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  • Virtual Offerings
    • The Choir Loft >
      • April 4th - Easter Oratorio - Dianna Morgan
      • April 11th - The Singing Life - Steve Osborn
      • April 18th - Salamone Rossi - Amanda McFadden
      • April 25th - Dan Solter - The Passionate Palestrina
    • Virtual BachTalk
    • Adventures in Sightsinging
    • Parliamo Italiano! Language Workshop
    • Madrigal Mondays
    • Chorale Wednesdays
    • Motet Fridays
    • Virtual Recording Projects
  • Virtual Concerts
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
    • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
    • Agave Baroque American Originals
    • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Mission Statement
    • Pandemic Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Concert Programs
    • Scores & Parts
  • Contact
  • Join our Mailing List!
Chorale Wednesdays
Each week, Sonoma Bach's Music Director Robert Worth will choose one of our favorite Bach Chorales, each a brilliant miniature of Bach's astonishing craft, for us all to learn at our own pace.  Your mission (should you choose to accept it) ​is to learn to sing your part and then join your voice with the voices and instruments of the professional recording. 
​
We will provide the score and translations, a midi practice track, and a professional recording, all listed below.
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Herzliebster Jesu by J.S. Bach
You'd think that after a year of Wednesday Chorales, I'd be running out of good ones.

NOPE!

Here's one data point: The magisterial chorale compendium we call 'Zahn' (after its late 19th century compiler and editor, Johannes Zahn) contains 8801 chorale tunes. 

Here's another: The 'Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch' of 1682, one of the hymnbooks which Bach knew well, contains four-and five-part settings of over 400 chorale tunes.

And this: As best I can determine, Bach used some 288 different chorale tunes in his works.

So we're definitely not about to run out of chorales. Nor are we anywhere close to running out of truly great tunes which have been incorporated into great settings by Bach and so many other composers. 

Today's chorale is a prime example. It's called 'Herzliebster Jesu', and it has important roles in both of Bach's extant passions. The text, written by Johann Heerman, was first published in 1630. The melody, by Johann Crüger, was published ten years later. The poem is a 15-verse meditation on the events of the passion story, and upon their meaning for the Christian believer.

Bach used the chorale twice in the St. John Passion: Once after Jesus' arrest in the garden of Gethsemane (verse 7); and again after Jesus responds to Pilate: 'My kingdom is not of this world' (verses 8 and 9). 

In the St. Matthew Passion, our chorale appears three times: In the first instance, Jesus has just told his disciples that he will be tried and crucified (verse 1); in its second appearance, after a weary Jesus asks three of his disciples to stay awake with him, a guilt-struck tenor sings an anxious recitative while the choir comments with a hushed four-part setting of verse 3; and finally, after the crowd calls for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified, the choir responds with verse 4.

Attached you will find a special score which contains just these five settings, including the dramatic context and English translations; as well as a corresponding compilation recording. I suggest that you first learn the melody well; then spend some time with each setting, listening and singing the melody and (optionally) your part. Notice the differences between the settings--some are straightforward, others are full of chromaticism. 

For each chorale verse, try to answer for yourself the question: How has Bach made this setting perfectly reflect its text and its dramatic context? I think you'll be amazed at Bach's ingenuity and artistry as he adapts the simple but powerful tune to these many emotion-filled moments.
Click here to download score
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Archive
click below for learning materials
Ach wie elend ist unsre Zeit
Allein Gott in der Höh sie Ehr by J.S. Bach
Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Amazing Grace
An Wasserflussen Babylon - Bach, Schein & Others
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir - Johann Hermann Schein - Baltasar Resinarius
Chorales - Heinrich Schütz
Christ ist Erstanden BWV 276 - J.S. Bach
Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4 - J.S. Bach
Christe du Lamm Gottes - Praetorius and Bach
Christum wir sollen loben schon - Lucas Osiander
Selections from Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 - J.S. Bach
Du Heilige Brunst from ​Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226 - J.S. Bach
Selections from Ein feste Burg, BWV 80 - J.S. Bach
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her
Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit - J.S. Bach
Herzlich tut mich erfreuen - Michael Praetorius
Herzliebster Jesu - J.S. Bach
Ich Freue mich in dir - J.S. Bach
Innsbruck, ich muß dich lassen
Jesu der du meine Seele - J.S. Bach
Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod - J.S. Bach
Jesu meine Freude
Jesus bleibet meine Freude from Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 - J.S. Bach
L'innamorato - Giovanni Gastoldi & In dir ist Freude - J.S. Bach
Lobt Gott ihr Christen alle gleich
Meine Seele wartet from Aus der Tiefe, Cantata 131 - J.S. Bach
Meine Seele erhebt den Herren - J.S. Bach
Mit Fried und freud ich far dahin - Johann walter
Mitten wir im Leben sind - Bach & Bruck
Nun Bitten Wir den heligen geist - Bach & Walter
Nun danket alle Gott - J.S. Bach
Nun freut euch lieben Christen g'mein
Nun freut euch lieben Christen g'mein - Martin Luther & Others
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort - J.S. Bach
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (5th appearance) from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 - J.S. Bach
O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf - Johannes Brahms
O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß, BWV 402 - J.S. Bach
​O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß - Sigismund Paminger
Piae Cantiones - exploration
Puer natus in Bethlehem
Sei ist mir Lieb
Vom Himmel hoch - exploration
Vor deinen Thron - J.S. Bach
Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme, Cantata 140 - J.S. Bach
Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan, Cantata 99 - J.S. Bach
Was willst du dich betrüben by J.S. Bach
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