Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei, BWV 46
Encyclopedia
Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei (Behold and see, if there be any sorrow), BWV
46, is a church cantata
of Johann Sebastian Bach
, written for the 10th Sunday after Trinity, first performed on 1 August 1723 in Bach's first year in Leipzig
.
, , different gifts, but one spirit, and from the Gospel of Luke
,
, Jesus announcing the destruction of Jerusalem and cleansing of the Temple.
The cantata is written for alto, tenor and bass soloists, choir, 2 recorders, 2 oboe da caccia, "Zugtrompete" (a trumpet mostly unison with the choir soprano), 2 violins, viola and basso continuo. This is an unusually rich instrumentation for an ordinary Sunday. The words for the first movement are taken from the Book of Lamentations
, , movements 2 to 5 of an unknown poet, and the final chorale is the ninth stanza of "O großer Gott von Macht" by Johann Matthäus Meyfart.
The first movement in two sections is a lament
o of large proportions, full of symbolism. Bach reworked its first part as the Qui tollis peccata mundi of the Gloria of his Missa of 1733, to become the Gloria of his Mass in B minor. The bass aria pictures dramatically the outbreak of a thunderstorm, the only part of the cantata where the trumpet appears in a solo function as a symbol of divine majesty. The alto aria is scored as a quartet for the voice, the two recorders, and the oboes in unison, without basso continuo.
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...
46, is a church 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....
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...
, written for the 10th Sunday after Trinity, first performed on 1 August 1723 in Bach's first year in 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...
.
Words, scoring and structure
The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the First Epistle to the CorinthiansFirst Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
, , different gifts, but one spirit, and from the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
,
, Jesus announcing the destruction of Jerusalem and cleansing of the Temple.
The cantata is written for alto, tenor and bass soloists, choir, 2 recorders, 2 oboe da caccia, "Zugtrompete" (a trumpet mostly unison with the choir soprano), 2 violins, viola and basso continuo. This is an unusually rich instrumentation for an ordinary Sunday. The words for the first movement are taken from the Book of Lamentations
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
, , movements 2 to 5 of an unknown poet, and the final chorale is the ninth stanza of "O großer Gott von Macht" by Johann Matthäus Meyfart.
- Coro: Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei
- Recitativo (tenor): So klage du, zerstörte Gottesstadt
- Aria (bass): Dein Wetter zog sich auf von weiten
- Recitativo (alto): Doch bildet euch, o Sünder, ja nicht ein
- Aria (alto): Doch Jesus will auch bei der Strafe
- Chorale: O großer Gott von Treu
The first movement in two sections is a lament
Lament
A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
o of large proportions, full of symbolism. Bach reworked its first part as the Qui tollis peccata mundi of the Gloria of his Missa of 1733, to become the Gloria of his Mass in B minor. The bass aria pictures dramatically the outbreak of a thunderstorm, the only part of the cantata where the trumpet appears in a solo function as a symbol of divine majesty. The alto aria is scored as a quartet for the voice, the two recorders, and the oboes in unison, without basso continuo.
Recordings
- J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 8 - Dorothea RöschmannDorothea RöschmannDorothea Röschmann is a German opera soprano from Flensburg.-Education and early life:Röschmann studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, under Barbara Schlick at the Akademie für Alte Musik in Bremen, and subsequently in Los Angeles, New York, Tel Aviv, and under Vera Rózsa in London...
, 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...
, Jörg DürmüllerJörg DürmüllerJörg Dürmüller is a Swiss classical tenor in concert and opera.- Biography :Dürmüller studied violin and voice at the conservatory of Winterthur and took voice master classes with Edith Mathis, Christa Ludwig and Hermann Prey....
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
conductor. Label: Antoine Marchand
External links
- Cantata BWV 46 Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei on the bach cantatas website
- German text and English translation Emmanuel Music, Boston
- Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei on the Bach website (in German)
- Entries for BWV 46 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...