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Thomas Braatz wrote (December 10, 2002):
BWV 19 - Provenance:
The Autograph Score:
The autograph score was inherited by C. P. E. Bach in whose listing of his estate at the time of his death appear this cantata BWV 19 as well as the autograph scores for BWV 13, BWV 16, BWV 17, BWV 36, BWV 61, BWV 71, BWV 152, all of which came into the possession of Georg Pölchau (1773-1836) in a way that is not clear and can not be documented. These 8 cantatas were contained in a special folder prepared for them by the collector of Bach manuscripts, Georg Pölchau. After Pölchau’s death, his son, Hermann Daniel took over the collection, but, finally, according to his father’s wishes, sold it to the BB in 1841 where it existed as a special collection until 1851, when the cantatas were separated from the collection and integrated with the other holdings of the BB.
Bach began the title page on one side, and having written only “Fe” abandoned this attempt, turned over the page and wrote:
Festo Michaelis.
Es erhub sich ein Streit, etc.
á
4 Voci.
3 Trombe
Tamburi
2 Hautbois
Taille.
2 Violini
Viola
e
Continuo.
di
Joh: Sebast: Bach.
On top of the 1st page of the score Bach wrote:
J. J. Festo Michaelis. Concerto. á 14.
Designating the instrumentation before each staff (from the top down):
1 Tromba
2 Tromba
3 Tromba
Tamburi
1 Violin è 1 Hautb.
2 Violin è 2 Hautb.
Viola è Taille
In mvt. 1 Bach marks the ‘DC’ =da capo
At the top of mvt. 2 “Aria” with a special indication in front of the staff for “2 Obboe d Amour” and at the end of the mvt. ‘Volti’ signaling the turning of the page for the next mvt.
In mvt. 3 a ‘DC’ is marked
At the beginning of mvt. 4, the staffs for “Violini, Viola, Tenor” are marked
After mvt. 5 the indication “Recit. NB” is given and after mvt. 6 “Volti Chorale”
Above the page with the chorale, Bach writes: “Choral” and at the very end: “Fine SDG”
Because of the poor condition of the manuscript with numerous erasures and corrections, the manuscript is difficult to read.
The Original Parts
:
The original parts also went to C.P.E. Bach who added two new arias of his own and also a recitative. The original parts then came into possession of Count Voß and was later listed in the catalog of the Voß-Buch Collection. In 1851 they were acquired by the BB.
The individual parts and their copyists are as follows:
Soprano – Copyist 1 with the text for mvt. 6 and 7 added by Christian Gottlob Meißner
Alto – Copyist 1 with Meißner adding the text for mvt. 7
Tenore – Copyist 1 with Meißner adding the text for mvt. 7
Basso – Copyist 1 with Meißner adding the text for mvt. 7
Tromba 1 – Copyist 1
Tromba 2 – Copyist 1
Tromba 3 – Copyist 1 with J. S. Bach adding comments about mvts. 4-6
Tamburi – Copyist 1 with J. S. Bach adding comments about mvts. 4-6
Hautbois 1 – Copyist 1: mvts. 1 & 3; Meißner mvts. 5, 7
Hautbois 2 – Copyist 1: mvts. 1 & 3; Meißner mvt. 7
Violino. 1. – Copyist 2: mvts. 1 & 5 (beginning with ms 84); Copyist 1: Mvt. 4; Copyist 4: mvt. 5 until ms 84
Violino 1. – Copyist 3: mvt. 1; Copyist 1: mvt. 4; Copyist 2: mvts. 5 & 7
Violino. 2. – Copyist 2: mvt. 1; Copyist 1: mvt. 4; Meißner: mvts. 5 & 7
Violino 2 – Copyist 5
Viola – Copyist 2: mvts. 1 & 5 (beginning with ms. 84); Copyist 1: mvts. 4 & 5 until ms. 84
Continuo (with figured bass)—Copyist 1: mvts. 1-4; Meißner: mvts. 5-7; J.S.Bach: figured bass
Continuo – Copyist 6
Continuo (transposed, with figured bass) – Copyist 4; J.S. Bach: figured bass
Bach’s corrections and additions (articulation, etc.) are found throughout all the parts.
Date of Composition:
According to Dürr and verified by watermarks, etc. this cantata belongs to the 3rd yearly cantata cycle (Leipzig) and was composed for its 1st performance on September 29, 1726.
Text:
The text is a paraphrase by an unknown librettist based on the following:
Mvts. 1 & 2 : (The Epistle Text for this Festival) Revelations 12: 7-9
Mvts. 3-6: Picander's Michaelmas poem contained in his collection, “Sammlung erbaulicher Gedanken… Leipzig, 1725”
For the text of this cantata, the following verses were used as a basis:
1:
WAs ist der Mensch, das Erden=Kind,
Der Staub, der Wurm, der Sünder?
Daß ihn der HErr so lieb gewinnt,
Und ihm die GOttes Kinder,
Das große starcke Himmels=Heer,
Zu einer Wacht und Gegenwehr,
Zu seinem Schutz gesetzet.
3.
GOtt schickt uns Mahanaim zu,
Wir stehen oder gehen,
So können wir in sichrer Ruh
Für unsern Feinden stehen.
Es lagert sich so nah als fern
Um uns der Engel unsers HErrn
Mit Feuer, Roß und Wagen.
6.
Drum lasset uns das Angesicht
Der frommen Engel lieben,
Und sie mit unsern Sünden nicht
Vertreiben und betrüben,
Erhebt mit Loben GOttes Reich,
Und lasset uns den Engeln gleich
Sein dreymahl Heilig! Singen.
7.
Befiehlt uns, HErr, ein sanffter Tod
Der Welt Valet zu sagen,
So laß uns aus der Sterbens=Noth
Die Engel zu dir tragen.
Verleihe, daß wir nach der Zeit
In deiner süßen Seeligkeit
Den Engeln ähnlich gläntzen.
The 3rd verse was incorporated unchanged as mvt. 3, Aria; the 1st verse as mvt. 4, Recit; lines 1-4 of the 6th vs. as well as parts of the last vs. as mvt. 6, Recit.
The last 3 lines of the text for the tenor aria, mvt. 5 sound very much like the last 3 lines of the 6th vs.
The beginning of the aria text: “Bleibt, ihr Engel, bleibt bei mir! Führet mich auf beiden Seiten, daß mein Fuß nicht möge gleiten“ relates to Psalms 34:8; 91:11-13; 116:8, which have a loose connection with the Gospel text for Michaelmas: Matt 18:10.
The final chorale uses the text from the 9th vs. of the chorale: “Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele” (Freiberg, 1620). |
