Thomas, conductor. Label: Eterna 720 198
• J.S. Bach: Weltliche Kantaten · Secular Cantatas · Cantates Profanes - Sopr.: Dorothea Röschmann; Alt.: Axel Köhler; Ten.: Christoph Genz; Bass: Hans-Georg Wimmer; Ex Tempore (Chorus Master: Florian Heyerick)/Musica Antiqua Köln; Reinhard Goebel, conductor. Label: Archiv Produktion

References

Sources

• Walter F. Bischof, Text and orchestration for BWV 36c, Bach Cantatas, University of Alberta.
• Alfred Dürr: Johann Sebastian Bach: Die Kantaten. Bärenreiter, Kassel 1999, ISBN 3-7618-1476-3
• Alfred Dürr: The Cantatas of J.S. Bach, Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-929776-2
• Werner Neumann: Handbuch der Kantaten J.S.Bachs, 1947, 5th Ed. 1984, ISBN 3-7651-0054-4
• Hans-Joachim Schulze: Die Bach-Kantaten: Einführungen zu sämtlichen Kantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlags-Anstalt; Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag 2006 (Edition Bach-Archiv Leipzig) ISBN 3-374-02390-8 (Evang. Verl.-Anst.), ISBN 3-89948-073-2 (Carus-Verl.)
• Christoph Wolff/Ton Koopman (Eds.): Die Welt der Bach-Kantaten, Metzler/Bärenreiter, Stuttgart und Kassel, 3 Bände Sonderausgabe 2006 ISBN 3-476-02127-0
• Harald Streck. Die Verskunst in den poetischen Texten zu den Kantaten J. S. Bachs. Dissertation: Universität Hamburg 1971, 214 pages.

External links

• Discussion of the work on bach-cantatas.com