Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ (Keep Jesus Christ in
mind), BWV 67, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian
Bach. He composed the cantata in his first year in
Leipzig, when he first performed his St John Passion,
for the First Sunday after Easter, called
Quasimodogeniti. The prescribed readings for that
Sunday were from the First Epistle of John, "our faith
is the victory" (1 John 5:4–10), and from the Gospel
of John, the appearance of Jesus to the Disciples,
first without then with Thomas, ...(+)
Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ (Keep Jesus Christ in
mind), BWV 67, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian
Bach. He composed the cantata in his first year in
Leipzig, when he first performed his St John Passion,
for the First Sunday after Easter, called
Quasimodogeniti. The prescribed readings for that
Sunday were from the First Epistle of John, "our faith
is the victory" (1 John 5:4–10), and from the Gospel
of John, the appearance of Jesus to the Disciples,
first without then with Thomas, in Jerusalem (John
20:19–31). The unknown poet begins with a verse from
the Second Epistle to Timothy, "Remember that Jesus
Christ … was raised from the dead" (2 Timothy 2:8).
The poet sees Thomas as similar to the doubtful
Christian in general whose heart is not at peace. The
center of the cantata is the Easter hymn "Erschienen
ist der herrlich Tag" (The glorious day has appeared)
by Nikolaus Herman (1560), praising the day of the
resurrection. In contrast, movement 5 recalls the
danger by the enemies, until in movement 6 Jesus
appears as to his disciples in Jerusalem, finally
bringing peace. The line "Friede sei mit euch" (Peace
be with you) is repeated four times, framing three
stanzas of a poem. The closing chorale is the first
stanza of "Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ" (Thou
Prince of Peace, Lord Jesus Christ) by Jakob Ebert
(1601).
The cantata in seven movements is scored for three
vocal soloists (alto, tenor, and bass), a four-part
choir, corno da tirarsi, a slide horn that Bach scored
for a short period, flauto traverso, two oboes d'amore,
two violins, viola and basso continuo.
The tenor aria Mein Jesus ist erstanden (My Jesus is
arisen) is accompanied by an obbligato oboe d'amore.
The theme is presented in the opening by the strings
and later picked up by the voice, illustrating the word
"auferstanden" by an upward run. The Easter chorale
"Erschienen ist der herrlich Tag" marks the center of
the composition. In symmetry, it is framed by two alto
recitatives, the second a reprise of the first. The
idea of a solo singer alternating with a chorus is
extended in the following movement, the bass aria with
chorus Friede sei mit euch (Peace be with you). A
string introduction depicts in agitated forte passages
in 4/4 time the attack of the enemies. John Eliot
Gardiner describes it as "a dramatic scena in which the
strings work up a storm to illustrate the raging of the
soul's enemies". In sharp contrast the bass as the vox
Christi (voice of Christ) sings the greeting of Jesus
from verse 19 of the Gospel, "Peace be with you", three
times, accompanied by woodwinds in dotted rhythm in 3/4
time, marked piano. Musicologist Julian Mincham
describes the music as serene, a "gentle, rocking,
almost cradle-like rhythm creating a perfect atmosphere
of peaceful contemplation". The upper voices of the
choir (without basses) answer to the music of the
introduction, seeing Jesus as help in the battle
("hilft uns kämpfen und die Wut der Feinde dämpfen").
The greeting and answering is repeated two more times
in two stanzas of the poem, reflecting the
strengthening of the weary in spirit and body
("erquicket in uns Müden Geist und Leib zugleich"),
and finally overcoming death ("durch den Tod hindurch
zu dringen"). The following fourth appearance of "Peace
be with you" is accompanied by both woodwinds and
strings, and peace is finally achieved. Klaus Hofmann
describes the movement as an "operatic scene" and
continues "Bach resorts to unconventional means; he
shows himself as a musical dramatist and, in the
process, stresses the element of contrast: he comments
upon the words of the faithful with agitated,
tumultuous string figures, whilst Jesus' peace greeting
sounds calmly and majestically, embedded in pastoral
wind sonorities." Bach adapted this movement as the
Gloria of his Missa in A major, BWV 234. The closing
chorale "Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ" is a
four-part setting.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halt_im_Ged%C3%A4chtnis_
Jesum_Christ,_BWV_67).
I created this arrangement of the tenor aria Mein Jesus
ist erstanden (My Jesus is arisen) for French Horn &
Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
