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Chorales BWV 250-438: Details and Recordings
Individual Recordings: Hilliard - Morimur | Chorales - N. Matt | Chorales - H. Rilling | Preludi ai Corali - Quartetto Italiani di Viola Da Gamba
Discussions: Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY / Chorales by Theme | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Chorales in Bach Cantatas: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Passion Chorale
References: Chorales BWV 250-300 | Chorales BWV 301-350 | Chorales BWV 351-400 | Chorales BWV 401-438 | 371 4-Part Chorales sorted by Breitkopf Number | Texts & Translations of Chorales BWV 250-438
Chorale Texts: Sorted by Title | Chorale Melodies: Sorted by Title | Explanation
MIDI files of the Chorales: Cantatas BWV 1-197 | Other Vocal Works BWV 225-248 | Chorales BWV 250-438
Articles: The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Chorale in the Church Service [A. Schweitzer] | Choral / Chorale [C.S. Terry] | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions [T. Braatz] | The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales [T. Braatz] | The World of the Bach Chorale Settings [W.L. Hoffman]
Hymnals: Hymnals used by Bach | Wagner Hymnal 1697 | Evangelisches Gesangbuch 1995 | Dietel Chorale List c1734
Abbreviations used for the Chorales | Links to other Sites about the Chorales


Chorale Texts used in Bach's Vocal Works
Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohen Lüfte
Text and Translation of Chorale

Ref. in hymnals/hymn books:
Author: Johann Franck (1655)
Chorale Melody 1: Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohen Lüfte (Zahn 3703) | Composer: Christoph Peter (1655)
Chorale Melody 2: Gott des Himmels und der Erden (Zahn 3614a) | Composer: Heinrich Albert (1642)
Theme: Morning

Description:

 

Vocal Works by J.S. Bach:
Chorale Melody 1:

Ver

Work

Mvt.

Year

Br

RE

KE

Di

BC

Type

 

-

BWV 366

-

?

161

161

210

15

F104.1

Chorale [S, A, T, B]

 

1-9

BWV 476

All

1736

-

-

-

-

F233

Sacred Song

 

NBA No. 15; Schemelli No. 197

Chorale Melody 2:
Chorale Zwar ist solche Herzensstube (Mvt. 11 (53)) from Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 (verse 9)
Ref: Riemenschneider 35; Breitkopf 34; Birnstiel 39; Dietel 147; AmB 46II p.194; Levy–Mendelssohn 71; Fasch p.133

The melody, “Gott des Himmels und der Erden,” was composed by Heinrich Albert, or Alberti, for the Hymn, of whose words also he was the author. He was born at Lobenstein in 1604, and in 1631 became organist of Konigsberg Cathedral. He died at Konigsberg in 1651. He published in eight Parts his Arien oder Melodeyen Etlicher theils Geistlicher theils Weltlicher (Konigsberg, 1638-1650). The Hymn “Gott des Himmels und der Erden” was first published in Part v. of that collection in 1642. For all but the last two bars (which are closer to the Darmstadt Cantional of 1687). J.S. Bach gives the tune (with modifications necessitated by the rhythm of the words) as it appears in Daniel Vetter’s Leipzig Hymn-Book (1713).
J.S. Bach has not used the melody elsewhere.
The words of the Choral are the 9 stanza of Johann Franck’s Morning Hymn, “Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lufte.” J. Franck was born at Guben in 1618, educated at Konigsberg, became a lawyer, Burgomaster of Guben, and its representative in the Landtag of Lower Lusatia. He died in 1677. His hymns, 110 in number, were collected in his Geistliches Sion (Guben, 1674):
Form. Simple (2 Ob. d’amore, Strings, Organ, and Continuo).
Charles Sanford Terry: Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 1 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the “Passions” and Oratorios [1915], p 62

German Text (verses in bold print set by Bach)

English Translation

1. Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohen Lüfte
und du lichtes Firmament,
tiefes Rund, ihr dunklen Klüfte,
die der Widerschall zertrennt,
jauchzet fröhlich, lasst das Singen
jetzt bis durch die Wolken dringen.

1. Stars above in myriads shining,
Spacious sky, God's firmament,
Earth's round orb, and deeps dark lying,
Caverns wild with echoes rent,
Come, rejoice ye, loudly singing
Till the arch of heaven is ringing!

2. Aber du, o Mensch, für allen
Hebe deine Stimm empor,
lass ein Freudenlied erschallen
dort mit jenem Engelchor,
das den Hirten auf der Weide
heut verkündigt große Freude.

2. But, above all others lusty,
Man, upraise a thankful voice;
With the angel chorus shout ye,
Show with them that we rejoice
At the news to-day proclaimed
To the shepherd folk amazed!

3. Freude, Freud in hohen Höhen,
Freude, Freud in tiefen Tal.
Freud und Wonne, wo wir gehen,
Freud und Lachen ohne Zahl.
Freude, Freud in unsern Toren,
Gott ist heut ein Mensch geboren.

 

4. Bist willkommen, Heil der Erden,
sei willkommen, Jesulein!
Dass wir möchten Herren werden,
stellst du als ein Knecht dich ein.
Du verlässt die hohen Thronen
und willst nun hier unten wohnen.

4. Welcome, welcome, earth's Salvation!
Welcome, Lord, sweet Babe, to-day!
To exalt us to high station
Thou a poor child deign'st to be.
Come from heaven, where Thou reignest,
Here on earth with man remainest.

5. Bethlehem, uns wundert alle,
wie es immer zu mag gehn,
dass in deinem kleinen Sta1le
kann der ganze Himmel stehn.
Hat denn nun der Sterne Menge
Raum in einer solchen Enge?

 

6. Den die Welt nicht kann umschließen,
der die Winde hält in Zaum,
der muss hier den Stall begrüßen
und hat in der Krippen Raum,
der dies ganze Rund erfüllet
liegt in Windeln eingehüllet.

 

7. Weil du denn die schlechten Hütten,
Jesu, nie verschmähet hast,
ei so lass dich doch erbitten
komm doch, komm, du edler Gast!
Komm doch in mein Herz hinein,
lass es deine Krippen sein.

 

8. Komm, ich habe dir zur Wiegen
schon ein Räumlein ausgesucht,
drinnen sollt du sanfter liegen
als in jener harten Bucht.
Komm, mein Herz, das soll zum besten,
so viel möglich, dich begästen.

 

9. Zwar ist solche Herzensstube
wohl kein schöner Fürstensaal,
sondern eine finstre Grube;
doch sobald dein Gnadenstrahl
in denselben nur wird blinken
wird es voller Sonnen dünken.

9. Dark and cold the heart within me
Till Thou deign'st to enter there;
'Tis a dwelling black and gloomy,
Not a palace bright and fair.
When Thy grace upon it beameth,
Filled with radiance rare it gleameth.

   

English Translation: Charles Sanford Terry | Source of English Translation: Charles Sanford Terry: The Four-Part Chorales of J.S. Bach (Oxford University Press, 1929), p 199
Contributed by Francis Browne (March 2008), Aryeh Oron (October 2018)


Chorales BWV 250-438: Details and Recordings
Individual Recordings: Hilliard - Morimur | Chorales - N. Matt | Chorales - H. Rilling | Preludi ai Corali - Quartetto Italiani di Viola Da Gamba
Discussions: Motets & Chorales for Events in the LCY / Chorales by Theme | General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Chorales in Bach Cantatas: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Passion Chorale
References: Chorales BWV 250-300 | Chorales BWV 301-350 | Chorales BWV 351-400 | Chorales BWV 401-438 | 371 4-Part Chorales sorted by Breitkopf Number | Texts & Translations of Chorales BWV 250-438
Chorale Texts: Sorted by Title | Chorale Melodies: Sorted by Title | Explanation
MIDI files of the Chorales: Cantatas BWV 1-197 | Other Vocal Works BWV 225-248 | Chorales BWV 250-438
Articles: The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales [A. Schweitzer] | The Chorale in the Church Service [A. Schweitzer] | Choral / Chorale [C.S. Terry] | Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions [T. Braatz] | The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales [T. Braatz] | The World of the Bach Chorale Settings [W.L. Hoffman]
Hymnals: Hymnals used by Bach | Wagner Hymnal 1697 | Evangelisches Gesangbuch 1995 | Dietel Chorale List c1734
Abbreviations used for the Chorales | Links to other Sites about the Chorales




 

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Last update: Saturday, January 04, 2020 13:41