September 9

The Becker Psalter was a rhymed Psalter that was set to music by Schütz for congregational use in Dresden. Much simpler than his motets and sacred symphonies, the music is nevertheless masterful in its clarity and singability. Today we perform several verses of Psalm 22, the basis of the opening chorus to our cantata.

Cantata BWV 75 is one of the longest and grandest of all of the cantatas. It and its companion piece BWV 76 (performed next week) were the first two pieces written after Bach appointment to be Cantor at Leipzig. The opening chorus is in two parts: a slow, halting section illustrating the plight of the hungry and a quicker, but still expressive fugue begun by four soloists and then taken up by the chorus. The themes of helping the poor and the evil of pride and selfishness are taken up in the bass recitative and further elaborated upon in the lovely lyrical tenor aria with oboe and strings. The other theme, the Bible reading that we must suffer for an eternity for our sins, is proclaimed by the tenor in the following recitative. The soprano takes a lovely, childlike point of view in the aria with oboe d'amore solo. After a recitative the chorus sings a beautiful, elaborated version of the chorale "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan." That chorale then appears played by a high trumpet in the sinfonia that starts the second part of our cantata. The alto aria is melancholy and insistent, a new mood in this cantata. The bass brings back a positive note with both the recitative and the bravura aria with trumpet and strings. Another tenor recitative ushers in the second performance of the elaborated chorale "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan."

©Craig Smith

Translation for this Cantata