Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200

Bekennen will ich seinen Namen (I shall acknowledge His name), BWV 200, is in its original form part (Aria) of a so-called Passionsoratorium 'Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld' composed in the 1720s in Gotha by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel. It was arranged by Johann Sebastian Bach around 1742.^[1]

History and text

The aria is considered to be a cantata-fragment.^[2] It was likely written for the Feast of the Purification of Mary. The prescribed readings for the day were Malachi 3:1–4, and Luke 2:22–32.^[1]

Bach likely performed his arrangement in 1742 in Leipzig.^[1]

Music

The aria is scored for solo alto voice, two violins, and basso continuo.^[3] As with many of Bach's latest cantatas, the aria has a "quality of mellow assurance". It is in adapted ternary form but includes no clear reprise of the opening section. The vocal line includes melismas but no other word painting.^[4]

Recordings

• Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Kenneth Sillito. J.S. Bach: Cantatas Nos. 53 · 82 · 170 · 200. Capriccio, 1993.
• Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman. J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 21. Antoine Marchand, 2002.
• Bach-Orchester Mainz, Diethard Hellmann. J.S. Bach: Psalm 51 BWV 1083 & Cantata BWV 200. Da Camera, 1966.
• English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner. J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Feast of Purification of Mary. Archiv Produktkion, 2000.
• Netherlands Bach Collegium, Pieter Jan Leusink. Bach Edition Vol. 17. Brilliant Classics, 2000.
• Philomusica of London, Thurston Dart. J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 53, BWV 54, BWV 200, BWV 244. L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1958.
• Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel. BWV 200: Aria for contralto, 2 violins and basso continuo Magdalena Kozena Archiv Production 2003

References

Sources

• Cantatas, BWV 191–200: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project