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Recordings & Discussions of Cantatas: Cantatas BWV 1-50 | Cantatas BWV 51-100 | Cantatas BWV 101-150 | Cantatas BWV 151-200 | Cantatas BWV 201-224 | Cantatas BWV Anh | Order of Discussion

Cantata BWV 20
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort [I]

German Title

O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort [I]

English Title

O eternity, O word of thunder (by Francis Browne)

Event

Chorale Cantata for the 1^st Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle: 1 John 4: 16-21; Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31

Composed

Leipzig, 1724 | 1^st performance: June 11, 1724 - Leipzig

Text

Johann Rist (Mvts. 1, 7, 11); Anon (Mvts. 2-6, 8-10)

German Text | Translations: Catalan-1 | Chinese-1 | Dutch-4 | English-1 | English-3 | English-6 | French-1 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-2
Chorale Text: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort

Scoring

Soloists: Alto, Tenor, Bass; 4-part Chorus
Orchestra: trumpet, 3 oboes, 2 violins, viola, continuo
Mvt. 1: Chorus (Chorale) | Mvt. 2: Recitative | Mvt. 3: Aria | Mvt. 4: Recitative | Mvt. 5: Aria | Mvt. 6: Aria | Mvt. 7: Chorale | Mvt. 8: Aria | Mvt. 9: Recitative | Mvt. 10: Aria (Duet) | Mvt. 11: Chorale

Score Vocal & Piano [2.29 MB] | Score BGA [3.42 MB]
Chorales: Mvt. 7 | Mvt. 11
Capella: Mvt. 7 | Mvt. 7 ver 2 [cap]
Chorale Melody: Wach auf, mein Geist, erhebe dich/O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort

References

BGA: II | NBA: I/15 | BC: A 95 | Zwang: K 74 | First Published: BG, 1852 | Autograph score (fascimile): Basle, Paul-Sacher-Stiftung

Commentary

Crouch | AMG | Emmanuel Music | EvH [Dutch] | Reyes [Spanish]

Music

Music Examples

Discussions

Week of June 2, 2002; Week of May 28, 2006; Week of April 24, 2011

Contents

Complete Recordings
Recordings of Individual Movements

Discussions - Part 1
Discussions - Part 2
Discussions - Part 3

John Eliot Gardiner - Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Vols. 1&8
Complete Cantatas Vol. 10 - conducted by Ton Koopman
Cantatas Vol. 22 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki

Recordings - Part 1

Complete Recordings

1

Die Bach Kantate Vol. 39
Edition Bachakademie Vol. 6

Helmuth Rilling

Frankfurter Kantorei / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart

Altos: Verena Gohl, Martha Kessler; Tenor: Theo Altmeyer, Adalbert Kraus; Bass: Wolfgang Schöne

Hänssler

June-July 1970

TT: 33:04

Recorded at Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Germany.
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2

J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 2

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Wiener Sängerknaben & Chorus Viennensis (Chorus Master - Hans Gillesberger) / Concentus Musicus Wien

Alto: Paul Esswood; Tenor: Kurt Equiluz; Bass: Max van Egmond

Teldec

1972

TT: 26:55

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3

J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 10

Ton Koopman

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir

Alto: Michael Chance; Tenor: Paul Agnew; Bass: Klaus Mertens

Erato / Antoine Marchand

Oct 1998

TT: 26:54

Recorded at Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam, Holland.
See: Complete Cantatas Vol. 10 - conducted by Ton Koopman
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4

Bach Edition Vol. 18 - Cantatas Vol. 9

Pieter Jan Leusink

Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium

Alto: Sytse Buwalda; Tenor: Knut Schoch; Bass: Bas Ramselaar

Brilliant Classics

Spring 2000

TT: 28:10

Recorded at St. Nicolaschurch, Elburg, Holland.
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5

Bach Cantatas Vol. 1: City of London
For the 1^st Sunday after Trinity

John Eliot Gardiner

Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists

Alto: Wilke te Brummelstroete; Tenor: Paul Agnew; Bass: Dietrich Henschel

Soli Deo Gloria

Jun 2000

TT: 23:46

Live recording from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, at St. Giles Cripplegate, London, England.
See: John Eliot Gardiner - Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Vols. 1&8
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6

J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the First and Second Sundays After Trinity [C-2]

Craig Smith

Orchestra and Chorus of Emmanuel Music (Chorus Master: Michael Beattie)

Alto: Pamela Dellal; Tenor: Gerald Gray; Bass: David Kravitz

Koch International

Sep 2001

TT: 29:24

Recorded at Emmanuel Church, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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7

J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 22 - Cantatas from Leipzig 1724

Cantata BWV 20 [23:58]

Masaaki Suzuki

Bach Collegium Japan

Counter-tenor: Robin Blaze; Tenor: Jan Kobow; Bass: Peter Kooy

BIS 1321

Apr 19-23, 2002

CD / TT: 73:17

Recorded at the Kobe Shoin Women's University Chapel, Japan.
See: Cantatas Vol. 22 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
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8

J.S. Bach: “O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort” - Cantatas BWV 2, 20 & 176 [C-14]

Philippe Herreweghe

Collegium Vocale Gent

Alto: Ingeborg Danz; Tenor: Jan Kobow; Bass: Peter Kooy

Harmonia Mundi France

May 2002

TT: 25:30

Recorded at Stolberger Saal, Köln, Germany.
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9

J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 7: "O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort" - Cantatas BWV 20 · 2 · 10

Cantata BWV 20 [26:26]

Sigiswald Kuijken

(OVPP - No Choir) / La Petite Bande

Soprano: Siri Thornhill; Alto: Petra Noskaiova; Tenor: Marcus Ullmann; Bass: Jan Van der Crabben

Accent 25307

Jul 2007

SACD / TT: 64:38

Recorded at Predikherenkerk, Leuven, Belgium.
Buy this album at:
SACD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de
Music Download: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | ClassicsOnline

The list of recordings was compiled by Aryeh Oron (April 2002 - October 2009)

Cantata BWV 20: Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Recordings & Discussions of Cantatas: Cantatas BWV 1-50 | Cantatas BWV 51-100 | Cantatas BWV 101-150 | Cantatas BWV 151-200 | Cantatas BWV 201-224 | Cantatas BWV Anh | Order of Discussion

Introduction | Cantatas | Other Vocal | Instrumental | Performers | General Topics | Articles | Books | Movies | New
Biographies | Texts & Translations | Scores | References | Commentary | Music | Concerts | Bach Tour | Memorabilia
Chorale Texts | Chorale Melodies | Lutheran Church Year | Readings | Poets & Composers | Transcriptions
Search Website | Search Works/Movements | Terms & Abbreviations | Copyright | How to contribute | Sitemap | Links