J.S. Bach / Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7 (Leonhardt)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Cantata BWV 7: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (24 June 1724)

1. Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (Chorus)
2. Merkt und hört, ihr Menschenkinder (Aria: B) 07:51
3. Dies hat Gott klar mit Worten (Recitative: T) 13:32
4. Des Vaters Stimme ließ sich hören (Aria: T) 14:50
5. Als Jesus dort nach seinen Leiden (Recitative: B) 19:50
6. Menschen, glaubt doch dieser Gnade (Aria: A) 20:53
7. Das Aug allein das Wasser sieht (Chorale) 24:55

Soloists:
Tenor: Kurt Equiluz
Counter-tenor: Paul Esswood
Bass: Max van Egmond

Performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge (Chorus Master: David Willcocks) & the Leonhardt-Consort under the direction of Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded by Teldec in 1971.

"Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam (Christ our Lord came to the Jordan) (BWV 7), composed for the 24th June 1724, immediately follows Cantata No. 2 as the third chorale cantata of Year II. It emphasizes the cyclical cohesion of the year's series through now placing the hymn melody in the tenor, and through a deliberate change in the technique of writing used in the opening movement: after the overture (BWV 20) and the motet (BWV 2), the concertante principle now comes into its own, since the chorale is embedded, line by line, in a quasi-violin concerto.

"The basis of Bach's composition is Martin Luther's baptismal hymn (1541), whose outer verses, 1 and 7, are retained word for word, each of the inner verses being paraphrased into an aria or recitative movement. The three arias present themselves with steadily increasing instrumentation: continuo writing (2nd movement)--quartet writing with two violins originally tutti, in later performances solo (4th movement)--string writing reinforced by oboes (6th movement). Of these the 6th movement follows the unusual pattern of the 'cavata': concertante virtuosity retires into the background in favour of a song-like structure similar to the arioso. Of the two recitatives the first (3rd movement), a simple 'secco', has more of a connecting function whereas the second (5th movement) is given more significance of its own through string accompaniment and transition to arioso on the words of the command to baptise ('Go forth into all the world...') The work closes with a simple chorale setting." - Alfred Dürr

Painting: St. John the Baptist (study for "The Appearance of Christ Before the People"), Alexander Ivanov

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