Die Bach-Kantate: "Schwingt freudig euch empor", BWV 36

[Music] MDR Classic, "Die Bachkantate" with Maul and Schrammack. First Advent. The new church year begins and our podcast with the Bachkantaten goes into the third round. And we start with the cantata "Schwingt freudig euch empor". [Music] Yes, on the first Advent, in Leipzig it was allowed to be musically performed with an orchestra, before the church music begins a pre-wedding break from the second to the fourth Advent. "Die Kantate" "Schwingt freudig euch empor" has Bach, as we discussed today, first performed in Leipzig in 1731. However, the piece had, you really have to say, a pre-history behind itself and it also followed an appropriate re-history as in almost no other cantata. That's why bring a little order in the history of the work here at the beginning. Dear Bernhard, this is actually a piece where we can follow the history of the work for a very long time and remember that Bach only cooked with water and sometimes it was also very pragmatic to work in his composing studio. Because you have to say, this music has already since 6 years before our first Advent in 1731 was the first time in Leipzig emporous. Obviously, the history of the two parts of the music began in the year 1725 in the early days when the University of Bach had the honour of ordering the musical piece in front of a well-known teacher, we know that the environment did not order it exactly. And then, in the same year or a year later, Bach took the piece back and used it as a musical humiliation for his former servant, the First Leopold of Anhaltköten. And that's exactly why the second woman, not the Amusa, died in 1723, but then married again. And for her, a humiliation music was composed that was practically only renewed in the texts on the same music route. Then there was a Advent cantata that took over more or less one-to-one music. But he just had a new text. Then in 1731, however, in the early years, the rector of the Leipzig Thomas School, Johann Matthias Gesner, with whom Bach understood very well, celebrated his 40th birthday. The piece was also taken out again. The text was especially adapted to the recitations. Then, for the first Advent, the Advent cantata. Now with relatively many changes. All the recitations were thrown out and replaced by chorales. Then we still get to that. But that was the regrettable story for us, still not to the end. We then know that Bach, in 1735, took the piece back and returned to the initial reasons in a certain way. The university rector Rivinus celebrated a jubilee, so he was also recited by the students. And again, I'm happy to see you in the choir, how easy Bach went, namely in the entrance choir. I'll demonstrate briefly. The text of the entrance choir is in the form of the Költener Fürstin. "I am happy to see you in the choir and drink to the stars, your wishes until God sees you in front of his throne. But keep in mind that a heart cannot be removed from it, that gratitude and duty to his teacher draws." And now, in Advent's text, Bach didn't actually have to change much. "I am happy to see you in the choir and drink to the stars, your wishes until God sees you in front of his throne. But keep in mind that a heart cannot be removed from it, that gratitude and duty to his teacher draws." And of course Jesus Christ, who, according to the Gospel text, is supposed to enter Jerusalem in our hearts. And for this, this worldly, beautiful, musically empowering music was, of course, perfectly suitable. When I really counted, there were now five versions of a cantata. And that seems to be a bit record-proof for me. At least that's what we know. We haven't been seeing all the sources of all Bach cantatas for a long time. It is also not to say that he did it with other cantatas, but obviously this cantata was particularly suitable. Has it now become such a flicking carpet with a few text fragments, which are still from these lucky cantatas, and then added? So he has, for this Advent cantata, which we are talking about today, still arranged it properly. So certainly flicking carpet. And still, you have to say, he did it pretty well. First of all, in the individual versions, the recitative differences, so then the piece was made suitable for the occasion, only then did he take a relatively radical step towards the Advent Festival in 1731. He completely threw out the recitative and replaced it with chorale. This is why this cantata is now on the record of four chorales. And that is three times the verse from the Advent song "Schlechthin". Now comes the Haydn Highland by Martin Luther in always other variations, and then of course the second song, which is wonderful for the Advent and for the arrival of the Lord, "Wie schön leuchtelt der Morgenstern". And so maybe you haven't missed the recitative at all as a listener, and said to the man, if so many Advent songs come up here, then this piece fits perfectly on the first Advent. And maybe no of the listeners in the church came up with the idea that this music had such a long prehistory. And Bach did a good job of using this music, because I think the entrance choir is a real earworm. Now of course the question is whether the earworm or not, isn't it a bit worldly how that sounds? So that is now a stupid category that I bring here. What is worldly, what is spiritual? But well, the two other Advent cantatas, the first Advent from Bach, are related to the chorale, now Haydn Highland comes, and you immediately recognize it in the entrance choir of the melody. And that could also be another text. How do you see that? Is that too worldly for the Advent? No, I don't think so, because you also have to say that there are enough other examples. Now let's go back to the most famous Christmas oratory for example. Yes, also with Frau Locke, at the price of the day, we would say, of course, the spiritual music, because it opens the Christmas oratory. The original release for which Bach created the music, was a humiliation for the Saxon king's house. On the text it sounds, that the peacocks are changing trumpets, and therefore the peacocks and trumpets play very worldly. And you have to be honest, in many things the effects of joy, of sadness are the same in the spiritual as in the worldly music. And here, where the text simply brings joy to the expression, I am happy to import you to the heavenly stars. It is actually the musical language, just as it is now thought of by the worldly or spiritual context, the import of melodies, one of the most beautiful, firm musicians, and exactly the power of Bach, in itself a very delicate arrangement. We have a choir, two oboes, the moore, the striker, the general bass, a lot of liqour. In the original worldly version, there was even only one oboe, which then doubled Bach for the church, probably because they said, man, in this big room, so that these delicate voices come through, I have to do something, but the effect that should be established here, it is fully achieved. And you have to say, that the whole thing then belongs to the Advent, is in the next sentence, namely this holy choral version of "Now comes the holy Highland" to make it understandable. And with that, you have come to the Advent without rest. In short, there is a story of Bach's chosen compromise, it is also a slight blend, so first joy and then the Luther choral on the back. And we'll hear again a short introduction to the choral. You can judge for yourself. [music] The introduction to the cantata makes me happy with worldly origin, whatever it is, but is used here in Advent. Then there is in this cantata, we have already said, no recitative, but three arias. And all of these three arias come from this worldly situation. How does Bach deal with this? Can you summarize that a little bit? Yes, it is also so, that he only allows the text to be adapted to the occasion. Practically all arias are some kind of dance-types. The soprano aria, which I find very wonderful, is one of the few echo arias that Bach composed, also a bit of an analogies to the Christmas oratory. It has some wonderful echo effects in between the violin and the singing voice. So here it is also called "with a dampened, weak voice is worshiped by God's majesty" and so on and so forth. And that's why Bach brought it to the exhibition that the violins play with dampens. It has a very elegant mood. And if we look back the history of the text, then you can really see that it was perfectly adapted to every occasion. Let's start with the first version. For this Leipzig University professor even with a dampened, weak voice the teacher declares the price. It shows vigorously in the chest, whether you know exactly what you want to express. Then there is "Pikander", Bach's textist of the Mateus Passion. In a short period of time, this text phrase was developed with which the same music as holding for the Költener Fürstlin was sounded. Here it is also called this "Pikander". Because it's only the spirit that screams such a thing that you can hear it yourself in the sky. You don't have to stand out like that. It's just a joke. Now I'm curious how it's called in our advanced version. And then the advanced version again with a dampened, weak voice. What else should be the damped violins? Who will be the "Pikander"? God's majesty, "Pikander". Because it's just the spirit that screams such a thing that you can hear it yourself in the sky. If we take a look at it critically, under Germanic points of view you have to say that the first text was still the most logical one. So with the teacher who is supposed to be annoyed. And then it's already very nice after the motto "I have to fill out a gap text somehow" that it somehow makes sense. But we listen to the music and that's what we should do now and are aware of it and tell us "Wow, what a nice unit of note and close-up". (music) Yes, that's the soprano aria. In the cantata I am very happy to have you in the choir with the dampened voices that have played a role with Bach. So Bach solved it quite well and then he brought these conventional add-ons and they practically make this cantata out of the roots. Three times, as we said, now the Haydn Highland comes and once, as the morning star shines beautifully, four overall chorals come but quite varied. So here Bach probably has because of this need to radiate the recitative and now to replace the chorales and show them. I am also a magician who dealing with choral melodies. The second sentence of the cantata "Now comes the Haydn Highland" first verse. In a very refined canon sentence almost like a bezzinium. Really disgusting. We can hear that through all the voices. "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" Artificial articulation based on the contrasting in the old church style. But then, when the next verse "Now comes the Haydn Highland" completely different character. Now the tenor Unisono sings and only the cantus firmus and the whole thing is beautifully playfully, also refined canon if you look closely. From the wild, wild play figures completely different character but incredibly packing. "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" "Now comes the Haydn Highland" And the third time, when the last verse "Now comes the Haydn Highland" Bach then grabs the typical for the end of cantatas in a simple four-part verse and then he goes with the one verse "How beautifully lights the morgenstern" but very delicate instrumented by really lighting the wooden spacer with lights and help actually light the morgenstern to the point. Exactly, I didn't want to go into that because I personally think that it is one of the most beautiful chorals that I have ever composed in this cantata I have sung it several times and when I think about it when I think about it let's listen to the beginning I don't like it "How beautifully lights the morgenstern" "in full beauty" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "how beautifully lights the morgenstern" "in full beauty" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful" "in this case it is more beautiful"