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Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36c

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Schwingt freudig euch empor (Soar joyfully aloft), BWV 36.1 (formerly BWV 36c), is a secular cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.[1] He composed it in Leipzig, most likely in 1725. There is evidence that the cantata was performed in April or May that year, and that it was re-staged six years later for the 40th birthday of Johann Matthias Gesner.[1] Bach reused parts of the cantata in two other secular cantatas, and in a church cantata for the first Sunday in Advent, Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36.

History and text

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Bach wrote several works for celebrations of the Leipzig University, Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern.[2] This cantata was originally probably composed as a homage to one of the composer's academic colleagues, but it is not known which. Johann Burckhard Mencke [de][1] and Johann Heinrich Ernesti (the septuagenarian rector of the Thomasschule) have been suggested as possible recipients. The unmodified cantata was likely re-staged for Johann Matthias Gesner's 40th birthday (9 April 1731).[1] Gesner had become rector at the Thomasschule in Leipzig in 1730 and had been acquainted with the composer since the 1710s when both worked in Weimar.[3] Bach reworked this cantata in both secular and sacred versions:

The libretto is likely by Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), who published the Steigt freudig in die Luft version of the text in 1727, as a cantata for the birthday of the duchess of Anhalt-Köthen, which fell on 30 November. The duchess's birthday cantata was set by Bach (in 1726 or earlier), but the music is lost.[8][9]

Scoring and structure

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The cantata is scored for three soloists—soprano, tenor and bass—a four-part choir, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola, viola d'amore and basso continuo.[10]

  1. Coro: Schwingt freudig euch empor
  2. Recitative (tenor): Ein Herz, in zärtlichem Empfinden
  3. Aria (tenor): Die Liebe führt mit sanften Schritten
  4. Recitative (bass): Du bist es ja
  5. Aria (bass): Der Tag, der dich vordem gebar
  6. Recitative (soprano): Nur dieses Einz'ge sorgen wir
  7. Aria (soprano): Auch mit gedämpften, schwachen Stimmen
  8. Recitative (tenor): Bei solchen freudenvollen Stunden
  9. Chorus & Recitatives (soprano, tenor, bass): Wie die Jahre sich verneuen

Music

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The opening chorus is a "jolly" gavotte form, highlighting the oboe d'amore (which is also important in introducing the third movement).[11][12] The recitatives are all secco and fairly short, with the tenor recitative being only six measures long.[12]

Recordings

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Work 00051 at Bach Digital website
  2. ^ Timm, David (2009). Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern (in German). Leipziger Universitätschor. pp. 8f. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  3. ^ Finlay, I. (1950). Bach's Secular Cantata Texts. Music and Letters. pp. 189–195.
  4. ^ Work 00049 at Bach Digital website
  5. ^ Work 00050 at Bach Digital website
  6. ^ Work 00048 at Bach Digital website
  7. ^ Work 00047 at Bach Digital website
  8. ^ Wolff, Christoph (2006). Die Welt der Bach-Kantaten. Metzler/Bärenreiter, Stuttgart and Kassel. ISBN 3-476-02127-0.
  9. ^ Terry, C. S.; Litti, D. (1917). Bach's Cantata Libretti. Journal of the Royal Musical Association. pp. 71–125. doi:10.1093/jrma/44.1.71. ISBN 3-476-02127-0.
  10. ^ Dürr, Alfred (1971). Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach (in German). Vol. 1. Bärenreiter-Verlag. OCLC 523584.
  11. ^ Crouch, Simon (1999). "Cantata BWV 36c, BC G 35". Classical Net. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  12. ^ a b Mincham, Julian. "Chapter 99 BWV 36b and 36c". jsbachcantatas. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
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