Motet: Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was the last of the great Flemish masters that dominated religious music for several centuries. Although Sweelinck never went to Italy like his older Flemish antecedents he was clearly conversant with the Renaissance motet style. One of his last works was a set of Latin motets for each day of the church year. This work, "Cantiones Sacrae," was published in 1619 near the end of his long life. The Epiphany motet is high and light with two high soprano parts and the bottom voices represented by a high tenor and a light baritone part. Sweelinck is mainly known today for his marvelous keyboard variations and a set of French-language madrigal-like Psalm settings. The serious contrapuntal mastery of our motet will surprise those who only know these lighter works.

Cantata: BWV 123 Only two cantatas from the Feast of Epiphany survive by Bach. In addition is, of course, the sixth part of the Christmas Oratorio. Both the Christmas Oratorio and Cantata BWV 65 are directly related to the story of the wise men. For some reason in the 2nd Jahrgang, Bach's libretto for today's cantata has hardly a reference to the Epiphany. There certainly is a touch of Orientalism about the opening chorus but otherwise, the text and character is firmly ensconced in the world of self-denial and rejection. The opening chorus is one of the most insistently monothematic pieces that Bach ever wrote. Every single bar is permeated with the repeated note bell-like figure that opens the cantata The chorale is irregular in form: four phrases that are then repeated. The second section has three phrases that are also repeated in the four-voice version at the end but are not in the opening chorus.Bach goes to great lengths to introduce variety in both the phrasing and the harmonic underpinnings of the one theme. The chorale tune is quite long and the whole chorus is permeated with a kind of melancholy that one finds at the close of the Christmas Oratorio. After a secco alto recitative, the tenor aria with two oboes d'amore comes as a complete contrast. Here the long, arching chromatic phrases of the oboes create a perfect picture of the "Kreuzesreise" (journey of the Cross). The form of this da capo aria is unusual. The first phrase of the B section is a fiery allegro; the last two are in the opening lento tempo, but rather free, almost recitative-like in their character. The secco bass recitative introduces harrowing new dangers remarkably uncharacterized. The following aria is interesting. Clearly the solo flute for Bach implies a lonely pastorale element. The tune inself is folky but its development and combination is resourceful. This aria is also a da capo, perhaps a bit unvaried for its length. The chorale is block-like, with the same haunting bell-like sound as the opening chorus.

©Craig Smith

Translation for this Cantata