Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
I like J S Bach but I seldom listen to his choral work. It's always a lot better to be listen to choral works in a live concert than before the hi-fi at home.
This piece got my attention 'cos I'm teaching my student on Cert. Music and its one of the set pieces - the famous Bach's Cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 140 (Wake ye maids! hark, strikes the hour).1 The more I understand this piece the more interesting I found it.
I'd teach my student on what a Cantata2 is, how a Cantata is structured, its instrumental settings, or why the lyrics are in German3 (but not in Latin?) and something like that. However, I found something more interesting - its about the content of the lyrics.
The subject of this Cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, is based on the Gospel for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, the parable of the ten virgins (St Matthew xxv, 1-13). Philipp Nicolai, expanded this idea further: Jesus is the bridegroom, Zion the bride; all men are invited to partake of the marriage feast. It is a Christian idea, but not necessarily a Catholic one. The idea of Jesus being the bridegroom also exists in the Catholic Church, but the bride is not Zion. Zion is most often designated as Jerusalem (See further). The bride usually means the Church instead (See further). So Philipp Nicolai's idea would not appear in Catholic's context.
Anyway, its doubtlessly a masterpiece. Enjoy!
1 It is not the direct transation of German. Some others would translate Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme to "Sleepers Awake, the Voice is Calling" (this example is from Wikipedia) The translation I used here is from Bärenreiter Kassel's version.
2Cantata is a set of vocal music, usually consists of chorale, solo, duet/trio, accompanied by instruments, on some stories, either sacred or secular, performed without stage and make-ups. It is a popular genre in Baroque Period and J S Bach's a famous writer of this genre.
3Contrasting with Catholic religious music which were always written in Latin, using German in lyric sacred writing is the tradition of Lutheran established by Martin Luther in Germany.
This piece got my attention 'cos I'm teaching my student on Cert. Music and its one of the set pieces - the famous Bach's Cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 140 (Wake ye maids! hark, strikes the hour).1 The more I understand this piece the more interesting I found it.
I'd teach my student on what a Cantata2 is, how a Cantata is structured, its instrumental settings, or why the lyrics are in German3 (but not in Latin?) and something like that. However, I found something more interesting - its about the content of the lyrics.
The subject of this Cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, is based on the Gospel for the 27th Sunday after Trinity, the parable of the ten virgins (St Matthew xxv, 1-13). Philipp Nicolai, expanded this idea further: Jesus is the bridegroom, Zion the bride; all men are invited to partake of the marriage feast. It is a Christian idea, but not necessarily a Catholic one. The idea of Jesus being the bridegroom also exists in the Catholic Church, but the bride is not Zion. Zion is most often designated as Jerusalem (See further). The bride usually means the Church instead (See further). So Philipp Nicolai's idea would not appear in Catholic's context.
Anyway, its doubtlessly a masterpiece. Enjoy!
1 It is not the direct transation of German. Some others would translate Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme to "Sleepers Awake, the Voice is Calling" (this example is from Wikipedia) The translation I used here is from Bärenreiter Kassel's version.
2Cantata is a set of vocal music, usually consists of chorale, solo, duet/trio, accompanied by instruments, on some stories, either sacred or secular, performed without stage and make-ups. It is a popular genre in Baroque Period and J S Bach's a famous writer of this genre.
3Contrasting with Catholic religious music which were always written in Latin, using German in lyric sacred writing is the tradition of Lutheran established by Martin Luther in Germany.
posted by legomate at 1:23 am
1 Comments:
i want something 'ging'! my favourite piece is carmina burana!!
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