Nun danket alle Gott, BWV 192
Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank ye all our God), BWV 192,[lower-alpha 1], is a church cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig in 1730. It is an incomplete cantata, and its three extant movements present it as a chorale cantata using unmodified stanzas of Martin Rinckart's "Nun danket alle Gott" (Now Thank We All Our God), written c.1636. As its liturgical function is unknown it is however not always seen as included in Bach's chorale cantata cycle.
History and text
Nun danket alle Gott is a chorale cantata using unmodified text of Martin Rinckart's "Nun danket alle Gott".[1] It was likely first performed in late 1730, but its exact date and occasion are unknown.[2][3] It may have been written for a wedding.[4] It is not always seen as included in Bach's chorale cantata cycle.[1][5] The original score is no longer extant.[3] The tenor part was lost and was reconstructed by scholar Gunther Raphael.[6]
Scoring and structure
The cantata is scored for soprano and bass soloists, a four-part choir, two flutes, two oboes, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.[7]
The work has three movements:
- Chorus: Nun danket alle Gott
- Duet aria (soprano and bass): Der ewig reiche Gott
- Chorus: Lob, Ehr und Preis sei Gott
Music
The cantata begins with a chorale fantasia. Unusually, the ritornello is followed not by the chorale melody, but by a four-part dialogue. The first chorale phrase appears in the soprano voice over imitative counterpoint in the lower voices and staccato chords in the accompaniment.[3]
The duet aria is introduced by a ritornello "with a double hiatus suggestive of modesty or diffidence". The movement is structurally like a da capo aria but lacks a contrasting middle section.[3]
The work ends with another chorale fantasia with a "rollicking gigue melody". It is in ritornello form, with the soprano carrying the chorale melody.[3] As in the first movement, the lower voices sing imitative lines.[4]
Recordings
- Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Ton Koopman. J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 20. Antoine Marchand, 2002.
- Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki. J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 51. BIS, 2011.
- Frankfurter Kantorei / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling. Die Bach Kantate Vol. 12. Hänssler, 1974.
- Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium, Pieter Jan Leusink. Bach Edition Vol. 12. Brilliant Classics, 1999.
- Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner. Bach Cantatas Vol. 10. Soli Deo Gloria, 2000.
Notes
- ↑ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
References
- 1 2 Zedler, G (2011). Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach: Eine Einführung in die Werkgattung (in German). Books on Demand. p. 37. ISBN 9783842357259.
- ↑ "Cantata BWV 192 Nun danket alle Gott". Bach Cantatas. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Mincham, Julian. "Chapter 53 BWV 192". jsbachcantatas. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- 1 2 "Cantata No. 192". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ↑ Dörffel, Alfred (1878). "Introduction". Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe Volume 27: Thematisches Verzeichniss der Kirchencantaten No. 1–120 (in German). Breitkopf & Härtel. p. VII.
- ↑ Smith, Craig. "BWV 192". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ↑ "BWV 192". University of Alberta. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
External links
- Cantatas, BWV 191–200: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Nun danket alle Gott: history, scoring, Bach website (German)
- BWV 192 Nun danket alle Gott: English translation, University of Vermont