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巴赫1723年到莱比锡担任教堂乐长，他的任务是主持莱比锡市中四个教堂的音乐崇拜，指挥训练四个唱诗班及乐队，并为他们写作每个礼拜天及教会节期的音乐。 莱比锡路德宗的教会每年需要59部颂赞曲或类似的作品，在1723-1730年间，巴赫写成了六个全年的颂赞曲，现存的有200部，在巴赫全集中的编号是BWV1-200。
颂赞曲(Cantatas)的歌词都是以德文写作，略有一些歌剧的形式如同独白的宣叙调，单人或数人的咏叹调及数部的合唱。颂赞曲经常以一首德国圣诗结束，而巴赫常常用这首圣诗的旋律作一首乐队演奏的序曲。颂赞曲的内容都是根据当天崇拜用的经文和牧师讲道的主题而定。现存的200部颂赞曲中，巴赫直接引用175节圣经的经文，涵盖圣经66卷中的22卷。他间接引用或改写的经文非常多,也不容易准确数算。他使用的德国圣诗中，有29首是马丁路德自己写的圣诗。
为了教会特别的节期庆典，巴赫用歌剧的形式写了下列的大型宗教神剧(Oratorio):马太受难曲BWV244， 约翰受难曲BWV245，圣诞节歌剧BWV248-253，圣母颂BWV243，复活节歌剧BWV249。连现在己已经散失的马可受难曲BWV246，在这些歌剧中，巴赫直接引用新约圣经的经文约九章400节。
巴赫另外有六部经文歌(Motets)BWV225-230，是为葬礼或其他小的仪式中演唱的，其中也直接引用了16节新旧约圣经的经文。
因此史怀哲称赞巴赫的宗教音乐为第五部福音书。
巴赫根据拉丁文写了11首弥撒曲(Masses)BWV232-242，其中最著名的是b小调弥撒曲BWV232，是巴赫临终时完成的巨大杰作，使用音乐的语言来宣示他的基督教信仰。整本尼西亚信经，分成九段全部唱出，气势澎湃，摄人心怀。
除了在教堂中演出的颂赞曲之外, 巴赫写了许多清唱剧(BWV201-217) ，为婚丧礼节及贵族特殊的庆典用的。其中引用一些神话故事，可以作为歌剧演出。这些清唱剧音乐的品质，并不逊于他的颂赞曲。他也经常用相同的曲子，改换诗词用在不同的场合。好些清唱剧如咖啡歌剧及农夫歌剧，比他的颂赞曲更为人熟悉喜爱。
这里我把颂赞曲全部(bwv1-249) 翻译成中文，这样我自己可以欣赏这些曲子,也可以帮助中国朋友了解和欣赏巴赫的歌曲作品。我希望听到有人能以中文演唱它们，所以译文尽可能保持德文诗的音节以便演唱。但是真正要翻译诗歌，也必须注意歌词的音韵。只是我的文学修养实在有限，能够把歌词的意义准确地翻译出来，已经有力不从心的感觉。要把颂赞曲翻译到能配上歌谱演唱的水，这就要有真正的诗人来做了。好在现在的网路方便，希望我这一份初稿能够散布出去，大家合力来修改增益，或许在不久的将来，会有好的版本出来，可以用中文来演唱一些巴赫的颂赞曲。
第五部福音书 |
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It had been very difficult for me to appreciated Bach’s cantatas because my German is poor and it was impossible to follow the texts while listening to the music. Finally I translated the cantata texts into Chinese, so that I could understand what Bach was talking about. Even then, it was difficult to follow the text when I played the cantatas.
The best way to listen to the cantatas is to play them in video with German and Chinese subtitles. I had picked many of my favorite cantatas and put them on movie and video clips. Adding German and Chinese subtitles made it very easy to know what words are sung and to follow the music. I enjoyed these movies thoroughly, and I hope other Bach fans will do the same.
The movie files can be downloaded from my website: http://www.offete.com/MediaLab.html
Many of them are linked in the Chinese translations pages in this site. However, it is hard to know which cantata has video clips implemented. Following is a list of the available cantatas so that you know where to find them on the Chinese Translation pages.
These are the multimedia presentations of Bach’s cantatas. They tend to engage both your audio and visual senses, and perhaps your minds and souls as well.
Passion According to Matthew, Bach, Gibson and Ting, BWV244 | Chinese Translation Page
This is a collection of film clips based on the music of the Passion According to St. Matthew by J. S. Bach, with video images taken from Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ.
B-Minor Mass by Bach, BWV232 | Chinese Translation Page
Images are from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel fresco.
Movements 1-7
Movements 8-12
Movements 13-22
Movements 23-27
Bach Cantatas, Selected Movements
BWV68-2 Mein gläubiges Herze | Chinese Translation Page
BWV76-1 Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes | Chinese Translation Page
BWV147-10 Jesus bleibet meine Freude | Chinese Translation Page
BWV208-9 Schafe können sicher weiden | Chinese Translation Page
Bach Cantatas, All Movements
BWV1 Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern | Chinese Translation Page
BWV4 Christ lag in Todes Banden | Chinese Translation Page
BWV11 Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Ascension Oratory) | Chinese Translation Page
BWV50 Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft | Chinese Translation Page
BWV51 Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen | Chinese Translation Page
BWV56 Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen | Chinese Translation Page
BWV61 . Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland | Chinese Translation Page
BWV78 Jesu, der du meine Seele | Chinese Translation Page
BWV80 Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott | Chinese Translation Page
BWV82 Ich habe genung | Chinese Translation Page
BWV106 Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit | Chinese Translation Page
BWV131 Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir | Chinese Translation Page
BWV137 Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren | Chinese Translation Page
BWV140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme | Chinese Translation Page
BWV187 Es wartet alles auf dich | Chinese Translation Page
BWV192 Nun danket alle Got | Chinese Translation Page
BWV208 Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (Hunter Cantata) | Chinese Translation Page
BWV211 Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (Coffee Canatata) | Chinese Translation Page
BWV227 Jesu, meine Freude | Chinese Translation Page
BWV230 Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden | Chinese Translation Page
BWV243 Magnificat | Chinese Translation Page |
