Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet, BWV 164
Encyclopedia
Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet (You, who call yourselves of Christ), BWV
164, is a church cantata
by Johann Sebastian Bach
.He composed it in 1725 in Leipzig
for the 13th Sunday after Trinity
and first performed it on 26 August 1725.
in Weimar, published in Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer in 1715, as he had done already in Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168
four weeks before.
The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the Galatians
, , Paul's teaching on law and promise, and from the Gospel of Luke
, , the parable of the Good Samaritan
. The love of one's neighbour is the dominant theme of this cantata, whereas in the two preceding years the cantata texts of Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77
, and Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33, had stressed the equality of loving God and neighbour. The closing chorale
is the fifth (and last) verse of Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn of Elisabeth Cruciger
(1524).
, alto
, tenor
and bass
soloists, two flute
s, two oboe
s, two violin
s, viola
, and basso continuo. A four-part choir is only needed for the closing chorale, if at all.
aria. In the tenor aria the strings and the voice share a theme, which appears in two similar halves, A B A' B'. In the alto aria, accompanied by sighing motifs in the flutes, the second section is repeated rather than the first, A B B'. In the duet Bach achieves a quartet, adding to soprano and bass voice the high instruments in unison
and the continuo. The text is presented in three sections and repeated completely in a fourth section, which imitates the first. The closing chorale is a four-part setting.
BWV
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis is the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number, is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions...
164, is a church cantata
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
.He composed it in 1725 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
for the 13th Sunday after Trinity
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
and first performed it on 26 August 1725.
History and words
Bach wrote the cantata in his third year in Leipzig for the 13th Sunday after Trinity, first performed on 26 August 1725. He used a cantata text written by Salomon FranckSalomon Franck
Salomon Franck, 6 March 1659 – 11 July 1725), was a German lawyer, scientist, and gifted poet.His name is widely associated with some of Johann Sebastian Bach's best-known cantatas, mainly those composed as of 1714 in Weimar.-Biography:Franck was born in Weimar...
in Weimar, published in Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer in 1715, as he had done already in Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168
Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168
Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort , BWV 168, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the ninth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 29 July 1725.-History and words:...
four weeks before.
The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the Galatians
Epistle to the Galatians
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, often shortened to Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament. It is a letter from Paul of Tarsus to a number of Early Christian communities in the Roman province of Galatia in central Anatolia...
, , Paul's teaching on law and promise, and from the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, , the parable of the Good Samaritan
Parable of the Good Samaritan
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels. According to the Gospel of Luke a traveller is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a...
. The love of one's neighbour is the dominant theme of this cantata, whereas in the two preceding years the cantata texts of Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77
Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77
Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben , BWV 77, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 22 August 1723.-History and words:...
, and Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33, had stressed the equality of loving God and neighbour. The closing chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
is the fifth (and last) verse of Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn of Elisabeth Cruciger
Elisabeth Cruciger
Elisabeth Cruciger was the first female poet and hymnwriter of the Protestant Reformation and a friend of Martin Luther.- Life :...
(1524).
Scoring and structure
As in several other cantatas on words of Franck, the setting is intimate: sopranoSoprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
, tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
soloists, two flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s, two oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, two violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and basso continuo. A four-part choir is only needed for the closing chorale, if at all.
- Aria (tenor, strings): Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet
- Recitativo (bass): Wir hören zwar, was selbst die Liebe spricht
- Aria (alto, flutes): Nur durch Lieb und durch Erbarmen
- Recitativo (tenor, strings): Ach, schmelze doch durch deinen Liebesstrahl
- Aria (soprano, bass, flutes, oboes, strings): Händen, die sich nicht verschließen
- Chorale: Ertöt uns durch dein Güte
Music
The music for four soloists and a few instruments is essentially chamber music. Bach sets the arias in forms which deviate from the standard da capoDa capo
Da Capo is a musical term in Italian, meaning from the beginning . It is often abbreviated D.C. It is a composer or publisher's directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space. In small pieces this might be the same thing as a repeat, but in larger works D.C...
aria. In the tenor aria the strings and the voice share a theme, which appears in two similar halves, A B A' B'. In the alto aria, accompanied by sighing motifs in the flutes, the second section is repeated rather than the first, A B B'. In the duet Bach achieves a quartet, adding to soprano and bass voice the high instruments in unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
and the continuo. The text is presented in three sections and repeated completely in a fourth section, which imitates the first. The closing chorale is a four-part setting.
Recordings
- Die Bachkantate Vol. 49, Helmuth RillingHelmuth RillingHelmuth Rilling is an internationally known German choral conductor, founder of the Gächinger Kantorei , the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart , the Oregon Bach Festival , the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart and other Bach Academies worldwide, and the "Festival Ensemble Stuttgart"...
, Gächinger KantoreiGächinger KantoreiGächinger Kantorei is an internationally known German mixed choir, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954 in Gächingen and still conducted by him. A "Kantorei" is a choir of high standard dedicated mostly, but not exclusively, to sacred music. The ensemble operates in Stuttgart now and is therefore...
, Bach-Collegium StuttgartBach-Collegium StuttgartBach-Collegium Stuttgart is an internationally known German instrumental ensemble, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1965 to accompany the Gächinger Kantorei in choral music with orchestra...
, Edith Wiens, Julia HamariJulia HamariJulia Hamari, originally Hamari Júlia , is a Hungarian mezzo-soprano and alto singer in opera and concert, appearing internationally. She is an academic voice teacher in Stuttgart.- Professional career :...
, Lutz-Michael HarderLutz-Michael HarderLutz-Michael Harder is a German lyric tenor known mostly for his interpretation of Mozart opera roles and as a baroque concert soloist.-Biography:...
, Walter Heldwein, HänsslerHänssler ClassicHänssler Classic is a German classical record label based in Holzgerlingen.Friedrich Hänssler Senior founded Musikverlag Hänssler in 1919 to publish church music. Since 1972 Hänssler Classic has also published contemporary and jazz music...
1982 - J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 9, Gustav LeonhardtGustav LeonhardtGustav Leonhardt is a highly renowned Dutch keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. Leonhardt has been a leading figure in the movement to perform music on period instruments...
, Tölzer KnabenchorTölzer KnabenchorThe Tölzer Knabenchor is a boys' choir with roots in the Bavarian town of Bad Tölz.The choir group is still led by director and singing master Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, who founded the choir in 1956 when he was only nineteen years old. The founder was once a student of Carl Orff's and worked with him...
, Collegium Vocale Gent, Leonhardt-Consort, soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor, Edith Wiens, Paul EsswoodPaul EsswoodPaul Esswood is an English countertenor. He is best known for his singing in Bach cantatas and the operas of Handel and Monteverdi. Along with his countrymen Alfred Deller and James Bowman, he led the revival of countertenor singing in modern times.Esswood was born in West Bridgford, England. He...
, Kurt EquiluzKurt EquiluzKurt Equiluz is an Austrian classical tenor in opera and concert, known for recording works of Johann Sebastian Bach with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Helmuth Rilling, a member of the Vienna State Opera as a tenor buffo from 1957 until 1983.- Professional career :Kurt Equiluz was an alto soloist of...
, Max van EgmondMax van EgmondMax van Egmond is a Dutch bass and baritone singer. He has focused on oratorio and Lied and is known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Professional career :...
, TeldecTeldecThe Teldec is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.-History:...
1987 - Bach Cantatas Vol. 6, John Eliot GardinerJohn Eliot GardinerSir John Eliot Gardiner CBE FKC is an English conductor. He founded the Monteverdi Choir , the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique...
, Monteverdi ChoirMonteverdi ChoirThe Monteverdi Choir was founded in 1964 by Sir John Eliot Gardiner for a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. A specialist Baroque ensemble, the Choir has become famous for its stylistic conviction and extensive repertoire, encompassing music from the early...
, English Baroque SoloistsEnglish Baroque SoloistsThe English Baroque Soloists is a chamber orchestra playing on period instruments, formed in 1978 by English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Its repertoire comprises music from the early Baroque period to the Classical period...
, Gillian KeithGillian KeithGillian Keith is a Canadian operatic soprano.Gillian Keith was educated at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, Montreal and at the Royal Academy of Music in London.-Opera:Gillian Keith's roles include:...
, Nathalie StutzmannNathalie StutzmannNathalie Stutzmann is a contemporary opera singer, renowned for her contralto voice.Born in Suresnes, France, 1965, she first studied with her mother , then at Nantes Conservatoire and later, at the Ecole d’Art Lyrique de l’Opéra de Paris, focusing on lied, under Hans Hotter's tutelage...
, Christoph GenzChristoph Genz- Biography :Christoph Genz was a member of the Thomanerchor. He studied at the King’s College, Cambridge where he was a member of the King’s College Choir. He studied voice with Hans-Joachim Beyer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ Leipzig and with Elisabeth...
, Jonathan BrownJonathan BrownJonathan Brown is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League. Widely regarded as one of the premier players in the competition, Brown is a three-time club best and fairest winner, two time All Australian , one time Coleman Medallist and three...
, Soli Deo GloriaSoli Deo Gloria (label)Founded in 2004 in order to release the recordings made during the Bach Cantata pilgrimage that took place in the year 2000. Following its launch in 2005, Soli Deo Gloria has established itself as one of the leading independent record labels....
2000 - J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 18, Ton KoopmanTon KoopmanTon Koopman is a conductor, organist and harpsichordist.Koopman had a "classical education" and then studied the organ , harpsichord and musicology in Amsterdam...
, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & ChoirAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & ChoirThe Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is a Dutch early-music group based in Amsterdam.The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir was created in two stages by the conductor, organist and harpsichordist Ton Koopman. He founded the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in 1979 and the Amsterdam Baroque Choir in...
, Johannette ZomerJohannette Zomer- Biography :Johannette Zomer studied voice at the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam in Amsterdam with Charles van Tassel and received her Performance Diploma in 1997....
, Bogna BartoszBogna BartoszBogna Bartosz is a Polish classical mezzo-soprano and alto.- Biography :Bogna Bartosz studied voice at the Academy of Music in Gdansk and graduated with distinction...
, Christoph PrégardienChristoph PrégardienChristoph Prégardien is a German lyric tenor whose career is closely associated with the roles in Mozart operas, as well as performances of Lieder, oratorio roles, and Baroque music...
, Klaus MertensKlaus MertensKlaus Mertens is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.-Professional career:Klaus Mertens took singing lessons while attending school...
, Antoine Marchand 2002 - J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 5, Sigiswald KuijkenSigiswald KuijkenSigiswald Kuijken is a Belgian violinist, violist, and conductor known for playing on authentic instruments.-Biography:Kuijken was born in Dilbeek, near Brussels. He was a member of the Alarius Ensemble of Brussels between 1964 and 1972 and formed La Petite Bande in 1972...
, La Petite BandeLa Petite BandeLa Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
, Gerlinde SämannGerlinde SämannGerlinde Sämann is a German soprano known for her performances in concerts and operas. She is particularly associated with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach...
, Petra NoskaiováPetra NoskaiováPetra Noskaiová is a Slovak classical mezzo-soprano, active in the field of Baroque music.- Professional career :Petra Noskaiová studied studied music at the conservatory of Bratislava from 1988 to 1994 and voice with Ružena Illenbergerová...
, Jan KobowJan KobowJan Kobow is a German classical tenor in concert, Lied and Baroque opera.-Professional career:Jan Kobow was born and raised in Berlin. He was a singer and soloist of the Staats- und Domchor, Berlin with Christian Grube. He studied the organ at the Schola Cantorum in Paris and graduated in church...
, Dominik Wörner, Accent 2006 - J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 40, Masaaki SuzukiMasaaki Suzukiis a Japanese organist, harpsichordist and conductor, and the founder and musical director of the Bach Collegium Japan.He was born in Kobe to parents who were both Christians and amateur musicians...
, Bach Collegium JapanBach Collegium JapanBach Collegium Japan is composed of an orchestra and a chorus specialising in Baroque music, playing with period instruments. It was founded in 1990 by Masaaki Suzuki with the purpose of introducing Japanese audiences to European Baroque music. Suzuki still remains its music director...
, Yukari Nonoshita, Robin BlazeRobin Blaze- Childhood and education :The son of a professional golfer Peter, Robin Blaze grew up in Shadwell, near Leeds and was educated at Leeds Grammar School, Uppingham School, and Magdalen College, Oxford....
, Makoto Sakurada, Peter KooyPeter KooyPeter Kooy is a Dutch bass singer specialized in baroque music.- Biography :Peter Kooy started his musical career at 6 years as a choir boy. However he started his musical studies as a violin student...
, BISBIS RecordsBIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings....
2007
External links
- Cantata BWV 164 Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet on bach-cantatas
- German text and English translation, Emmanuel MusicEmmanuel MusicEmmanuel Music is a Boston-based collective group of singers and instrumentalists founded in 1970 by Craig Smith. It was created specifically to perform the complete cycle of over 200 sacred cantatas of J.S. Bach in the liturgical setting for which they were intended, an endeavor twice completed...
- Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet on the Bach website (in German)
- Entries for BWV 164 on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...