Ein ungefärbt Gemüte (An open mind) (literally: An
undyed mind), BWV 24,[a] is a church cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the
fourth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on
20 June 1723. It is the third new cantata of his first
annual cycle. The title has been translated more
freely, for example as "An unstained mind", "An
unblemished conscience", "An undisguised intention",
and "An unsophisticated mind".
Bach composed the cantata for the fourth Su...(+)
Ein ungefärbt Gemüte (An open mind) (literally: An
undyed mind), BWV 24,[a] is a church cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the
fourth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on
20 June 1723. It is the third new cantata of his first
annual cycle. The title has been translated more
freely, for example as "An unstained mind", "An
unblemished conscience", "An undisguised intention",
and "An unsophisticated mind".
Bach composed the cantata for the fourth Sunday after
Trinity and first performed it on 20 June 1723, three
weeks after he took up the position as Thomaskantor in
Leipzig with Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75. Bach had
begun to compose one cantata for almost every Sunday
and holiday of the liturgical year, a project described
by Christoph Wolff as "an artistic undertaking on the
largest scale".
It seems likely that Bach performed in the same service
also the earlier cantata Barmherziges Herze der ewigen
Liebe, BWV 185, composed for the same occasion in
Weimar in 1715. He had presented cantatas in two parts
on the preceding three Sundays, the new works Die
Elenden sollen essen, and Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre
Gottes, BWV 76, and the earlier Ich hatte viel
Bekümmernis, BWV 21. On the fourth Sunday he likely
performed one cantata before and the other after the
sermon. According to Christoph Wolff, he probably
performed the new work first.
In his composition, Bach stresses the weight of the
central biblical quotation by giving it to the choir,
and by scoring the framing recitatives and arias with
reduced accompaniment. The obbligato part in the first
aria is played by the violins and viola in unison and
resembles the vocal part. According to John Eliot
Gardiner, Bach thus evokes an "unstained mind". Julian
Mincham notes the "sombre and shaded tone quality" of
the unison strings. The following recitative, termed an
"exemplary mini-sermon in its own right", is secco and
ends in an arioso. Here as in the first work for the
same occasion, BWV 185, Bach shows the mirror effect of
the words, "Mach aus dir selbst ein solches Bild, wie
du den Nächsten haben willt!" (Make yourself into such
an image, as you would have your neighbour be!) by
imitation of voice and continuo. This phrase is
rendered three times.
The central choral movement, "a powerful chorus which
forms the core of the cantata", is in two sections: the
complete text is once rendered in a free form, then
again as a fugue, comparable to the concept prelude and
fugue. Two oboes double the strings, a clarino plays an
independent part. The prelude is in three symmetric
sections. The fugue, a double fugue marked "vivace
allegro", begins with the first vocal entrance only
accompanied by the continuo, the first vocal entries
are sung by the concertisten, the choir joins later.
The music reaches a climax when the clarino plays the
theme as a fifth part to the four vocal parts. The
movement ends in free sequences. Mincham describes the
"ceaseless activity through constant musical movement"
of the music, the "fragmented rhythm" of the
countersubject and the "breathless urgency" of the
coda.
The following recitative is similar to the first in
structure, but accompanied by the strings adding
emphasis, mostly on strong beats. The final arioso,
without the strings, stresses the prayer "Der liebe
Gott behüte mich dafür!" (May dear God spare me from
it!). The last aria is accompanied by two oboi d'amore;
they play a long "doleful" introduction that is
repeated as a postlude. The voice picks up their
beginning motif. The tenor voice sings an unusual
coloratura line when the text ends on "Macht uns Gott
und Engeln gleich" (makes us like God and the angels),
possibly representing the multitude of the Heavenly
host.
The eight lines of the closing chorale in homophonic
four-part vocal setting are richly framed by orchestral
interludes and accompanied by the instruments. Bach
found the style of chorale treatment in works by his
predecessor in Leipzig, Johann Kuhnau. The last prayer
asks for "ein unverletzte Seel" (an unsullied soul)
"und rein Gewissen" (and a clear conscience).
The cantata in six movements is scored for three vocal
soloists (alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir,
clarino, two oboes, two oboes d'amore, two violins,
viola and basso continuo.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_ungef%C3%A4rbt_Gem%C
3%BCte,_BWV_24).
I created this arrangement of the opening Aria: "Ein
ungefärbt Gemüte" (An unblemished conscience) for
Double-Reed Trio (Oboe, English Horn & Bassoon).
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