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One glance at the CM title incipits given by Breitkopf for chorales copied from existing cantatas such as the CM O Welt, ich muß dich lassen will reveal the numerous discrepancies between the Breitkopf title and the actual CT used by Bach for a particular setting. While one might think that C.P.E. Bach and the Breitkopf editors followed a particular method in providing the CT titles, closer observation will make clear that no definite method was employed by them. The CT title names sometimes appear to be haphazardly chosen, with the title reflecting the actual CT used, or otherwise attempting to name the CM involved, and, in this particular instance (Zahn 2276), may even be incorrect with the wrong CT title being assigned to this unique melody which occurs only once in Bach’s oeuvre. It is not unusual, however, to find a well-known text such as Paul Fleming’s “In allen meinen Taten” being sung to different CMs, but since we have 3 cantatas by Bach using this text with a specific melody, including a chorale cantata in which this CT is featured, it is rather unlikely (not impossible, but quite unlikely) that this obscure melody (Zahn 2276) would be used by Bach for the same CT for which he proved that he a specific association with the melody for “O Welt, ich muß dich lassen”. This is simply intended as a caveat not to read too much into the names assigned in the Breitkopf collection of chorales and to consider the possibility that the association of this title with this specific melody may be erroneous. |
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Sources: NBA, vols. III/2.1 & 2.2 in particular [Bärenreiter, 1954 to present] and the BWV ("Bach Werke Verzeichnis") [Breitkopf & Härtel, 1998]
The PDF files of the Chorales were contributed by Margaret Greentree J.S. Bach Chorales
Software: Capella 2004 Software, version 5.1.
Prepared by Thomas Braatz & Aryeh Oron (April 2006) |
