Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig
For the last few Wednesdays, I have been following a thread connected to our motet for Friday, an amazing piece called 'Unser Leben ist ein Schatten', by Johann (or Johannes) Bach (1604-1673), the father of the Erfurt line of Bachs. He is related to our own J.S. Bach, but in a distant manner incomprehensible to me and thus impossible for me to adequately describe. Suffice it to say that he was the grandson of Veit Bach (c1550-1619), from whom so many musicians in Saxony and Thuringia were descended that the very word 'Bach' (which means 'stream' or 'brook', by the way) came to be synonymous with 'musician'.
In J. Bach's motet, about which you will hear more in due time, three chorales appear. I have introduced two of these over the past few weeks. Today we take a look at the third and final chorale,
'Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig'.
The chorale melody and text were written by Michael Franck (1609-1667), and first appeared in his 1652 publication 'Die Eitelkeit, Falschheit und Unbeständigkeit der Welt' ('The Vanity, Falsehood and Evanescence of the World'). The chorale text expounds upon this theme in a striking manner: Each verse begins with the words of the title ('Ah how fleeting, ah how as nothing...'), and continues in the next line to specify a possession or attribute of man: 'Man's life'; 'Man's days'; Man's joys'; 'Man's beauty', and so on, through 13 verses. The final three lines of each verse constitute a simile illustrating the specific topic of the verse. An extra twist is that the position of the key words 'flüchtig' and 'nichtig' at the head of each verse alternate from verse to verse. You can check out this tight and most unusual structure at this link.
Franck's chorale melody, somewhat modified by Johann Crüger in 1661, is suitably concise. It's in a minor mode, and consists of a four-bar opening statement; another four-bar passage comprising a two-bar statement and a sequential repeat; and a two-bar closing statement. It is rather neat and easy to grasp. You can check it out various versions of it here; a sheet with the melody as Bach knew and used it is attached to this message.
As far as we know, Bach used the melody only twice: In the 'Orgelbüchlein' from his Weimar period, sometime between 1708 and 1717; and in his eponymous chorale cantata (BWV 26), part of his magisterial second annual cantata cycle (1724-1725).
The 'Orgelbüchlein' setting, very brief as are most of its fellows, features the melody on top. It is provided with a moto perpetua accompaniment consisting of a three-note pattern in the pedal, and near-continuous 16th-notes in the middle voices. Here's a recordingby the blind organist Helmut Walcha; the score is attached.
Cantata 26 is a classic Jahrgang II chorale cantata: The opening and closing movements, featuring the chorale melody, set the first and last verses of the text, while in the middle movements the middle verses are paraphrased to create text for a series of arias and recitatives which do not include the melody.
In the opening movement, the orchestra plays a rather stern concerto-like introduction, with near-continuous 16th-note passages interwoven with 8th-note punctuations. The chorus enters with soprano (and French horn) on the melody in long-notes, while the lower voices provide support strictly in 8th-notes and the orchestra continues its concerto.
The final movement is, as usual, a four-part chorale setting in a rather plain style.
A really special treat for today is a most magical arrangement and performance, by the Calmus Ensemble, of much of the above. It features, in order, the following:
The melody, played on xylophone, accompanied by lute;
The Orgelbüchlein prelude, with recorder playing the melody,
viola da gamba and voice on the 8th-note bass line, and voices on the 16th-note middle lines.
Another statement of the chorale prelude, with soprano on the melody, bass saxophone on the 8th-notes,
and the 16ths covered by gamba and a low recorder.
A third statement of the prelude, this time with all voices in octaves on the melody,
accompanied by the instruments.
The opening movement of Cantata 26, with the concerto played by recorder, tabla, soprano saxophone,
and gamba, with the singers on the vocal parts.
What a reimagining! I love it! It fully honors and expresses the detail and character of the original music while giving it a whole 'nother dimension.
Gives me all kinds of ideas for possible future projects--stay tuned--
For the last few Wednesdays, I have been following a thread connected to our motet for Friday, an amazing piece called 'Unser Leben ist ein Schatten', by Johann (or Johannes) Bach (1604-1673), the father of the Erfurt line of Bachs. He is related to our own J.S. Bach, but in a distant manner incomprehensible to me and thus impossible for me to adequately describe. Suffice it to say that he was the grandson of Veit Bach (c1550-1619), from whom so many musicians in Saxony and Thuringia were descended that the very word 'Bach' (which means 'stream' or 'brook', by the way) came to be synonymous with 'musician'.
In J. Bach's motet, about which you will hear more in due time, three chorales appear. I have introduced two of these over the past few weeks. Today we take a look at the third and final chorale,
'Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig'.
The chorale melody and text were written by Michael Franck (1609-1667), and first appeared in his 1652 publication 'Die Eitelkeit, Falschheit und Unbeständigkeit der Welt' ('The Vanity, Falsehood and Evanescence of the World'). The chorale text expounds upon this theme in a striking manner: Each verse begins with the words of the title ('Ah how fleeting, ah how as nothing...'), and continues in the next line to specify a possession or attribute of man: 'Man's life'; 'Man's days'; Man's joys'; 'Man's beauty', and so on, through 13 verses. The final three lines of each verse constitute a simile illustrating the specific topic of the verse. An extra twist is that the position of the key words 'flüchtig' and 'nichtig' at the head of each verse alternate from verse to verse. You can check out this tight and most unusual structure at this link.
Franck's chorale melody, somewhat modified by Johann Crüger in 1661, is suitably concise. It's in a minor mode, and consists of a four-bar opening statement; another four-bar passage comprising a two-bar statement and a sequential repeat; and a two-bar closing statement. It is rather neat and easy to grasp. You can check it out various versions of it here; a sheet with the melody as Bach knew and used it is attached to this message.
As far as we know, Bach used the melody only twice: In the 'Orgelbüchlein' from his Weimar period, sometime between 1708 and 1717; and in his eponymous chorale cantata (BWV 26), part of his magisterial second annual cantata cycle (1724-1725).
The 'Orgelbüchlein' setting, very brief as are most of its fellows, features the melody on top. It is provided with a moto perpetua accompaniment consisting of a three-note pattern in the pedal, and near-continuous 16th-notes in the middle voices. Here's a recordingby the blind organist Helmut Walcha; the score is attached.
Cantata 26 is a classic Jahrgang II chorale cantata: The opening and closing movements, featuring the chorale melody, set the first and last verses of the text, while in the middle movements the middle verses are paraphrased to create text for a series of arias and recitatives which do not include the melody.
In the opening movement, the orchestra plays a rather stern concerto-like introduction, with near-continuous 16th-note passages interwoven with 8th-note punctuations. The chorus enters with soprano (and French horn) on the melody in long-notes, while the lower voices provide support strictly in 8th-notes and the orchestra continues its concerto.
The final movement is, as usual, a four-part chorale setting in a rather plain style.
A really special treat for today is a most magical arrangement and performance, by the Calmus Ensemble, of much of the above. It features, in order, the following:
The melody, played on xylophone, accompanied by lute;
The Orgelbüchlein prelude, with recorder playing the melody,
viola da gamba and voice on the 8th-note bass line, and voices on the 16th-note middle lines.
Another statement of the chorale prelude, with soprano on the melody, bass saxophone on the 8th-notes,
and the 16ths covered by gamba and a low recorder.
A third statement of the prelude, this time with all voices in octaves on the melody,
accompanied by the instruments.
The opening movement of Cantata 26, with the concerto played by recorder, tabla, soprano saxophone,
and gamba, with the singers on the vocal parts.
What a reimagining! I love it! It fully honors and expresses the detail and character of the original music while giving it a whole 'nother dimension.
Gives me all kinds of ideas for possible future projects--stay tuned--