''Die Freude reget sich'' (Joy awakens),
BWV
The (, ; BWV) is a Catalogues of classical compositions, catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990 and the third edition in ...
36.3, BWV36b), is a secular
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
composed by
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, joËhan zeËbastiĚŻan baĎ ( â 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
.
[Work at ]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 ...
website The work appears to date from 1738â1740, when Bach was living in
Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
.
Bach drew on material he had composed more than a decade earlier for the cantata
''Schwingt freudig euch empor'', BWV 36.1.
[Work at ]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 ...
website
History and text
Bach wrote several works for celebrations of the
Leipzig University
Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...
, ''Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern''.
The text pays homage to , who was appointed
Rector of
Leipzig University
Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...
in October 1735, and the cantata was likely written for his ceremonial appointment as the highest-ranking professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Leipzig in May 1739.
In 1727
Christian Friedrich Henrici
Christian Friedrich Henrici (January 14, 1700 â May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name Picander, was a German poet and librettist for many works by Johann Sebastian Bach, notably the St Matthew Passion of 1727.
Life and career
Henrici was ...
(Picander) had published an earlier version of the text, the birthday cantata
''Steigt freudig in die Luft'', BWW 36.2, which was also set by Bach. Picander was probably the author of the adaptation for the university celebration.
Scoring and structure
The cantata is scored for four soloists,
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical 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 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
,
alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
,
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
and
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
, a four-part
choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
,
flauto traverso
The Western concert flute can refer to the common C concert flute or to the family of transverse (side-blown) flutes to which the C flute belongs. Almost all are made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two. A musician who plays the flute ...
, two
oboes d'amore
The ; (), less commonly (), is a double reed woodwind musical instrument in the oboe family. Slightly larger than the oboe, it has a less assertive and a more tranquil and serene tone, and is considered the mezzo-soprano of the oboe family, betw ...
, two
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
s,
viola
The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
and
basso continuo
Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600â1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
.
# Chorus:
#
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 lines ...
(tenor):
#
Aria
In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
(tenor):
# Recitative (alto):
# Aria (alto):
# Recitative (soprano):
# Aria (soprano):
# Chorus and recitative (tenor, alto, soprano):
Music
As in BWV 36.1, the first movement is cheerful in nature, and the tenor aria includes a significant oboe d'amore line. The final movement is a "jolly chorus with interpolated recitative".
There are also related sacred cantatas, two versions of the church cantata for the First Sunday in Advent,
''Schwingt freudig euch empor'', BWV 36.
[Work and at ]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 ...
website
The cantata is unusual in being a secular work which was parodied as a sacred work and then, some five years later again as a secular work. Bach's parodies are usually secular to sacred rather than sacred to secular. The explanation given for the prevalence of secular to sacred parodies is that occasional secular works such as birthday cantatas had a single use and then Bach was able to reuse them as sacred works.
Recordings
* ''Bach Kantaten'',
Wolfgang Unger,
Leipziger Universitätschor
The Leipziger Universitätschor (LUC) is the university choir of the University of Leipzig. A mixed choir, it is formed by approximately 100 students from all faculties. It was founded in 1926 as Madrigalkreis Leipziger Studenten (Madrigal circle ...
, Pauliner Barockensemble,
Linda Perillo,
Matthias Koch,
Nils Giesecke, Thorofon
* ''Edition Bachakademie Vol. 139 â Congratulatory and Hommage Cantatas'',
Helmuth Rilling
Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970),
the Internationale Bachakade ...
,
Gächinger Kantorei
Gächinger Kantorei (Gächingen Chorale), which uses the old German spelling of its name, the Gaechinger Cantorey, is an internationally known German mixed choir, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954 in Gächingen (part of St. Johann close to Reutl ...
,
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart is an internationally known German instrumental ensemble, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1965 to accompany the Gächinger Kantorei in choral music with orchestra. Its members are mostly orchestra musicians from Germany and ...
,
Christiane Oelze
Christiane Oelze (born 9 October 1963 in Cologne) is a German operatic soprano. From 2003 to 2008, she taught singing at the Robert Schumann Hochschule DĂźsseldorf. Since 2010 she taught at the Masterclass of Apeldoorn (Netherlands), since 2011 at ...
,
Ingeborg Danz
Ingeborg Danz (born 1961 in Witten) is a German mezzo-soprano and alto concert singer.
Career
Danz studied school music at the Hochschule fĂźr Musik Detmold and voice with Heiner Eckels. She took advanced classes with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, am ...
,
Marcus Ullmann,
Hänssler
Hänssler-Verlag is a German music publishing house founded in 1919 as Musikverlag Hänssler by (died 1972) to publish church music. In 1941 the Nazi government shut down the publishing house. It was allowed by the West German authorities to reo ...
References
Sources
''Scores''
*
''General''
Cantata BWV 36b Die Freude reget sichhistory, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, Bach Cantatas Website
English translation,
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...
BWV 36b Die Freude reget sichtext, 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, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freude reget sich BWV 36b
Secular cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach
1735 compositions