(Blessed is the man), 57, is a

church cantata A church cantata or sacred cantata is a cantata intended to be performed during Christian liturgy. The genre was particularly popular in 18th-century Lutheran Germany, with many composers writing an extensive output: Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, ...

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 w ...

. He wrote the Christmas cantata in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

in 1725 for the Second Day of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

, which was celebrated that year as

St. Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chr ...

, and first performed it on 26 December 1725.

History and text

Bach wrote the cantata in his third year in Leipzig for the Second Day of Christmas. That year, as every other year in Leipzig, the day was the feast of the martyr St. Stephanus (Stephen). The prescribed readings for the day are from the

Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...

, the

Martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

dom of Stephen (, ), and from the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and for ...

, Jerusalem killing her prophets (). The cantata text was written by Georg Christian Lehms, who drew on all the readings and connected them to more biblical allusions. The first line is taken from , the crown mentioned is in Greek "stephanos". Lehms set the development as a dialogue of "Jesus" and the Soul ("Anima"). He intended to use as a closing chorale a verse from

Johann Heermann Johann Heermann (11 October 158517 February 1647) was a German poet and hymnodist. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 26 October with Philipp Nicolai and Paul Gerhardt. Life Heermann was born in Raudten (m ...

's "", but Bach instead chose the 6th verse of

Ahasverus Fritsch Ahasverus Fritsch (16 December 1629 – 24 August 1701) was a German jurist, poet and hymn writer of the Baroque era. Fritsch was born in Mücheln as a son of the mayor. In 1631, the family was forced to flee when the city was burned down. Later ...

's "", called (Talk of the soul with Christ), in order to continue the dialogue. Bach first performed the cantata on 26 December 1725.

Scoring and structure

The setting for the cantata in seven movements is intimate:

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

soloists, 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. A ...

oboe da caccia The oboe da caccia (; literally "hunting oboe" in Italian), also sometimes referred to as an oboe da silva, is a double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family, pitched a fifth below the oboe and used primarily in the Baroque period of Europe ...

, 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 regular ...

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

, and continuo. The Anima is sung by the soprano, the bass is the , the voice of Jesus. A four-part choir is only needed for the closing chorale, if at all. The oboes play only in the first and last movement, doubling the strings. # Aria (bass): # Recitative (soprano): # Aria (soprano): # Recitative (soprano, bass): # Aria (bass): # Recitative (soprano, bass): # Aria (soprano): # Chorale:

Music

The music for the dialogue of Jesus and the Soul is more dramatic than in other church cantatas by Bach. Most of the recitatives are secco, as in the opera of the time, driving the action. John Eliot Gardiner sees Bach here as the "best writer of dramatic declamation (recitative in other words) since Monteverdi". The first aria is dominated by long vocal phrases. In the second aria the longing for death is expressed by an upwards line followed by a wide interval down. The third aria shows Jesus as the victor by fanfare-like broken triads. In the last aria the line of the solo violin can be interpreted as the passionate movement of the Anima into the arms of Jesus. After a mystical union is reached in the second part of the aria, "" ("My Savior, I die with the greatest eagerness"), no da capo is possible; the aria ends on the question "?" ("what will You give me?"), answered by the final four-part chorale on the tune of "".

Recordings

* ''Willem Mengelberg – Volume 1 (J. S. Bach)'', Willem Mengelberg, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Jo Vincent, Max Kloos, Mengelberg Edition 1940 * ''Bach Made in Germany Vol. 1 – Cantatas I'', Günther Ramin, Thomanerchor,

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

Agnes Giebel Agnes Giebel (10 August 1921 – 24 April 2017) was a German classical soprano. She was born in Heerlen, in the Netherlands, where she lived the first years of her life. She studied at the Folkwangschule in Essen and made her first public appe ...

, Johannes Oettel, Berlin / Leipzig Classics 1951 * ''J. S. Bach: Cantata No. 140, Cantata No. 57'',

Karl Ristenpart Karl Ristenpart (26 January 1900 – 24 December 1967) was a German conductor. Career Born in Kiel, Germany, he studied at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and in Vienna. He was heavily involved in creating three orchestras in his lifetim ...

, Chorus of the Conservatory of Sarrebruck, Chamber Orchestra of the Saar,

Ursula Buckel Ursula Buckel (11 February 1926 – 5 December 2005) was a German soprano singer, known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Career Born in the Thuringian town of Lauscha, Ursula Buckel studied singing in the School of Church Music in Br ...

Jakob Stämpfli Jakob Stämpfli (23 February 1820 – 15 May 1879) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1854–1863). He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 6 December 1854, and handed over office on 31 December 1863. ...

, Club Francais du Disque 1962 * ''Les Grandes Cantates de J. S. Bach Vol. 13'',

Fritz Werner Fritz Werner (15 December 1898 – 22 December 1977) was a German choral conductor, church music director, conductor, organist and composer. He founded the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn in 1947 and conducted it until 1973. Career Born in Berli ...

Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn Fritz Werner (15 December 1898 – 22 December 1977) was a German choral conductor, church music director, conductor, organist and composer. He founded the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn in 1947 and conducted it until 1973. Career Born in Berli ...

, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra,

Barry McDaniel Barry McDaniel (October 18, 1930 – June 18, 2018) was an American operatic baritone who spent his career almost exclusively in Germany, including 37 years at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He appeared internationally at major opera houses and fes ...

Erato In Greek mythology, Erato (; grc, Ἐρατώ) is one of the Greek Muses, which were inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius o ...

1963 * ''Bach Cantatas Vol. 15: New York'', John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists,

Joanne Lunn Joanne Lunn is an English classical soprano in opera and concert. Career Joanne Lunn studied at Royal College of Music, where she graduated and received the Tagore Gold Medal. Lunn performed in Monteverdi's ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'', Gluck ...

Peter Harvey Peter Michael St Clair Harvey (16 September 19442 March 2013) was an Australian journalist and broadcaster. Harvey was a long-serving correspondent and contributor with the Nine Network from 1975 to 2013. Career Harvey studied his journalism ...

, Soli Deo Gloria 2000 * ''J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 17'',

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael Koopman (; born 2 October 1944), known professionally as Ton Koopman, is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orches ...

, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Sibylla Rubens,

Klaus Mertens Klaus Mertens (born 25 March 1949, in Kleve) is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach for bass voice. Career Klaus Mertens took singing lessons ...

, Antoine Marchand 2002 * ''Bach: Dialogue Cantatas · Dialogkantaten'',

Rainer Kussmaul Rainer Kussmaul (3 June 1946 – 27 March 2017) was a German Grammy Award-winning violinist and conductor. Kussmaul was born in Mannheim and studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart. He was professor in Freiburg, first concertmaster of ...

RIAS Kammerchor The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir) is a German choir based in Berlin, Germany. It receives support from the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin ("Berlin Radio Orchestra and Choirs"), a limited-liability company owned by the public bro ...

Berliner Barock Solisten Berliner is most often used to designate a citizen of Berlin, Germany Berliner may also refer to: People * Berliner (surname) Places * Berliner Lake, a lake in Minnesota, United States * Berliner Philharmonie, concert hall in Berlin, Germany * ...

Dorothea Röschmann Dorothea Röschmann (born 17 June 1967) is a German soprano. She is famous for her performances in operas by Mozart as well as Lieder. Early life Röschmann was born in Flensburg, and sang with the Flensburg Bach Choir by the age of seven. She st ...

, Thomas Quasthoff, Deutsche Grammophon 2007 * ''J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 43'', Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan,

Hana Blažíková Hana Blažíková (born 2 December 1980) is a Czech soprano and harpist. She is focused on Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music, appearing internationally. She has recorded as a member of the Bach Collegium Japan, among many others. Career ...

Peter Kooy Peter Kooij (or, internationally Kooy, born 1954, in Soest) is a Dutch bass singer who specializes in baroque music. Biography Kooij started his musical career at 6 years as a choir boy. However he started his musical studies as a violin stud ...

, BIS 2008 * Alfredo Bernardini, Kirchheimer BachConsort,

Dominik Wörner Dominik Wörner (born 1970) is a German classical bass singer in concert, Lied and opera. He is a specialist in Baroque music, especially works by Bach, but is open to music of other eras including contemporary music. Career Born in Grünstadt ...

''J. S. Bach Dialogkantaten BWV 32, 57, 58''.

cpo CPO may refer to: Occupations * Certified Professional Organizer * Certified Protection Officer, a professional certification for security officers from the International Foundation for Protection Officers * Chief people officer, a corporate of ...

, 2016. *

Helmut Winschermann Helmut Winschermann (; 22 March 1920 – 4 March 2021) was a German classical oboist, conductor and academic teacher. He founded the Deutsche Bachsolisten ensemble for historically informed performances, and was their conductor from 1960 until ...

Deutsche Bachsolisten Deutsche Bachsolisten (DBS) (The German Bach Soloists) is a German Baroque chamber orchestra dedicated to the works of J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known ...

Elly Ameling

Hermann Prey Hermann Prey ( Berlin, 11 July 1929 – Krailling, 22 July 1998) was a German lyric baritone, who was equally at home in the Lied, operatic and concert repertoires. His American debut was in November 1952, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and ...

PHILIPS/1980 LP and CD 10 Festkantaten

References

Sources

*
Selig ist der Mann, der die Anfechtung erduldet (Dialogus) BWV 57; BC A 14 / Sacred cantata (2nd Christmas Day)
Leipzig University
Cantata BWV 57 Selig ist der Mann
history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, ''bach-cantatas'' website

English translation,

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

BWV 57 Selig ist der Mann
text, scoring,

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...

Chapter 7 BWV 57 Selig ist der Mann / Blessed is the Man.
Julian Mincham, 2010

External links

Selig ist der Mann, BWV 57
performance by the

Netherlands Bach Society The Netherlands Bach Society ( nl, Nederlandse Bachvereniging) is the oldest ensemble for Baroque music in the Netherlands, and possibly in the world. The ensemble was founded in 1921 in Naarden to perform Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's ''St Matthew ...

(video and background information) {{DISPLAYTITLE:''Selig ist der Mann'', BWV 57 Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach 1725 compositions Christmas cantatas