Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158

Der Friede sei mit dir (Peace be with you), BWV 158, is the shortest of the cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach and features a bass soloist. It survives as a cantata for the third day of Easter but might be a fragment of a work originally written for Purification, hence there is a confusing variety of proposed composition dates, during the Weimar period[1] and 1735.[2]

History and text

The surviving source is a copy by Bach's pupil Christian Friedrich Penzel, identified on the title page as for the Mariae Reinigung but with an alternate designation for Easter Tuesday in the parts. Joshua Rifkin has proposed the dates 15 April 1727 or 30 March 1728 for the premiere.[3] The prescribed readings for this day were from the Acts of the Apostles, the sermon of Paul in Antiochia (Acts 13:26–33), and from the Gospel of Luke, the appearance of Jesus to the Apostles in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36–47).[1] The librettist is unknown but may have been Salomon Franck, quoting hymn stanzas by Johann Georg Albinus and Martin Luther.[4]

Because of the references to the "Canticle of Simeon" and because of the alternate title page designation, it is widely assumed that at least the two central movements were originally part of a longer cantata for the Purification, with a different introductory recitative not evoking Christ's Easter reappearance to the disciples. The obbligato writing in the aria, which appears better suited to flute than the "violino" specified in Penzel's copy, is cited in support of the hypothesis that it was originally written for a different occasion.[5]

Scoring and structure

The cantata is scored for soprano and bass vocal soloists, four-part choir, oboe, violin, and basso continuo.[6]

Because no complete copy of the work survives, it is possible that there were originally more than the four movements now known. In particular, another aria is thought to have preceded the final movement.[7]

  1. Recitative (bass): Der Friede sei mit dir
  2. Aria (bass) and chorale (soprano): Welt, ade, ich bin dein müde (the chorale tune is by Johann Rosenmüller)
  3. Recitative and arioso (bass): Nun, Herr, regiere meinen Sinn
  4. Chorale: Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm

Music

Both recitatives are "supple" and secco. The second movement is "a fusion of a dulcet aria in the form of a trio sonata" for bass, violin, and continuo, with interspersed lines from the chorale performed by soprano and oboe.[8] It is formally a da capo aria introduced by an eighteen-measure ritornello. The work ends with a four-part harmonization of the chorale.[9]

Recordings

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lutheran Church Year / Dates of "Osterdienstag" (Easter Tuesday, 3rd Day of Easter)
  2. ↑ David Schulenberg, "Der Friede sei mit dir" in Oxford Composer Companion: J. S. Bach ed. Malcolm Boyd
  3. ↑ Linernotes to L'oiseau-lyre 425 822-2, cited in David Schulenberg, "Der Friede sei mit dir" in Oxford Composer Companion: J. S. Bach ed. Malcolm Boyd (p. 134)
  4. ↑ "BWV 159". bach-cantatas. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  5. ↑ David Schulenberg, op. cit.
  6. ↑ "BWV 158". University of Alberta. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  7. ↑ Gerhard Schuhmacher. "Liner notes to Bach Cantatas, Vol. 38" (PDF). bach-cantatas. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Cantata No. 158". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  9. ↑ Mincham, Julian. "Chapter 70 BWV 158". jsbachcantatas. Retrieved 3 June 2013.

External links