J.S. Bach Sacred Cantata BWV 19 Es Erhub sich ein Streit

Mvt. 1: Chorus
³Es erhub sich ein Streit²
Instruments: 3 Tr, Ti, 2 Ob, Tle, 2 Vn, Va, Bc

The September 29 festival was clearly a major event in Bach¹s Leipzig.Festive orchestras of this size were generally used only on principal days (Reformation Day on Oct 31 is the only other big day in the autumn before Christmas). The addition of the taille gives the music the 3x3x3 grouping in the winds, trumpets and strings which we see in the Sanctus of the B Minor Mass ­ is this a reference to the nine orders of angels?

Despite snarky comments about the da capo structure ruining the narrative, the opening chorus is one of Bach¹s greatest choral movements. Like Cantatas BWV 80, ³Ein Feste Burg² and BWV 71, ³Gott is Mein kong², the cantata begins Oex abrupto² without an orchestral introduction. Evidence has been presented that BWV 71 was preceded by a brass piece which functioned as an ³overture² and gave the singers their opening pitch. One wonders if Bach preceded this choral fugue with an improvisatory ³prelude² or whether one of the existing organ preludes can be linked with this cantata.

Mvt. 3: Aria - Soprano
³Gott schickt uns Mahanaim zu²
Instruments: 2 Oda, Bc

The contrast of angels and devils in the text is symolized in the confident sustained notes on ³stehen² and ³Ruh² and the agitated sixteenth runs on ³Feinde². We assume that the oboes also played the oboe d¹amore parts here.

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[handyman109]

Amazingly wonderful.

[tailspin37]

Beautiful! Inspirational. Thank you for posting this beautiful piece of music.

It touches the heart.

John