(Laud to God in all his kingdoms),
, known as the ''Ascension Oratorio'' (), is an
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
by
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
, marked by him as (Oratorio for the feast of the Ascension of Christ), probably composed in 1735 for the service for
Ascension and first performed on 19 May 1735.
Bach had composed his ''
Christmas Oratorio
The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'', based on the gospels of
Luke and
Matthew, in 1734. He had composed an ''
Easter Oratorio
The ''Easter Oratorio'' (), 249, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, beginning with ("Come, hasten and run"). Bach composed it in Leipzig and first performed it on 1 April 1725.
History
The first version of the work was completed as a ca ...
'' already in 1725. The text for the ''Ascension Oratorio'', a compilation of several
biblical sources, free poetry and
chorale
Chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale:
* Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one of the th ...
s, was presumably written by
Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He stud ...
who had worked on the
libretto for the ''Christmas Oratorio''. It follows the story of the Ascension as told in Luke,
Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* F ...
and the
Acts of the Apostles. The oratorio is structured in eleven
movements
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
in two parts, taking about half an hour to perform. It is framed by extended choral movements, Part I is concluded by the fourth
stanza of
Johann Rist
Johann Rist (8 March 1607 – 31 August 1667) was a German poet and dramatist best known for his hymns, which inspired musical settings and have remained in hymnals.
Life
Rist was born at Ottensen in Holstein-Pinneberg (today Hamburg) on 8 Marc ...
's hymn "" in a four-part setting. The closing chorale on the seventh stanza of
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (11 July 1635 – 8 September 1699) was a German jurist, poet, satirist and Protestant hymn writer. He worked as an advocate at the court of Wolfenbüttel. Johann Sebastian Bach used a stanza from his hymn "" to conclude his ...
's "" is set as a
chorale fantasia
Chorale fantasia is a type of large composition based on a chorale melody, both works for organ, and vocal settings, for example the opening movements of Bach's chorale cantatas, with the chorale melody as a cantus firmus.
History
Chorale fantas ...
. The work is richly scored for the feast day, exactly like the ''Christmas Oratorio'' for four vocal parts, three
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s,
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
, two
flauti traversi, two
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, strings and
continuo.
History
Bach had composed his ''
Christmas Oratorio
The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'', based on the gospels of
Luke and
Matthew, in 1734, a work in six parts to be performed on six occasions during Christmas tide. He had composed an ''
Easter Oratorio
The ''Easter Oratorio'' (), 249, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, beginning with ("Come, hasten and run"). Bach composed it in Leipzig and first performed it on 1 April 1725.
History
The first version of the work was completed as a ca ...
'' already in 1725. The composition for
Ascension appeared thus in the same
liturgical year as the ''Christmas Oratorio''.
The text for the ''Ascension Oratorio'', a compilation of several
biblical sources, free poetry and
chorale
Chorale is the name of several related musical forms originating in the music genre of the Lutheran chorale:
* Hymn tune of a Lutheran hymn (e.g. the melody of "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"), or a tune in a similar format (e.g. one of the th ...
s, was presumably written by
Picander
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.
Henrici was born in Stolpen. He stud ...
who had written the
libretti
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major l ...
for the ''
St Matthew Passion'' and the ''Christmas Oratorio'', among others. It follows the story of the Ascension as told in Luke,
Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* F ...
and the
Acts of the Apostles.
The bible narration is compiled from multiple sources: the first
recitative
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat ...
of the
Evangelist (
movement 2) is from
Luke 24 (), the second (5) from
Acts 1
Acts 1 is the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book containing this chapter is anonymous but early Christian tradition affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Lu ...
() and
Mark 16
Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins after the sabbath, with Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bringing spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. There the ...
(), the third (7) from Acts 1 (), the last (9) from Luke 24 (), Acts 1 (), and Luke 24 (). The biblical words are narrated by the tenor as the Evangelist. In his third recitative two men are quoted, for this quotation tenor and bass both sing in an
Arioso
In classical music, arioso (also aria parlante ) is a category of solo vocal piece, usually occurring in an opera or oratorio, falling somewhere between recitative and aria in style. Literally, arioso means ''airy''. The term arose in the 16th ...
.
Part I, which tells of the Ascension, is concluded by the fourth stanza of
Johann Rist
Johann Rist (8 March 1607 – 31 August 1667) was a German poet and dramatist best known for his hymns, which inspired musical settings and have remained in hymnals.
Life
Rist was born at Ottensen in Holstein-Pinneberg (today Hamburg) on 8 Marc ...
's hymn "" in a four-part setting. Part II reflects the reaction of the disciples. The closing chorale on the seventh stanza of
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (11 July 1635 – 8 September 1699) was a German jurist, poet, satirist and Protestant hymn writer. He worked as an advocate at the court of Wolfenbüttel. Johann Sebastian Bach used a stanza from his hymn "" to conclude his ...
's ""
is set as a
chorale fantasia
Chorale fantasia is a type of large composition based on a chorale melody, both works for organ, and vocal settings, for example the opening movements of Bach's chorale cantatas, with the chorale melody as a cantus firmus.
History
Chorale fantas ...
. While the music for the narration and the first chorale were new compositions in 1735, Bach based the framing choral movements and the two arias on earlier compositions. He used the model for the alto aria again much later for the of his Mass in B minor.
In the first complete edition of Bach's works, the of the , the work was included under the
cantatas (hence its low BWV number), and in the ''Bach Compendium'' it is numbered BC D 9 and included under oratorios.
Music
Scoring and structure
The oratorio spans eleven movements in two parts to be performed before and after the sermon, 1–6 before the sermon and 7–11 after the sermon. It takes about half an hour to perform.
The title on the first page of the autograph reads: "J.J." is short for "Jesu juva" (Jesus, help), a formula which Bach and others often wrote at the beginning of a sacred piece. The title in Latin translates to "Oratorio for the feast of the Ascension of Christ", and the scoring in a mixture of French and Italian names the parts and instruments
as four vocal parts, three
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s (Tr),
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
, two
flauti traversi (Ft), two
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s (Ob), two
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
s (Vn),
viola
; german: Bratsche
, alt=Viola shown from the front and the side
, image=Bratsche.jpg
, caption=
, background=string
, hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow
, range=
, related=
*Violin family ...
(Va) and
basso continuo (Bc) by Bach.
The voices are
soprano,
alto,
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
and
bass, forming a four-part choir (
SATB
SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass.
Choral music
Four-part harm ...
).
The work is festively scored, exactly like the ''Christmas Oratorio''.
The structure shows symmetry around the central chorale. Expansive chorale movements using the complete orchestra frame the work. Both parts contain besides the bible narration (rec.) a reflective accompagnato recitative (acc.) and an aria with
obbligato
In Western classical music, ''obbligato'' (, also spelled ''obligato'') usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ''ad libitum''. It can also be used, more specifically, to indic ...
instruments. In the following table of the movements, the scoring is taken the
Neue Bach-Ausgabe
The New Bach Edition (NBE) (german: Neue Bach-Ausgabe; NBA), is the second complete edition of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, published by Bärenreiter. The name is short for Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): New Edition of the Complete W ...
. The
keys and
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
s are taken from
Alfred Dürr
Alfred Dürr (3 March 1918 – 7 April 2011) was a German musicologist. He was a principal editor of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, the second edition of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Professional career
Dürr studied musicology and Clas ...
, using the symbol for common time (4/4). The timpani always play with the trumpets and are not mentioned.
Movements
The Bach scholar Richard D. P. Jones compares the ''Christmas Oratorio'' and the ''Ascension Oratorio'' and arrives at similarities:
The oratorio is similar especially to
Part VI of the ''Christmas Oratorio'' which also begins with an extended opening chorus and a chorale fantasia as a conclusion.
1
The festive opening chorus, "", is believed to be based on a movement from the lost secular cantata .
The movement has no
fugue, but dance-like elements and
Lombard rhythm
The Lombard rhythm or Scotch snap is a syncopated musical rhythm in which a short, accented note is followed by a longer one. This reverses the pattern normally associated with dotted notes or '' notes inégales'', in which the longer value prec ...
.
2
Bach marks the first recitative of bible narration "Recit. nach dem ersten Chor" (Recitative after the first chorus).
It is sung by the (
Evangelist), which Bach assigns to the tenor singing
secco recitative
Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repea ...
. The action begins, "" (The Lord Jesus lifted up His hands),
with Jesus blessing the disciples and leaving them.
3
![Traverso 007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Traverso_007.jpg)
A reflecting recitative for bass, "" (Ah, Jesus, is Your departure),
shows the situation of the disciples afraid that Jesus will leave them soon. Marked "Rec: col accomp." (Recitative: with accomp
niment,
it is accompanied by the flutes and continuo as a .
4
Deeper reflection is expressed in an aria, marked "Aria Violini unisoni e Alto" (Aria Violins in unison and Alto).
The singer requests Jesus to stay:
"" (Ah, just stay, my dearest Life).
The music is based on a movement from the lost wedding cantata , BWV Anh. 196, written in 1725 on a
libretto by
Johann Christoph Gottsched
Johann Christoph Gottsched (2 February 1700 – 12 December 1766) was a German philosopher, author and critic of the Enlightenment.
Biography
Early life
He was born at Juditten (Mendeleyevo) near Königsberg (Kaliningrad), Brandenburg-Pr ...
.
Bach used the model for the alto aria also for the of his Mass in B minor.
5
The Evangelist continues the narration with the Ascension: "" (And He was apparently lifted up).
6
![Rist Johann](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Rist_Johann.jpg)
The first chorale, closing part 1, is the fourth stanza of "", written in 1641 by
Johann Rist
Johann Rist (8 March 1607 – 31 August 1667) was a German poet and dramatist best known for his hymns, which inspired musical settings and have remained in hymnals.
Life
Rist was born at Ottensen in Holstein-Pinneberg (today Hamburg) on 8 Marc ...
. The text "" (Now everything is subject to You)
imagines Jesus in heaven, with the angels and elements serving him.
It is composed as a four-part setting, with the instruments playing : oboes and violin I enforce the chorale tune, the flutes an octave higher, violin II plays with the alto, viola with the tenor, and the continuo with the bass.
7
The evangelist begins Part II, "" (And as they watched),
telling of two men in white gowns addressing the disciples. The two men are represented by tenor and bass in a duet.
8
A reflecting recitative for alto, "" (Ah yes! Then come back soon;),
requests the return of Jesus. Parallel to the bass recitative in Part I, it is also accompanied by the flutes and continuo.
9
The evangelist ends the narration, "" (They however prayed to Him),
telling of the disciples' return from the mountain which is named the
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...
.
10
The soprano aria, "" (Jesus, Your merciful gaze),
is also based on the wedding cantata .
It is one of the rare pieces in Bach's music without basso continuo, with the two unison flutes, the oboe and the unison strings playing a trio, augmented to a quartet by the singer. The original words in the wedding cantata mentioned "" (innocence). Brian Robins notes "the lightly translucent texture reflecting the text's allusion to Christ leaving his body to ascend to Heaven".
Jones thinks that the setting without an earthly continuo represents the ''Gnadenblicke'' (glances of Grace) of the text.
11
The closing chorale, "" (When shall it happen"),
is the seventh stanza of "", written in 1697 by
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer
Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (11 July 1635 – 8 September 1699) was a German jurist, poet, satirist and Protestant hymn writer. He worked as an advocate at the court of Wolfenbüttel. Johann Sebastian Bach used a stanza from his hymn "" to conclude his ...
. Set in the first person, it expresses the desire of the speaker for the "liebe Zeit" (dear time) when he sees the Saviour in his glory. Continuing saying "wir" (we), he imagines to greet him and kiss him.
It is set as a
chorale fantasia
Chorale fantasia is a type of large composition based on a chorale melody, both works for organ, and vocal settings, for example the opening movements of Bach's chorale cantatas, with the chorale melody as a cantus firmus.
History
Chorale fantas ...
. The soprano sings the in long notes,
on the melody of "Von Gott will ich nicht lassen".
Similar to the final chorale of the ''
Christmas Oratorio
The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'',
the chorale tune in a
church mode
A Gregorian mode (or church mode) is one of the eight systems of pitch organization used in Gregorian chant.
History
The name of Pope Gregory I was attached to the variety of chant that was to become the dominant variety in medieval western and ...
appears in the triumphant context of a different
major key
In music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition in classical, Western art, and Western pop music.
The group features a '' tonic note'' and its corresponding '' chords'', ...
. The text expresses longing for the day of being united with Jesus in Heaven. The musicologist Julian Mincham interprets the mode of the tune as "the human state of waiting and hoping", while the concerto represents the fulfillment.
Mincham compares the writing to the opening chorale fantasias of the
second cantata cycle of
chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the German Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chorale cantata includes m ...
s, finding the composition for the lower voices "endlessly inventive, frequently related to the textual images" pointing out "the passionate and clinging representation of kissing the Saviour beneath the caressing flutes, in the penultimate phrase".
Recordings
The sortable listing is taken from the selection provided by Aryeh Oron on the Bach Cantatas Website.
Ensembles with period instruments in
historically informed performance and choirs of one voice per part (OVPP) is marked by green background.
Notes
References
External links
*
Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Ascension Oratorio) BWV 11; BC D 9 / Oratorio (Ascension Day)Bach Digital
Bach Digital (German: ), developed by the Bach Archive in Leipzig, is an online database which gives access to information on compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach and members of his family. Early manuscripts of such compositions are a major foc ...
BWV 11.6bach-chorales.com
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen'', BWV 11
Passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach
1735 compositions
Oratorios based on the Bible
Ascension of Jesus