Bach: Ascension Oratorios with Sigiswald Kuijken & Sophie Karthäuser | Part 2

From the Church of St. Nikolai, Leipzig, 2004
Bach father and son, a turning point in music

Sophie Karthäuser - soprano
Patrizia Hardt - alto
Christoph Einhorn - tenor
Christoph Genz - tenor
Jan van der Crabben - bass baritone
Stephan Genz - bass
La Petite Bande
Ex Tempore
Sigiswald Kuijken - conductor & concert master

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Johann Sebastian Bach - Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11
I.. Chorus: ”Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen”
II. Recitative: “Der Herr Jesus hub seine Hände auf” (tenor)
III. Recitative: “Ach, Jesu, ist dein Abschied schon so nah?” (bass-baritone)
IV. Aria: “Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben” (contralto)
V. Recitative: “Und ward aufgehoben zusehends” (tenor)
VI. Chorale: “Nun lieget alles unter dir” (soli)
VII. a. Recitative: “Und da sie ihm nachsahen” (tenor)
VII. b. Recitative: “Ach ja! So komme bald zurück” (contralto)
VII. c. Recitative: “Sie aber beteten ihn an” (tenor)
VIII. Aria: “Jesu, deine Gnadenblicke” (soprano)
IX. Chorale: “Wenn soll es doch geschehen” (solo)

Johann Sebastian Bach called three of his works “oratorios”: the Easter Oratorio of 1725; the Christmas Oratorio for the six feast days between Christmas Day 1734 and Epiphany 1735; and the Ascension Oratorio that he wrote in 1735 and that was his final contribution to the genre. This last-named piece is so short that the complete edition of his works that was published by the Bach-Gesellschaft in 1852 classified it as a cantata, Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, and the BWV catalog likewise lists it among his cantatas as BWV 11. But Bach had good reason to call it an oratorio as it follows the German oratorio tradition established by Heinrich Schütz: a biblical story is told by an Evangelist in the words of the holy scriptures, while the characters who act out the drama are sung by soloists, each depicting a different role. Recitatives, choruses, and arias interpret and comment on the spiritual content of the Gospel message. Bach’s Passions, which were an integral part of the services held in Leipzig during Holy Week, adopt this same dramaturgical structure. Like the other two oratorios, the Ascension Oratorio consists only in part of newly composed music: in every case, Bach also used sections of earlier pieces adapted to suit their new context. This use of “parody”, as it is known, was common practice in Bach’s day, with the Ascension Oratorio in turn providing material for later compositions: the aria “Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben”, for example, reappears in the Agnus Dei in the B minor Mass.

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