BachKantaten BWV 27, 31, 34 & 36

Note: ​Peter Wollny (Director of the Bach Archive), Michael Maul (Director of BachFest), and Sir Eliot Gardiner (President of the Bach Archive) have selected the most famous sacred cantatas composed by J.S. Bach in December 2018. I shall highlight all 33 of them by their consecutive BWV numbering in the following months. The third series of four cantatas are listed today. 
 
BWV 27: Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende?
Johann Sebastian Bach composed the cantata BWV 27 Who knows how near to me my end? in Leipzig for the 16th Sunday after Trinity. It was first performed on 6 October 1726. The prescribed readings for the day were from the Epistle to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:13–21), and from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 7:11–17). An unknown poet included in the first movement the first stanza of the chorale "Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende" by Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and closed the cantata with the first stanza of the hymn"Welt ade! ich bin dein müde" by Johann Georg Albinus. 

​The cantata is scored for four soloists — soprano, alto, tenor, and bass — a four- or five-part choir, horn, three oboes, oboe da caccia, organ, two violins, viola, and basso continuo. The duration is given as 19 minutes. The five-part (SSATB) harmonization of the concluding chorale "Welt, ade! ich bin dein müde" is not by Bach but by Johann Rosenmüller (published for the first time in Johann Qvirsfeld's Geistliche Harffen-Klang, Leipzig, 1679).
 
The first movement of this cantata is "about as tragic as it gets": it is in a minor key and quickly sounds a strong dissonance between the oboe phrase and the continuo.  tenor recitative leads into a "shadowy" alto aria which echoes the first movement of Antonio Vivaldi's 'Spring' concert (published the year before, 1725), accompanied by an oboe da caccia. Chromaticism contributes to the "fleeting shadows" of the welcoming of death. The soprano recitative uses word painting and sustained chordal harmonies to urge the listener into heaven. The bass aria then combines two contrasting sentiments: adieu and agitation. The closing chorale includes two soprano parts and is stylistically reminiscent of an English madrigal.
 
BWV 31: Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret
Bach composed Heaven laughs! Earth exults, BWV 31, for the first day of Easter in Weimar, and first performed it on 21 April 1715. The prescribed readings for the feast day were from the First letter to the Corinthians, "Christ is our Easter lamb" (1 Corinthians 5:6–8), and from the Gospel of Mark, the Resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:1–8). The text was written by the Weimar poet Salomon Franck who published it in Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer (Evangelical Devotional Offering). The verses consist purely of free poetry and interpret the Easter message, connected to the request to believers to let Jesus also be resurrected within their souls. The final movement, the last verse of the chorale "Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist" (When my hour is come) by Nikolaus Herman, expresses the desire to die, to follow Jesus in resurrection.
 
The cantata in nine movements is festively scored for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor and bass), a five-part choir (SSATB), three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, taille (tenor oboe), bassoon, two violins, two violas, two cellos and basso continuo. The scoring for five parts in the choir, five parts in the woodwinds and six parts in the strings is unusual. 
 
The festive character of the work is demonstrated by a sonata with a fanfare-like introduction, a concerto of the three groups brass, reeds and strings, all divided in many parts. The first choral movement, sung by a five-part chorus, evokes the "celestial laughter and worldly jubilation" of the text. The bass voice announces the resurrection of Jesus in a recitative and continues in an aria, both accompanied only by the continuo. The aria, marked Molto adagio, praises Jesus as "Prince of life" and "strong fighter." The higher tenor voice addresses in a recitative the soul to look to the "new life in spirit," followed by a bright aria, accompanied by the strings, which speaks of "der neue Mensch" (the new man), free from sin. The highest voice, the soprano, sings in the first person as the soul in a recitative, convinced of taking part in the resurrection. In the last aria, soprano and solo oboe in echo-effects contrast with low-lying unison strings, which already anticipate the closing chorale's melody. The hymn is a "death-bed chorale," set for a four-part choir, crowned by a descant from the trumpet and first violin.
 
BWV 34: O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe
O eternal fire, o source of love, BWV 34 was composed in Leipzig for Pentecost Sunday, and it was the basis for a later wedding cantata, BWV 34a. Bach led the first performance on 1 June 1727. The readings for Pentecost were from the Acts of the Apostles, on the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–13), and from the Gospel of John, in which Jesus announces the Spirit who will teach, in his Farewell Discourse (John 14:23–31). 
 
Bach structured the cantata in five movements, with two choral movements framing a sequence of recitative–aria–recitative. Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists (alto, tenor, bass), a four-part choir and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of three trumpets, timpani, two flauti traversi, two oboes, two violins, viola and basso continuo.
 
The opening chorus, "O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe" (O eternal fire, o source of love), illustrates two contrasting subjects, "ewig" (eternal) and "Feuer" (fire). While "ewig" appears as long notes, held for more than one measure, the flames (or tongues) of the fire are set in "lively figuration from the strings and agile coloraturas from the voices." A tenor recitative, "Herr, unsre Herzen halten dir dein Wort der Wahrheit für" (Lord, our hearts keep Your word of truth fast), adopts an authoritative tone, is in minor mode, and begins with a bass pedal. It expands the concept of God abiding with his people, as outlined in the gospel. An alto aria, "Wohl euch, ihr auserwählten Seelen, die Gott zur Wohnung ausersehn" (It is well for you, you chosen souls, whom God has designated for his dwelling), conveys images of contentment by incorporating a lilting berceuse-like rhythm, with an obbligato melody played by muted violins and flutes in octaves and tenths. It is accompanied by a tonic pedal in the continuo.  The aria is in adapted ternary form. The pastoral character suited the original text, "Wohl euch, ihr auserwählten Schafe" (It is well for you, you chosen sheep), which alludes to the bridegroom, a pastor or "shepherd of souls." The bass recitative, "Erwählt sich Gott die heilgen Hütten, die er mit Heil bewohnt" (If God chooses the holy dwellings that He inhabits with salvation), is quite similar in character to the tenor recitative. The closing chorus, "Friede über Israel" (Peace upon Israel), opens with a solemn rendering of the psalm text, marked Adagio. The violins and oboes first play an ascending figure. The slow music on the psalm text is contrasted by a "spirited and very secular-sounding march, setting "Dankt den höchsten Wunderhänden" (Thank the exalted wondrous hands).
 
BWV 36: Schwingt freudig euch empor
Bach composed Soar joyfully upwards, BWV 36, in Leipzig in 1731 for the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of the Lutheran church year. He drew on material from previous congratulatory cantatas, beginning with Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36c (1725). The Gospel for the Sunday was the Entry into Jerusalem, thus the mood of the secular work matched "the people's jubilant shouts of Hosanna." In a unique structure in Bach's cantatas, he interpolated four movements derived from the former works with four stanzas from two important Advent hymns, to add liturgical focus, three from Luther's "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" and one from Nicolai's "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern." He first performed the cantata in its final form of two parts, eight movements, on 2 December 1731. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the Romans, "night is advanced, day will come" (Romans 13:11–14), and from the Gospel of Matthew, the Entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–9). 
 
In 1731, Bach reworked the cantata considerably and wrote a new score. He interpolated the arias not with recitatives, but with three stanzas from Luther's hymn for Advent, "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland." This main hymn for the first Sunday in Advent had already opened his cantata for the same occasion in 1714, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, and he had used it as the base for his chorale cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62, in 1724. The hymn stanzas "serve to anchor the cantata to some extent in the Advent story, and to give it liturgical purpose and a clear focus."
 
The cantata is scored for four soloists —soprano, alto, tenor, and bass—a four-part choir, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo. It is structured in two parts of four movements each. Its interpolation of chorus and arias with chorales is unique in Bach's cantatas.
 
The cantata is unique in Bach's church cantatas in its structure of arias combined with chorale instead of recitatives. The opening chorus is opened by a ritornello, dominated by two contrasting motifs: the strings play a short rising figure in triplets, the oboes d'amore play an expansive melody. As in the secular model, the movement is in two similar parts, each consisting of two contrasting sections, "Schwingt freudig euch empor zu den erhabnen Sternen" (Soar joyfully upwards to the exalted stars) and "Doch haltet ein!" (Yet stop!). All three settings of the stanzas from Luther's chorale are different, beginning with a duet for soprano and alto for the first stanza. The voices are doubled by the oboes d'amore and render the text in sections of different length, with sixteen measures for the final "Gott solch Geburt ihm bestellt" (that God had ordained such a birth for Him). The expressiveness of the music, especially in leaps of sixths on the urgent request "nun komm" (now come), syncopated rhythm on "des sich wundert alle Welt" (over whom the whole world marvels), and daring chromatic on the final line. The tenor aria reflects "Die Liebe zieht mit sanften Schritten" (Love approaches with gentle steps) with oboe d'amore as obbligato instrument, "the traditional musical symbol of love," alluding to the concept of Jesus as the bride-groom and the Soul as the bride, which is also the base for Nicolai's hymn that closes part I in a "rousing four-part harmonisation." The bass aria beginning part II, "Willkommen, werter Schatz!" (Welcome, worthy treasure!) shows "echoes of the first movement" and avoids a regular structure. The bass voice is the vox Christi, addressing the bride. The next hymn stanza, "Der du bist dem Vater gleich" (You who are like the Father), the sixth stanza from Luther's hymn "dealing with the sins of the flesh and Christ's mission to redeem humankind", is marked "molt' allegro.” The expression of "Kampf und Sieg des Gottessohnes" (fight and victory of the Son of God) over "das krank Fleisch" (weak/sick flesh) of man is noted. The text "Auch mit gedämpften, schwachen Stimmen" (Also with muted, weak voices) is illustrated by a muted (con sordino) solo violin. The closing choral, the final stanza of Luther's hymn, "Lob sei Gott dem Vater ton" (Praise be to God, the Father) is a four-part setting.
 
Here are four albums:
Johann Sebastian Bach: Volume 47 – Cantatas 27, 36, 47. Masaaki Suzuki with Hana Blažíková (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Satoshi Mizukoshi (tenor), Peter Kooij (bass), and Bach Collegium Japan. Release Date: 29 Nov 2010. Label: BIS. Catalogue No: BISSACD1861. Hi-Res FLAC (Lossless, 44.1 kHz, 24 bit).
Award:
BBC Music Magazine, January 2011, Choral & Song Choice.
 
Johann Sebastian Bach: Volume 6 – Cantatas 21 & 31. Masaaki Suzuki with Monika Frimmer (soprano), Gerd Türk (tenor), Peter Kooij (bass), and Bach Collegium Japan. Release Date: 1 Feb 1998. Label: BIS. Catalogue No: BISCD851. FLAC (CD Quality, 44.1 kHz, 16 bit).
 
Johann Sebastian Bach: Volume 48 – Cantatas 34, 98, 117 & 120. Masaaki Suzuki with Hana Blažíková (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Satoshi Mizukoshi (tenor) & Peter Kooij (bass), and Bach Collegium Japan. Release Date: 26 Apr 2011. Label: BIS. Catalogue No: BISSACD1881. Hi-Res FLAC (Lossless, 44.1 kHz, 24 bit).
Award:
BBC Music Magazine, July 2011, Choral & Song Choice.
 
Johann Sebastian Bach: Volume 47 – Cantatas 27, 36, 47. Masaaki Suzuki with Hana Blažíková (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Satoshi Mizukoshi (tenor), Peter Kooij (bass), and Bach Collegium Japan. Release Date: 29 Nov 2010. Label: BIS. Catalogue No: BISSACD1861. Hi-Res FLAC (Lossless, 44.1 kHz, 24 bit).
Award:
BBC Music Magazine, January 2011, Choral & Song Choice.

References:
Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende? BWV 27. (2022, September 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wer_weiß,_wie_nahe_mir_mein_Ende%3F_BWV_27

Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31. (2023, February 18). In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Himmel_lacht!_Die_Erde_jubilieret,_BWV_31
 
O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34. (2023, April 29). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_ewiges_Feuer,_o_Ursprung_der_Liebe,_BWV_34
 
Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36. (2022, August 18). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwingt_freudig_euch_empor,_BWV_36