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Cantata BWV 119
Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn
Provenance |
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Thomas Braatz wrote (May 9, 2003):
The Autograph Score:
It is not known which member of the Bach family inherited the score (and the parts?) for this cantata. It is also not known whether the Bach-manuscript collector Johann Georg Nacke (1718-1804) or Christian Friedrich Penzel (1737-1804), his student and later colleague was the next owner of the manuscript, or whether it changed hands between them. It is from one of the preceding owners that Johann Gottlob Schuster (1765-1839) acquired it. Schuster was the student and later became the successor to the position of Cantor of Oelsnitz which Nacke previously held, but Penzel was Schuster’s uncle (the brother of his mother.) In 1833, Franz Hauser (1794-1870) purchased this score from Schuster along with a number of other Bach manuscripts. Finally, in 1904, the BB [Berliner Bibliothek] acquired the entire Hauser manuscript collection. The score is still located today in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz,
The Original Set of Parts:
Absolutely nothing is known about the history or whereabouts of this large set of parts.
About the Autograph Score:
It consists of 8 pages and the original title cover is missing.
On the 1st page of the score, the title reads as follows:
J. J. Concerto. auf die Rathswahl in Leipzig 1723 â 3 Trombe è Tamburi. 3 Hautb. è Basson 2 Flauti 2 Violini Viola è Violoncello e 4 voci
But each staff in the score has its specific designation:
‘Tromba 1 | Tromba 2 | Tromba 3 | Tromba 4 | Tamburi | Fiauto 1 | Fiauto 2 | Hautb 1 | Hautb 2 | Hautb 3 | Violino 1 | Violino 2 | Viola | Soprano | Alto | Tenore | Basso | Organo {and below the lowest staff} Violoncelli, Bassoni è Violoni | all’ unisono col’ | Organo’
Mvt. 2 has ‘Recit’ written above it and the title for mvt. 3 is ‘Aria 2 Hautb da Caccia.’
Mvt. 4 has ‘Recit | Trombe | è | Tamburi | accomp.’ and where appropriate: ‘Flauto 1 | Flauto 2 | Hautb 1 da Caccia | Hautb 2. da Caccia’
At the end of mvt. 4: ‘Sequ[itur] Aria Alto Solo | con due Fiauti | all’unisuono’
Above mvt. 6: ‘Recit. Soprano’ with the designations:
‘Tromba 1 | Tromba 2. | Tromba 3. | Tromba 4 | Tamburi | Fiauto 1 | Fiauto 2 | Hautb: 1 | Hautb 2 et 3. | Violino 1 | Violino 2 | Viola’
Mvt. 8 has ‘Final Recitat.’
Mvt. 9 has ‘Choral’
Notice the many irregularities in the above:
1. Title page indicates that only 3 Trombas are used, but the score shows staffs with indications for 4 Trombas.
2. There is a ‘J.J.’ at the beginning but no ‘Fine SDG’ at the end.
3. There is a switching back and forth between ‘Flauto’ and ‘Fiauto.’
4. There is a special listing of the entire continuo group (very large compared with ‘normal’ cantatas – notice the plural forms for these instruments) at the bottom of the 1st page of the score:
violoncellos, bassoons, violones are to play along in unison with the organ.
5. The normal designation of 3 oboes changes in mvts. 3 & 4 to 2 oboi da caccia.
Parodies(?):
In mvt. 1, it appears that the framing section in the French overture style is not original, but a possible parody while the middle section, where Bach’s handwriting reveals a ‘composing score’ characteristic is more likely new and original with the occasion for which the cantata was composed. [This is Robert Marshall’s observation. Dürer, however, believes that even this middle section is based upon older material.] It is possible that the parts for Tromba 4 and Flauti 1 & 2 were added at this time. Also, mvts. 3, 5, and 7 show indications that they may have been derived from previously existing works. It is at least somewhat suspicious that the designations for regular oboes on the title page change to oboi da caccia in mvts. 3 & 4.
Text:
The introductory mvt. is based upon Psalm 147:12-14; the text for mvt. 9 is Martin Luther’s German version of the ‘Tedeum: “Herr Gott, dich loben wir’ (1529). The librettist for the other mvts. is unknown.
The sermon for this occasion on August 30, 1723 was given by Friedrich Wilhelm Schütz (1677-1739) who was the designated preacher for Mondays in the Nicolai Church from 1721 to 1737. The sermon was based on Genesis 22:14. There is, however, no connection between the sermon text and the cantata text. |
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