Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150

Bach c. 1715

Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich BWV 150 (For Thee, O Lord, I long) is an early Lutheran choral cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach composed for an unknown occasion. It is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, choir and a small orchestra of two violins, bassoon obbligato, and basso continuo. It is unique among Bach’s cantatas in its sparse orchestration and in the independence and prominence of the chorus, which is featured in four out of seven movements. The libretto alternates between Biblical verses and free poetry (a rarity among Bach’s early cantatas). The text of movements 2, 4, and 6 is from Psalm 25 (vv. 1, 2, 5, 15). The author of the poetry is unknown.

History

Although the exact date is not known, this is one of Bach's earliest surviving cantatas. It may date from Bach's late years employed in Arnstadt (where he was up to 1707) or his early years in Weimar (from 1708). ^[1] The Zwang catalogue (which lists the cantatas chronologically) dates it as the sixth of the surviving cantatas by Bach (composed 1708-1709), and places Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 composed in 1707 as the earliest. The first performance would have probably been in Mühlhausen.^[2]

Form

The duration of the cantata is about 17 minutes. It is in seven movements, alternating choruses and arias. There are no recitatives, no da capo repeats, and there is no chorale tune. Bach makes extensive use of choral fugues and imitative polyphony, often shifting the tempo and character of the music within movements very quickly to accommodate a new musical idea with each successive phrase of text.

1. Sinfonia
2. [chorus] Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich
3. [soprano aria] Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnügt
4. [chorus] Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit
5. [alto/tenor/bass trio] Zedern müssen von den Winden
6. [chorus] Meine Augen sehen stets zu dem Herrn
7. [chorus (ciaccona)] Meine Tage in dem Leide

The sinfonia and the opening choral movement are both based on the motive of an octave leap followed by five descending half steps. This chromatic figure, sometimes dubbed the “lamento bass”, has been utilized by composers as early as Monteverdi as a musical representation of anguish, pain, and longing.^[3] Movement five is one of only a handful of vocal trios to be found in Bach’s oeuvre, as well as the only movement in the cantata in the major mode, shifting from B minor to D major. The final movement is a chaconne built on a ground bass that goes through a series of modulations. The theme of this closing movement was adapted by Johannes Brahms for the Finale of his Symphony No. 4.

Recordings

• Les Grandes Cantates de J.S. Bach Vol. 28, Fritz Werner, Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Ingeborg Reichelt, Barbara Scherler, Friedrich Melzer, Bruce Abel, Erato 1973
• J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 1, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens. Antoine Marchand 1994

References

• Green, Jonathan. A Conductor's Guide to the Choral-Orchestral Works of J. S. Bach. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2000.
• Jeffers, Ron. Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume 2: German Texts. Corvallis, Oregon: Earthsongs, 2000.
• Whittaker, William Gillies. 'The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, Volume 1. London: Oxford University Press, 1959.
• Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: An Analytical Guide. Jefferson, NC: MacFarland & Co., Inc., 1989.

Notes

1. ^ Jonathan Green dates the work c. 1708-1710; W. G. Whittaker dates it c. 1712.
2. ^ Whittaker, 52. Green 328.
3. ^ Jeffers 44

External links

• Cantatas, BWV 141-150: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
• Original German text
• English translation of the text
• Another English translation