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  • Deep Dives
    • 2024-2025 Concerts >
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      • Samuel Scheidt: The Art of Variation
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    • Circa 1600
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O Gott, du frommer Gott
Well, many of our Wednesday chorales are directly or obliquely related to ol' J.S., of course. But today we're taking a look at a chorale specifically as it appears in a certain Bach cantata: BWV 94: Was frag ich nach der Welt.

The chorale melody is generally referred to as 'O Gott, du frommer Gott', since it was originally associated with a text of that name. It was penned by Ahasverus Fritsch. Here's how it looks in Cantata 64 with Balthasar Kindemann's 'Was frag ich nach der Welt' text (1644), later assigned to the same tune.

As you can see (and hear if you play it or sight-sing it or click this link), the melody is a classic, staunch example of the confident major-key chorale. It is absolutely clear in direction: Beginning and dwelling for a time in the lower register, it rises to the dominant, and then climbs sequentially to a satisfying arrival at the upper tonic, before settling back down with a descent from sol to do.

In Cantata 94, one of the cantatas in Bach's second annual chorale cycle (1724-25), Bach follows his usual practice in using the melody and associated text in the first and last movements. The first movement is a wonderful setting featuring a virtuosic flute line--the instrumental parts might as well be a concerto--with the melody entering episodically in the soprano, accompanied by the rest of the choir; the final movement, as expected, is a classic 4-part chorale setting.


But, somewhat unusually, the melody (not just the customary paraphrased text) is featured in two of the inner movements as well. In the third movement, with two oboes d'amore and basso continuo, a decorated form of the melody--in triple time--alternates with recitative passages. Here's how the ornamented melody looks; and here's how the aria sounds. (Bach Choir members who go back a ways will recognize the wonderful oboist Katharina Arfken, who played with us many times in the 1990's.)

In the fifth movement, accompanied only by basso continuo, the bass has a different ornamented version of our tune, which again alternates with passages of free-text recitative. Here's how the extrapolated, decorated melody looks; and here's how it sounds in context.

For those who wish to examine the piece in more detail, the entire orchestral score, in the Bärenreiter edition, is attached to this message. For a full translation of the cantata, click this link to Pamela Dellal's excellent translation, with chorale verses etched out in a bold-faced font. And click here for that entire live performance of BWV 94.


Happy listening! Enjoy what looks to be a beautiful day! I'm happy because my family (Margaret, Bongo and Gemini) is coming home today--Margaret has been in New Orleans since Sunday for her company's executive retreat, and the dogs have been boarding with their good friends Seth and Sari so that I could focus upon completing the enormous project of creating instrumental parts for our upcoming World of Wonder concert.
Click here to download score
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