Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen (Let honour be sung to You, O God),[1] BWV 248V (also written as BWV 248 V), is a church cantata for the second Sunday after Christmas, which Johann Sebastian Bach composed as the fifth part of his Christmas Oratorio, written for the Christmas season of 1734–35 in Leipzig.[2] The Christmas cantata was first performed on 2 January 1735.[2][3] Bach was then Thomaskantor, responsible for music at four churches in Leipzig, a position he had assumed in 1723.

History

Bach had been presenting church cantatas for the Christmas season in the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas) and Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas) since his appointment as director musices in Leipzig in 1723, including these cantatas for the Sunday after New Year's Day:[4][5][6]

Christmas season 1734–35

First two pages of the libretto of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, as printed in 1734[9]

Bach composed his Christmas Oratorio for the Christmas season from Christmas Day on 25 December 1734 to Epiphany on 6 January 1735.[10] Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen, BWV 248 V, for the Sunday after New Year's Day, is the fifth of six cantatas (or parts) constituting this oratorio.

Text

The readings for the Sunday were as the epistle 1 Peter 4:12–19, the suffering of Christians, and as the Gospel Matthew 2:13–23, the Flight into Egypt. The text of Part V, deviating from these readings, deals with the voyage of the Magi, following the Gospel of Matthew, 1–6,[10] with interspersed reflecting recitatives, arias and chorales.[11]

The identity of the librettist of the Christmas Oratorio cantatas is unknown,[3] with Picander, who had collaborated with Bach earlier, a likely candidate.[12] The oratorio's libretto was published in 1734.[9] The quotations from the Bible are rendered in Martin Luther's translation.

Music and content

BWV 248 V is scored for 2 oboes d'amore, 2 violin parts, 1 viola part and continuo.[2]

Christmas Oratorio Part V: For the First Sunday in the New Year[V 1]
No. KeyTimeIncipitScoringModel
43ChorusA maj/F min3
4
Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungenOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo
44Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)Da Jesus geboren war zu BethlehemContinuoMatthew 2:1
45Chorus
Recitative (alto)
Chorus
D majorcommon timeWo ist der neugeborne König der Juden
Sucht ihn in meiner Brust
Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen
Oboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuoMatthew 2:2; BWV 247/43: "Pfui dich, wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel" (conjectured).[13]
46ChoraleA majorcommon timeDein Glanz all' Finsternis verzehrtOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuoNun liebe Seel, nun ist es Zeit (Weissel 1642), v. 5; Zahn 2461c (1581)[14]
47Aria (bass)F minor2
4
Erleucht' auch meine finstre SinnenOboe d'amore I solo, organ senza continuoBWV 215/7: "Durch die von Eifer entflammeten Waffen"
48Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)Da das der König Herodes hörteContinuoMatthew 2:3
49Recitative (alto)Warum wollt ihr erschreckenStrings, continuo 
50Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)Und ließ versammeln alle HohenpriesterContinuoMatthew 2:4-6
51Trio (sopr., alto, ten.)B minor2
4
Ach! wann wird die Zeit erscheinen?Violin I solo, continuounknown
52Recitative (alto)Mein Liebster herrschet schonContinuo 
53ChoraleA majorcommon timeZwar ist solche HerzensstubeOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuoIhr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lüfte (Franck 1655), v. 9; Zahn 3614b (1687)[15]
  1. Part V is meant to be performed on the Sunday between New Year's Day and Epiphany on 6 January; in some years there is no such day, e.g in 2017, 2018 & 2019.

References

  1. Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 169.
  2. 1 2 3 Bach Digital Work 11389
  3. 1 2 Bach Digital 248 V 2021.
  4. Wolff 2002, pp. 237–257.
  5. Dürr & Jones 2006, pp. 22–35.
  6. Buelow 2016, p. 272.
  7. Bach Digital Work 00187
  8. Bach Digital Works 00074 and 00073
  9. 1 2 BWV 248, Bach Digital
  10. 1 2 Hofmann 2005, p. V.
  11. Dürr & Jones 2006.
  12. Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 104.
  13. Werner Breig, sleeve notes to John Eliot Gardiner's recording of the Christmas Oratorio (Deutsche Grammophon Archiv, 4232322, 1987)
  14. "Work 11265". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 2018-07-15.
  15. "Work 11267". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al. 2018-07-15.

Sources

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