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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 8
Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?

German Title

Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?

English Title

Dearest God, When will my Death be? (by Z. Philip Ambrose)

Event

Cantata for the 16^th Sunday after Trinity
Reading: Epistle: Ephesians 3: 13-21; Gospel: Luke 7: 11-17

Composed

Leipzig, 1724 | 1^st performance: September 24, 1724 - Leipzig; 2^nd performance: 1735-1740 - Leipzig; 3^rd performance (Late version in D): 1746-1747 - Leipzig

Text

Caspar Neumann (Mvts. 1, 6); Anon (Mvts. 2-5)

German Text | German-2 | Translations: Catalan-1 | Dutch-2 | Dutch-3 | English-1 | English-3I | English-3P | English-6 | French-1 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Portuguese-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-2
Chorale Text: Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben

Scoring

Soloists: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass; 4-part Chorus
Orchestra: transverse flute, 2 oboes d’amore, strings, continuo; horn features in the continuo for the 1^st movement
Mvt. 1: Chorus | Mvt. 2: Aria | Mvt. 3: Recitative | Mvt. 4: Aria | Mvt. 5: Recitative | Mvt. 6: Chorale

Score Vocal & Piano [1.65 MB] | Score BGA [2.97 MB]
Chorales: Mvt. 6
Capella: Mvt. 6 [cap]
Chorale Melody: Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben

References

BGA: I | NBA: I/23 | BC: A 137 | Zwang: K 88 | First Published: BG, 1851| Autograph score (fascimile): ?

Commentary

Crouch | AMG | Emmanuel Music | EvH [Dutch] | HT [Dutch] | Role [French] | Reyes [Spanish]

Music

Music Examples

Discussions

Week of December 9, 1999; Week of September 3, 2006; Week of March 18, 2012

Contents

Complete Recordings
Recordings of Individual Movements

Discussions

John Eliot Gardiner - Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Vols. 1&8
Cantatas Vol. 24 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki

1

Bach Cantatas Vol. 4 - Sundays after Trinity I

Karl Richter

Münchener Bach-Chor / Münchener Bach-Orchester

Soprano: Ursula Buckel; Alto: Hertha Töpper; Tenor: Ernst Haefliger; Bass: Kieth Engen

Archiv Produktion

July-Aug 1959

TT: 23:45

Recorded at Augustana-Saal, Ansbach, Germany.
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2

Les Grandes Cantates de J.S. Bach Vol. 12
J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 8, 26, 43, 61, 85, 130, 182 [C-2]
Bach Cantatas: Volume 2

Fritz Werner

Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn / Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra

Soprano: Friederike Sailer; Mezzo-Soprano: Claudia Hellmann; Tenor: Helmut Krebs; Bass: Erich Wenk

Erato / MHS

1961

TT: 21:28

Recorded in Ilsfeld, Germany.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com [Box Set | Amazon.co.uk [Box Set]

3

J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 1

Gustav Leonhardt

King's College Choir Cambridge (Chorus Master: David Willcocks) / Leonhardt-Consort

Soprano: Soloist of the Regensburger Domspatzen (No name); Alto: Paul Esswood; Tenor: Kurt Equiluz; Bass: Max van Egmond

Teldec

1971

TT: 19:03

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4

Die Bach Kantate Vol. 51
Edition Bachakademie Vol. 3

Helmuth Rilling

Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart

Soprano: Arleen Augér; Alto: Helen Watts; Tenor: Adalbert Kraus; Bass: Philippe Huttenlocher

Hänssler

Feb, Oct 1979

TT: 16:55

Recorded at Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Germany.
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5

J.S. Bach: 6 Favourite Cantatas [C-2]

Joshua Rifkin

(OVPP - No Choir) / The Bach Ensemble

Soprano: Julianne Baird; Alto: Allan Fast; Tenor: Frank Kelley; Bass: Jan Opalach

Decca

Mar-Apr 1988

TT: 18:22

Recorded at Methuen Memorial Hall, MA, USA.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com [8,78,99]

6

J.S. Bach: Cantatas Volume II - Trauerode [C-2]

Jeffrey Thomas

American Bach Soloists

Soprano: Julianne Baird; Alto: Steven Rickards; Tenor: Jeffrey Thomas; Bass: James Weaver

Koch International / Magnatune

Jan, Mar 1992

TT: 17:21

Recorded at St. Stephen's Church, Belvedere, CA, USA.
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7

J.S. Bach: "Mit Fried und Freud" [C-12]

Philippe Herreweghe

Collegium Vocale Gent

Soprano: Deborah York; Alto: Ingeborg Danz; Tenor: Mark Padmore; Bass: Peter Kooy

Harmonia Mundi France

Feb 1998

TT: 18:31

ecorded at l'Eglise Doopsgezinde Germeente, Haarlem, Holland.
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8

Bach Edition Vol. 12 - Cantatas Vol. 6

Pieter Jan Leusink

Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium

Soprano: Ruth Holton; Alto: Sytse Buwalda; Tenor: Marcel Beekman; Bass: Bas Ramselaar

Brilliant Classics

Nov-Dec 1999

TT: 18.17

Recorded at St. Nicolaschurch, Elburg, Holland.
Buy this album at: Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.de

9

J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 12

Ton Koopman

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir

Soprano: Lisa Larsson; Alto: Annette Markert; Tenor: Christoph Prégardien; Bass: Klaus Mertens

Erato / Antoine Marchand

Mar 2000

TT: 18:38 + 4:58

Includes an alternate version of Aria for Bass (Mvt. 4) with traverso and oboe d’amore (4:58). Recorded at Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam, Holland.
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10

Bach Cantatas Vol. 8: Bremen / Santiago
For for the 16^th Sunday after Trinity

John Eliot Gardiner

Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists

Soprano: Katharine Fuge; Counter-tenor: Robin Tyson; Tenor: Mark Padmore; Bass: Thomas Guthrie

Soli Deo Gloria

Oct 2000

TT: 18:38

Live recording from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, at Santo Domingo de Bonaval, Santiago de Compostela.
See: John Eliot Gardiner - Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Vols. 1&8
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11

J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 24 - Cantatas from Leipzig 1724

Cantata BWV 8 [17:06]
Appendix: Cantata BWV 8: 2^nd version of the opening chorus (Mvt. 1) [5:35]

Masaaki Suzuki

Bach Collegium Japan

Soprano: Yukari Nonoshita; Counter-tenor: Robin Blaze; Tenor: Gerd Türk; Bass: Peter Kooy

BIS 1351

Sep 6-10, 2002

CD / TT: 67:37

Recorded at the Kobe Shoin Women's University Chapel, Japan.
See: Cantatas Vol. 24 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
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12

Cantata No. 8, Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben? (J.S. Bach) [C-2]

Cantata BWV 8 []

Edward Lundergan

Kairos: A Consort of Singers / Orchestra

Soprano: Christine Howlett; Alto: Patricia Marquez; Tenor: Glenn Knickerbocker; Baritone: William Ashby

Kairos: A Consort of Singers

Sep 27, 2009

MP3 / TT

Recorded live at Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York, USA.
Listen to this recording at: Kairos: A Consort of Singers

The list of recordings was compiled by Aryeh Oron (December 1999 - October 2009)
Thanks to contributors: Teri Noel Towe (December 2001)

Cantata BWV 8: Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions

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