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Cantata BWV 162
Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe
Provenance |
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Thomas Braatz wrote (October 18, 2002):
This will be the last time that I will provide detailed information about the provenance of a cantata under discussion. The reason is that I have found a database site on the internet that will give the same, up-to-date information about each cantata that I have been including with one major difference: the database does not give answers in a narrative form. It reduces everything to searchable categories (a great advantage for anyone not able to read the long, NBA-KB narratives in the German language) over having to extract laboriously these bits of information from the NBA KBs. The searchable categories also enable research which would otherwise require examining each KB for certain bits of information – a formidable task!
The database does not cover everything that is contained in the KBs. If I notice something of importance, I will try to include this in future reports. I suggest that list members try to use the database (perhaps Aryeh will also include a shortcut to this reference database on his site.)
The URL for the English version of this database is: http://www.bach.gwdg.de/bach_engl.html
Although the results of the search are given in German, I think that most individuals, nevertheless, will be able to figure out what these results mean.
Here is some information about the site (quoted directly):
Sources of J. S. Bach's Works
Database of the works of Bach and their handwritten Sources till 1850
Choose one of 4 catalogues for different searches:
A project of Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen/Germany in cooperation with Bach-Institut Göttingen/Germany
With help of DaimlerChrysler-Fonds, the Foundation of Commerzbank and VG Musikedition.
Here is information about the 4 catalogues:
1. Works:
You are looking for:
... a single composition. Please enter the number according to BWV and/or a title key-word (in German)!
... a group of compositions, which correspond in one or several parameters.
2. From Works to Sources:
You wish to know which manuscript sources (or in some cases, original publications) exist for a specific work by J. S. Bach, or which sources have been declared lost.
3. Sources:
You are looking for:
... a single manuscript source. Please enter the call number (or a characteristic element of it) into the space marked "Library siglum, call number"!
... a group of manuscript sources, which share one or more of the criteria listed above.
Please enter one or more characteristic search key-words into an appropriate space!
4. From Sources to Works:
You wish to know which compositions by J. S. Bach are to be found in the source (or the original publication) and you wish to get further information about these compositions.
Please enter a call number or a characteristic element of it!
In the “Works” database/catalogue, try typing “162” in the box for BWV#.
In the “Works to Sources” database/catalogue, choose “Weimar Fsg.” To see the details of the Weimar version of this cantata, etc., etc.
I had completed the following before finding this database site:
BWV 162 - Provenance:
The Autograph Score:
Although it has to be assumed that such a score must have existed at one time, there is absolutely no record whatsoever of its existence. Scores of this cantata that were completed in the 19th century are all based on the original set of parts and not on the original score.
The Original Set of Parts:
It is not certain which of Bach’s sons inherited this set of parts. It is not listed in C. P. E. Bach’s estate after the latter’s death. The 1st owner for which any proof exists is that of the von Radowitz family. The initials, v. R., appear on the title page which is the violone part into which all the other parts were inserted. Later, all the parts were inserted into a new folder. The catalogue of the von Radowitz family also contains the name of this cantata. Just when this cantata was acquired by the Voss-Buch collection of manuscripts can not be determined. Independently, Hauser, in his Thematic Catalogue of Church Music, indicated for this cantata: “Voss Stimmen,” which means that Voss had acquired this original set of parts. This acquisition must have occurred before April of 1836. In 1851 this set of parts came to the BB [Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin] where they are still to be found today.
On the top of the violone part, Bach wrote the following title:
Doīca 10 post Trinit: | Ach! ich sehe, itzt da ich zur Hochzeit | gehe. | â 5 Str: 4 Voci | di | Joh: Seb: Bach.
[The word, ‚gehe,’ is written in a much paler type of ink and may have been a later addition.]
The original set of parts can be divided into two groups in order to distinguish the Weimar original parts from the later Leipzig performance for which additional parts were added:
The Original Weimar Set of Parts:
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Baßo [sic]
Violino 1
Viola
Fagotto
Violoncello e L’Organo
Violono
With the exception of the underlaying of the text in the 4 voice parts (completed by Anonymous Weimar 1) and the Violono part (completed by Anonymous Weimar 1 and 3), Bach copied all the parts himself.
The Additional Leipzig Set of Parts:
Corno da Tirarsi
Violino 1
Violino 2
Viola
Violoncello
Bach copied the Corno da Tirarsi part himself, Anonymous 1a completed the two violino parts, Johann Andreas Kuhnau did the viola part and Christian Gottlob Meißner copied the violoncello part.
The original Weimar performance was in A minor, but the repeat performance in Leipzig made it necessary to transpose the cantata to B minor.
Missing from the Weimar set of parts is the 2nd violin part and the obligato instrument that played in the 3rd mvt. There was also probably another part for organ.
The Leipzig set of parts is also too sparse. Very likely missing are the doublets for both violin parts as well as another continuo part.
Text:
The librettist is Salomon Franck. The text appears in his cantata cycle, “Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer” Weimar 1715. |
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