Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen

"Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen" ("Praise God in his kingdoms," also known as the "Ascension Oratorio", BWV 11) is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was probably composed in 1735, with text presumably by Picander. In the "Bach-Gesamtausgabe" (BGA) the work is included under the Cantatas (therefore its small BWV number), and in the "Bach Compendium" it is numbered BC D 9 and included under Oratorios. It is based on biblical texts, and therefore contains recitatives of one evangelist and other persons. Bach marked it as "Oratorium In Festo Ascensionis." This two-part work spans 11 numbers, with a performance time of around half an hour:

# Choral — "Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen" (after a festive choral piece from a cantata dating from 1732)
# Evangelist (Tenor) — "Der Herr Jesus hub seine Hände auf“
# Recitative (Bass) — "Ach, Jesu, ist dein Abschied schon so nah?“
# Aria (Alt) — "Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben“ (musical parody of an earlier, lost wedding cantata which is also the source of the "Agnus Dei" from the Mass in B Minor)
# Evangelist (Tenor) — "Und ward aufgehoben zusehends“
# Choral — "Nun lieget alles unter dir“
# Evangelists (Tenor and Bass) — "Und da sie ihm nachsahen gen Himmel fahren“
# Recitative (Alt) — "Ach ja! so komme bald zurück“
# Evangelist (Tenor) — "Sie aber beteten ihn an“
# Aria (Soprano) — "Jesu, deine Gnadenblicke“ (both flutes play in unison, likewise oboe 1 and the violins and violas)
# Choral — "Wenn soll es doch geschehen“

Instrumentation

Two flutes, two oboes, three trumpets, timpani, strings, continuo, four vocal soloists (SATB) and chorus.

External links

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* [http://www.emmanuelmusic.org/notes_trans/transl_cantata/bwv011.htm German text with an English translation]