Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a
Encyclopedia
The funeral cantata
Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a, also called Köthener Trauermusik, is a lost composition of Johann Sebastian Bach
. The Trauermusik was composed for the memorial service for Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen on 24 March 1729 in the St. Jakob church in Köthen, one day after the prince's burial in the crypt of the church. Bach's librettist Picander
wrote the text. The libretto exists in three versions, which differ in some details.
A partial reconstruction
was performed by Hans Grüß. The first complete reconstruction, by Andrew Parrott
, was performed in 2004 and recorded in 2010. A subsequent reconstruction has been made by Alexander Ferdinand Grychtolik
in 2010.
The Trauermusik BWV244a is important to understand the history of the St Matthew Passion, BWV 244.
es, aria
s and recitative
s) in four parts. The first part is about the national mourning, the second part is about the prince's departing and the salvation of his soul. The third part, that followed after the homily, deals with Leopold's commemoration. The last part is about the farewell and about the deathlike silence.
discovered that Bach used for the Trauermusik older movements from the Trauer-Ode Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl, BWV 198 and from the St Matthew Passion.
Several reconstruction
s exist:
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....
Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a, also called Köthener Trauermusik, is a lost composition of 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...
. The Trauermusik was composed for the memorial service for Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen on 24 March 1729 in the St. Jakob church in Köthen, one day after the prince's burial in the crypt of the church. Bach's librettist Picander
Picander
Picander was the pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici , a German poet and librettist for many of Johann Sebastian Bach's Leipzig cantatas...
wrote the text. The libretto exists in three versions, which differ in some details.
A partial reconstruction
Reconstruction
In the history of the United States, the term "Reconstruction Era" has two senses: the first covers the entire nation in the period 1865–1877 following the Civil War; the second one, used in this article, covers the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877, with the...
was performed by Hans Grüß. The first complete reconstruction, by Andrew Parrott
Andrew Parrott
Andrew Parrott is a British conductor, perhaps best known for his pioneering historically informed performances of pre-classical music. He conducts a wide range of repertoire, including contemporary music. He conducted the premiere of Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera...
, was performed in 2004 and recorded in 2010. A subsequent reconstruction has been made by Alexander Ferdinand Grychtolik
Alexander Ferdinand Grychtolik
Alexander Ferdinand Grychtolik is a German harpsichordist, improviser, musicologist and academic.-Professional career:...
in 2010.
The Trauermusik BWV244a is important to understand the history of the St Matthew Passion, BWV 244.
Structure
The Trauermusik is an extended funeral cantata in 24 movements (chorusChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
es, aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s and recitative
Recitative
Recitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
s) in four parts. The first part is about the national mourning, the second part is about the prince's departing and the salvation of his soul. The third part, that followed after the homily, deals with Leopold's commemoration. The last part is about the farewell and about the deathlike silence.
Reconstructions
Wilhelm RustWilhelm Rust
Wilhelm Rust was a German musicologist and composer. He is most noted today for his substantial contributions to the Bach Gesellschaft edition of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach....
discovered that Bach used for the Trauermusik older movements from the Trauer-Ode Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl, BWV 198 and from the St Matthew Passion.
Several reconstruction
Reconstruction
In the history of the United States, the term "Reconstruction Era" has two senses: the first covers the entire nation in the period 1865–1877 following the Civil War; the second one, used in this article, covers the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877, with the...
s exist:
- The German musicologist Hans Grüß reconstructed in 2000 all arias and most of the choruses. In this version the text of the recitatives has to be performed by a speaker.
- The first complete reconstruction was made by Andrew ParrottAndrew ParrottAndrew Parrott is a British conductor, perhaps best known for his pioneering historically informed performances of pre-classical music. He conducts a wide range of repertoire, including contemporary music. He conducted the premiere of Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera...
and first performed under his direction by the New York Collegium in 2004. He recorded this edition in 2010 with his Taverner Consort and Players (J.S. Bach Trauer-Music: 'Music to mourn Prince Leopold', Avie Records, 2011). See Andrew Parrott, J. S. Bach's Trauer-Music for Prince Leopold: clarification and reconstruction, Early Music 39/4 (November 2011). - The German harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist Alexander Ferdinand GrychtolikAlexander Ferdinand GrychtolikAlexander Ferdinand Grychtolik is a German harpsichordist, improviser, musicologist and academic.-Professional career:...
made an edition of another full reconstruction of the Trauermusik in 2010. In this version most of the recitatives of the Trauermusik are adapted from accompagnato recitatives of the St Matthew Passion. This reconstruction is based on an assumption of the German musicologist Detlef Gojowy which supposed, that there is a parodyParody musicParody music, or musical parody, involves changing or recycling existing musical ideas or lyrics — or copying the peculiar style of a composer or artist, or even a general style of music. Although the result is often funny, and this is the usual intent — the term "parody" in musical terms also...
connection not only between arias and choruses, but also between the accompagnato recitatives of both works.
External links
- Cantata BWV 244a Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt on bach-cantatas
- Text of the Trauermusik in three versions, bach-cantatas.com
- Structure and parody connections of some movements of the Trauermusik, bach.de (in German)
- Entries for BWV 244a 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...