Bach Cantata Notes

BWV 41

Ironically Bach probably did not know a note of Schütz' music but no doubt knew much of Schein because Schein worked his whole adult career at Thomaskirche in Leipzig and all of his works were still in the library when Bach was there exactly one hundred years later. Bach's new Year's Cantata BWV 41 begins with one of his largest scale chorale settings. The tune "Jesu, nun sei gepreiset" is a huge chorale melody in four sections. Bach sets it with grandeur, an orchestra of three trumpets, timpani, three oboes and strings. In addition he writes a solo for his favorite Leipzig string instrument, the violincello piccolo. After the blazing opening section of the first chorus it is interesting to find the inward quieter section still accompanied by trumpets; the quick homophonic section that follows leads directly into a recapitulation of the opening material. The jiglike soprano aria with three oboes gives the impression of being a palindrome even though it is not one. This perfectly illustrates the 'beginning is the ending' quality of the text. Up to this point this brilliant piece may seem a little superficial. The profound tenor aria with piccolo cello obbligato takes the piece deeper than one would have thought possible. The huge leaps of the five-string cello create a gossamer web that the expressive voice line floats over like a memory. The bass recitative includes a litany response from the chorus. The four-voice chorale harmonization is punctuated with motives from the opening chorus.

©Craig Smith