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Was willst du dich betrüben by J.S. Bach
oday's chorale is one that I knew only dimly until very recently. I had 'heard it somewhere', as they say. Actually, this expression can have a specific kind of meaning:
This chorale is a sort of 'ur-song', a song-type, and thus perhaps it may be somehow familiar to us all.

The chorale melody first came to light in a collection published in 1557 by Jehan Chardavoine, in Lyons. Its text was distinctly secular, though most of the song is in the voice of a nun. This anonymous young woman was forced by her parents to give up her lover and take the veil. She is passionately unhappy, and prays to Mary for an early death. Attached you'll find a score and text/translation sheet for the song; and here's a link to an outstanding performance of the piece. Have a look and a listen; I think you'll agree with my suggestion that this is a sort of song-archetype, calling to mind other songs and ballads we've heard over the years

Within a few years, the song was published with a sacred text ('Von Gott will ich nicht lassen'); in 1630, Johann Heerman published a different sacred text, 'Was willst du dich betrüben; and yet another ('Gott fähret auf gen Himmel) appeared in 1697. This seemingly startling transformation of a secular melody into a vehicle for sacred texts was not unusual at the time; recall the Italian ditty (with possible German roots) which eventually traveled (back) over the Alps to become
'In dir ist Freude'. The fact that today's song has a distinct ballad-like character seems to have been no
deterrence to this transmogrification.

Bach loved the tune, and used it in several cantatas, several independent chorale settings (check this one out!), and also used it as the basis for a gorgeous chorale prelude, BWV 658.

We're going to take a look at Cantata 107: 'Was willst du dich betrüben' (1724), the seventh cantata in the Second Jahrgang. As you might recall from earlier chorale projects, Bach's second cantata cycle for the church year was distinguished by the fact that, through most of the cycle, each piece is a chorale cantata. This usually means that the first and last movements are based upon the first and last chorale verses, while the inner movements--mostly soloistic--
paraphrase the inner verses of the chorale. Cantata 107 is a variant on this pattern:
The seven chorale verses appear unaltered in the seven movements of the cantata.

Bach attempted this 'per omnes versus' format only three times, beginning with the early Cantata 4: 'Christ lag in Todesbanden'. In that piece, the chorale melody also appears in each movement;
here most of the inner verses are set to free melodic material.

Here's a very nice performance of the cantata. Score and text/translation are attached. Check out especially the first movement and the last movement, two luscious chorale fantasies. But don't miss the wonderful inner movements,
​including a spectacular aria for the bass!

This kind of deep dive into Bach's use of a chorale melody can be so rewarding--and fun! The magic really happens when one learns the tune really well before exploring the repertoire. Once you've internalized the tune, its appearances in various forms and contexts seem like visits from an old, beloved friend, and can make unfamiliar music seem like home.
Click here to download learning materials
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