Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120
Encyclopedia
Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille (God, You are praised in the stillness), BWV
120, is a sacred cantata
written by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach
for the occasion of Ratswahl, the inauguration of a new town council of Leipzig
in a church service. Parts of the cantata were used for a wedding cantata BWV 120a and a cantata BWV 120b commemorating the Augsburg Confession
in 1730. Bach reworked the choral second movement for the Symbolum Nicaenum
of his Mass in B minor.
in 1730. The latter work's music is lost.
Bach reworked the first part of the second movement Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen for the Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum in the Symbolum Nicaenum (Credo
) of his Mass in B minor.
The first movement is based on Psalm 65:2. It is unusual for Bach to open a cantata with a solo voice, but the words "aus der Stille" (out of silence) may have prompted him to write it for alto and two oboe d'amore
. The first part of the jubilant second movement, a chorus dominated by the full orchestra, was adapted for the Mass in B minor. The soprano aria with solo violin is probably based on an earlier work from Bach's time in Köthen
that served as a model also for a movement of a violin sonata BWV 1019a. The tenor recitative is accompanied by strings to underline its character as a prayer for justice and future blessings. The words for the final chorale are taken from the German Te Deum "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" of Martin Luther
.
.
s "Ernst-Scherzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte. Dritter Theil", Leipzig, 1732. The music is lost but could be partly reconstructed according to BWV 120, parts 1, 2 and 4.
BWV
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis is the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number, is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions...
120, is a sacred cantata
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
written by the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
for the occasion of Ratswahl, the inauguration of a new town council of Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
in a church service. Parts of the cantata were used for a wedding cantata BWV 120a and a cantata BWV 120b commemorating the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
in 1730. Bach reworked the choral second movement for the Symbolum Nicaenum
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
of his Mass in B minor.
History
Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille was written in Leipzig for the inauguration of the newly elected town council, which took place in a festive service on the Monday following St. Bartholomäus (24 August). A first performance in 1728 or 1729 seems likely. The cantata was performed again in 1742; the autographed score of that revision is preserved, with the heading "J. J. Concerto à 4 Voci. due Hautb. due Violini, Viola, 3 Trombe, Tamburi è | Continuo". Parts of the cantata were also used for the wedding cantata Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a and a cantata Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120b for the 200th anniversary of the Augsburg ConfessionAugsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
in 1730. The latter work's music is lost.
Bach reworked the first part of the second movement Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen for the Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum in the Symbolum Nicaenum (Credo
Credo
A credo |Latin]] for "I Believe") is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed. The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the...
) of his Mass in B minor.
Scoring, text and structure
The instrumentation reflects the festive occasion for which it was written: four soloists, four-part choir, 3 trumpets, timpani, 2 oboes d'amore, 2 violins, viola, and basso continuo.- Alto solo: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille
- Coro: Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen
- Recitativo (bass): Auf, du geliebte Lindenstadt
- Aria (soprano): Heil und Segen
- Recitativo (tenor): Nun, Herr, so weihe selbst das Regiment
- Chorale: Nun hilf uns, Herr, den Dienern dein
The first movement is based on Psalm 65:2. It is unusual for Bach to open a cantata with a solo voice, but the words "aus der Stille" (out of silence) may have prompted him to write it for alto and two oboe d'amore
Oboe d'amore
The oboe d'amore , less commonly oboe d'amour, is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the mezzo-soprano of the oboe family, between the oboe itself and the cor...
. The first part of the jubilant second movement, a chorus dominated by the full orchestra, was adapted for the Mass in B minor. The soprano aria with solo violin is probably based on an earlier work from Bach's time in Köthen
Köthen (Anhalt)
Köthen is a city in Germany. It is the capital of the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, about north of Halle.Köthen is the location of the main campus and the administrative center of the regional technical university Hochschule Anhalt which is especially strong in information...
that served as a model also for a movement of a violin sonata BWV 1019a. The tenor recitative is accompanied by strings to underline its character as a prayer for justice and future blessings. The words for the final chorale are taken from the German Te Deum "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
.
Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a
Parts of the cantata were used in 1729, in a different order, for a wedding cantata, that also contained two pieces to be played after the wedding: a sinfonia similar to the opening movement of the cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 and a final chorale similar to the one closing the cantata Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137
Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren , BWV 137, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the twelfth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 19 August 1725.-History and words:Bach composed the cantata in Leipzig for Twelfth Sunday...
.
- Coro: Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge (Lord God, Ruler of All Things) (parody of BWV 120/2)
- Recitativo (tenor, bass, e coro): Wie wunderbar, o Gott, sind deine Werke
- Aria (soprano): Leit, o Gott, durch deine Liebe (parody of BWV 120/4)
- Sinfonia (similar to the Sinfonia of BWV 29/1, a parody of BWV 1006/1)
- Recitativo (tenor, e coro): Herr Zebaoth, Herr, unsrer Väter Gott
- Aria (alto, tenor): Herr, fange an und sprich den Segen (parody of BWV 120/1)
- Recitativo (bass): Der Herr, Herr unser Gott, sei mit euch
- Chorale: Lobe den Herren, der deinen Stand sichtbar gesegnet (parody of BWV 137/5)
Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120b
Parts of the cantata were used for a cantata to celebrate the anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, performed 26 June 1730 in the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. The words are found in PicanderPicander
Picander was the pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici , a German poet and librettist for many of Johann Sebastian Bach's Leipzig cantatas...
s "Ernst-Scherzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte. Dritter Theil", Leipzig, 1732. The music is lost but could be partly reconstructed according to BWV 120, parts 1, 2 and 4.
- Arioso: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille (parody of BWV 120/1)
- Aria: Zahle, Zion, die Gelübde (parody of BWV 120/2)
- Recitativo: Ach! du geliebte Gottesstadt
- Aria: Treu im Glauben (parody of BWV 120/4)
- Recitativo: Wohlan, du heilige Gemeinde
- Choral: Du heilige Brunst, süßer Trost (Martin LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
)
Recordings
- Cantatas, BWV 119-120, Nikolaus HarnoncourtNikolaus HarnoncourtNikolaus Harnoncourt is an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the Classical era and earlier. Starting out as a classical cellist, he founded his own period instrument ensemble in the 1950s, and became a pioneer of the Early Music movement...
, Tölzer KnabenchorTölzer KnabenchorThe Tölzer Knabenchor is a boys' choir with roots in the Bavarian town of Bad Tölz.The choir group is still led by director and singing master Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, who founded the choir in 1956 when he was only nineteen years old. The founder was once a student of Carl Orff's and worked with him...
, Concentus Musicus WienConcentus Musicus WienConcentus Musicus Wien is a baroque music ensemble founded by Nikolaus and Alice Harnoncourt in 1953. It generated the now well-established movement in performance and recordings to play early music on period instruments....
, Markus Huber (boy soprano), Paul EsswoodPaul EsswoodPaul Esswood is an English countertenor. He is best known for his singing in Bach cantatas and the operas of Handel and Monteverdi. Along with his countrymen Alfred Deller and James Bowman, he led the revival of countertenor singing in modern times.Esswood was born in West Bridgford, England. He...
, Kurt EquiluzKurt EquiluzKurt Equiluz is an Austrian classical tenor in opera and concert, known for recording works of Johann Sebastian Bach with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Helmuth Rilling, a member of the Vienna State Opera as a tenor buffo from 1957 until 1983.- Professional career :Kurt Equiluz was an alto soloist of...
, Robert Holl, Philippe HuttenlocherPhilippe HuttenlocherPhilippe Huttenlocher is a Swiss baritone.He was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He first studied violin at the conservatory in Neuchâtel, and then voice in Fribourg...
, TeldecTeldecThe Teldec is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.-History:...
1971 - Die Bach Kantate Vol. 67, Helmuth RillingHelmuth RillingHelmuth Rilling is an internationally known German choral conductor, founder of the Gächinger Kantorei , the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart , the Oregon Bach Festival , the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart and other Bach Academies worldwide, and the "Festival Ensemble Stuttgart"...
, Gächinger KantoreiGächinger KantoreiGächinger Kantorei is an internationally known German mixed choir, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954 in Gächingen and still conducted by him. A "Kantorei" is a choir of high standard dedicated mostly, but not exclusively, to sacred music. The ensemble operates in Stuttgart now and is therefore...
, Bach-Collegium StuttgartBach-Collegium StuttgartBach-Collegium Stuttgart is an internationally known German instrumental ensemble, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1965 to accompany the Gächinger Kantorei in choral music with orchestra...
, Helen DonathHelen DonathHelen Jeanette Donath is an American soprano with a career spanning fifty years.- Biography :She was born in Corpus Christi, Texas and studied at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and with Paola Novikova in New York....
, Hildegard LaurichHildegard LaurichHildegard Laurich , is a German classical contralto singer.- Professional career :Hildegard Laurich studied at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold, in Berlin with Hermann Weissenborn, and in private study with Fred Husler in Cureglia.She sang mostly in concert, particularly in works of Johann...
, Adalbert KrausAdalbert KrausAdalbert Kraus is a German tenor in opera and concert, known for singing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Biography :...
, Wolfgang SchöneWolfgang Schöne- Biography :Schöne was born in Bad Gandersheim. He began his studies of voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover with Naan Pöld in 1964 and moved with him to the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg in 1986, achieving his diploma as a concert singer and music teacher in 1969.His...
, HänsslerHänssler ClassicHänssler Classic is a German classical record label based in Holzgerlingen.Friedrich Hänssler Senior founded Musikverlag Hänssler in 1919 to publish church music. Since 1972 Hänssler Classic has also published contemporary and jazz music...
1973 - J.S. Bach Cantatas BWV 29 "Wir danken dir, Gott"; BWV 119 "Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn"; BWV 120 "Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille", Philippe HerreweghePhilippe HerreweghePhilippe Herreweghe is a Flemish conductor.In his school years at the University of Ghent, Herreweghe combined studies in medical science and psychiatry with a musical education at the Ghent Conservatory, where Marcel Gazelle, Yehudi Menuhin's accompanist, was his piano teacher...
, Collegium Vocale Gent, Deborah YorkDeborah YorkDeborah York is a British classical soprano in concert and opera, living in Berlin.- Biography :Deborah York studied voice at the University of Manchester, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree, and in London with Laura Sarti and Janice Chapman.She has appeared regularly at the Bayerische...
, Ingeborg DanzIngeborg DanzIngeborg Danz is a German mezzo-soprano and alto concert singer.- Biography :Ingeborg Danz studied school music at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold and voice with Heiner Eckels...
, Mark PadmoreMark PadmoreMark Padmore is a British tenor appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.Born in London 8 March 1961, and raised in Canterbury, Kent in England. Padmore studied clarinet and piano prior to his gaining a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge...
, Peter KooyPeter KooyPeter Kooy is a Dutch bass singer specialized in baroque music.- Biography :Peter Kooy started his musical career at 6 years as a choir boy. However he started his musical studies as a violin student...
, Harmonia Mundi 1999 review by David Hurwitz - J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 20 containing both BWV 120 and BVW 120a, Ton KoopmanTon KoopmanTon Koopman is a conductor, organist and harpsichordist.Koopman had a "classical education" and then studied the organ , harpsichord and musicology in Amsterdam...
, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & ChoirAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & ChoirThe Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is a Dutch early-music group based in Amsterdam.The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir was created in two stages by the conductor, organist and harpsichordist Ton Koopman. He founded the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in 1979 and the Amsterdam Baroque Choir in...
, Sandrine PiauSandrine PiauSandrine Piau is an opera soprano. Trained as a harpist, she studied voice at the Collège Lamartine and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique du Paris....
, Bogna BartoszBogna BartoszBogna Bartosz is a Polish classical mezzo-soprano and alto.- Biography :Bogna Bartosz studied voice at the Academy of Music in Gdansk and graduated with distinction...
(120) - Nathalie StutzmannNathalie StutzmannNathalie Stutzmann is a contemporary opera singer, renowned for her contralto voice.Born in Suresnes, France, 1965, she first studied with her mother , then at Nantes Conservatoire and later, at the Ecole d’Art Lyrique de l’Opéra de Paris, focusing on lied, under Hans Hotter's tutelage...
(120a), James GilchristJames Gilchrist (tenor)James Gilchrist is a British tenor specialising in recital and oratoria singing. He began his working life as a doctor, turning to a full-time music career in 1996...
, Klaus MertensKlaus MertensKlaus Mertens is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.-Professional career:Klaus Mertens took singing lessons while attending school...
, Antoine Marchand 2003
External links
- Cantata BWV 120 Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille on the bach cantatas website, Cantata BWV 120a, Cantata BWV 120b
- German text and English translation, Emmanuel MusicEmmanuel MusicEmmanuel Music is a Boston-based collective group of singers and instrumentalists founded in 1970 by Craig Smith. It was created specifically to perform the complete cycle of over 200 sacred cantatas of J.S. Bach in the liturgical setting for which they were intended, an endeavor twice completed...
- Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille on the Bach website (in German), BWV 120a, BWV 120b
- Entries for Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...