Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56: Difference between revisions

Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen (I Will Gladly Bear the Cross), BWV 56, is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first performed in Leipzig on October 27, 1726.

Origin

This cantata belongs to the third cantata season in Leipzig and was created for the 19th Sunday after Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Easter), which in 1726 was October 27. The original score has Bach's handwritten comment "Cantata à Voce Sola e Stromenti" (Cantata for a solo voice and instruments). This is one of the few examples in which Bach uses the generic musical term cantata in his own writing.

Theme

The text, written by an unknown poet, refers indirectly to the planned gospel reading for this Sunday which deals with the healing of a man with a palsy (Matt 9:1-8 KJV). The major theme is the sorrows and physical pains that the faithful endure in the hope of release after this life is over. Referring to the first verse of the reading "And he (Jesus) entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city" (Matt 9:1), the text of the first Recitative compares life to a voyage by ship. The comparison between the desire for a journey's end and the longing for heaven is expressed in the Chorale "Komm, o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder" (German: Come, O Death, Thou Brother of Sleep). This chorale refers to the sixth verse of the song "Du, o schönes Weltgebäude" (German: Thou, O lovely World's Creations) written by Johann Franck in 1653, which again describes life as navigation.

Direction

Bass solo, Four voice Chorus in the final Choral Verse

Orchestra: Oboe I/II, Taille or Deep Oboe, Violin I/II, Viola, Basso Continuo

Features

This relatively short work is one of the better known and most often played Bach cantatas. Additionally, the poetic text is of a very high quality and connects very well to the music. The solo voice paints the sighs of the soul as it groans under the weight of human suffering. The undulations of the music in the second section are easily recognizable as the movement of waves, which reenforce the image of moving through life. The second aria is a strong contrast to the opening movement and expresses the confidence of the Faithful clearly. The closing chorale completes the image of the cantata by expressing the desire for death and release in music.

See Also

List of cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach List of Bach cantatas by liturgical function

References

Template:German

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