Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16

Herr Gott, dich loben wir (Lord God, we praise You),[1] BWV 16, is a church cantata for New Year's Day by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first performed on 1 January 1726 in Leipzig, as part of the composer's third cantata cycle. Its libretto is by Georg Christian Lehms, opening with the beginning of "Herr Gott, dich loben wir", Luther's German Te Deum. The cantata's text was completed with a stanza from Paul Eber's "Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen" for the closing chorale.

Herr Gott, dich loben wir
BWV 16
Church cantata by J. S. Bach
Thomaskirche, Leipzig
OccasionNew Year's Day
Cantata text
Georg Christian Lehms
Chorale
Performed1 January 1726 (1726-01-01): Leipzig
Movements6
Vocal
  • SATB choir
  • alto, tenor and bass solo
Instrumental
  • corno da caccia
  • 2 oboes
  • oboe da caccia
  • 2 violins
  • viola
  • violetta
  • continuo

History and words

Bach wrote the cantata in 1726, his third year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, for New Year's Day, which is also the feast of the circumcision and naming of Jesus.[2] The prescribed readings for the feast day were taken from the Epistle to the Galatians, by faith we inherit (Galatians 3:23–29), and from the Gospel of Luke, the Circumcision and naming of Jesus (Luke 2:21). The cantata text is taken from a 1711 publication by Georg Christian Lehms, it centers on praise and thanksgiving without being related to the readings. The poet began with four lines from Martin Luther's German Te Deum, "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" (Lord God, we praise you). The following pair of recitative and aria deal with thanks for past gifts, while a further pair deal with a prayer for further blessings. The poet did not supply a closing chorale, but Bach chose the final stanza of Paul Eber's "Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen" (Help me to praise God's goodness) (c. 1580).[3]

Bach first performed the cantata on 1 January 1726.

Scoring and structure

The cantata in six movements is scored for three vocal soloists (alto, tenor, and bass), a four-part choir, corno da caccia, two oboes, oboe da caccia, two violins, viola, violetta (alternative in a later performance) and basso continuo.[2]

Movements of Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16
No. TitleText TypeVocalWindsStrings Key Time
1 Herr Gott, dich loben wir Chorus SATB 2 oboes, corno di caccia (col soprano) 2 violins, viola, Basso continuo A minor 4/4
2 So stimmen wir bei dieser frohen Zeit Recitative Bass Basso continuo 4/4
3 Laßt uns jauchzen, laßt uns freuen Aria SATB 2 oboes, corno di caccia 2 violins, viola, Basso continuo C major 4/4
4 Ach treuer Hort Recitative Alto Basso continuo 4/4
5 Geliebter Jesu, du allein Aria Tenor Oboe de caccia (Violetta), basso continuo F major 3/4
6 All solch dein Güt wir preisen Chorale SATB 1 oboe (col soprano), 1 oboe (coll'alto), corno di caccia (col soprano) 1 violin (col soprano), 1 violin (coll'alto), viola (coll'alto), Basso continuo C major 4/4

Music

In the opening chorus the soprano and the horn present the liturgical melody of the Te Deum, whereas the lower voices move in vivid counterpoint, but also a fourth part of oboe I and violin I.[4] The following secco recitative ends on the words "O, sollte darum nicht ein neues Lied erklingen und wir in heißer Liebe singen?" (O, should not therefore a new song be taken up and that we sing in heated love?).[1][2] Consequently, the following movement begins attacca (without a break) with the voices' "Laßt uns jauchzen, laßt uns freuen" (Let us celebrate, let us rejoice).[1][4] This unusual movement combines elements of chorus and aria in a free da capo form.[4] The first section is dominated by the chorus, the middle section by the bass.[4] Musicologist Julian Mincham points out that it is "an unusual and imaginative combination of aria and chorus" and likens it to the interaction between a pastor and his flock.[5] A second secco recitative leads to a tender aria which was accompanied by an obbligato oboe da caccia in 1726. In a later performance, likely in 1734, this was replaced by a "violetta", which can be a viola or a descant viola da gamba, according to Johann Gottfried Walther. The cantata closes with a four-part chorale.[2][4][6]

Recordings

References
  1. Dellal, Pamela. "BWV 16 – Herr Gott, dich loben wir". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  2. Dürr, Alfred (1981). Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach (in German). 1 (4 ed.). Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag. pp. 153–154. ISBN 3-423-04080-7.
  3. "Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  4. Gardiner, John Eliot (2008). Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 16, 41, 58, 143, 153 & 171 (Media notes). Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website). Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  5. Mincham, Julian (2010). "Chapter 10 BWV 16 Herr Gott, dich loben wir". jsbachcantatas.com. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  6. "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen". Bach -Cantatas Website. 2006. Retrieved 15 December 2011.

Sources
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