Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben (You shall love
God, your Lord), 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.
The first movement carries Bach's statement on the most
important law, on which, according to the parallel
Matthew 22:34–40, "hang all the law and the
prophets". The words translate to "You shall love God,
your Lord, with all your heart, with all your soul,...(+)
Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben (You shall love
God, your Lord), 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.
The first movement carries Bach's statement on the most
important law, on which, according to the parallel
Matthew 22:34–40, "hang all the law and the
prophets". The words translate to "You shall love God,
your Lord, with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself". Bach had enlarged on the
"dualism of love of God and brotherly love" already in
his monumental cantata in 14 movements, Die Himmel
erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76, at the beginning of
his first cycle. In order to show the law's
universality, Bach introduces Martin Luther's chorale
"Dies sind die heilgen zehn Gebot" (These are the holy
ten commandments), referring to the commandments of the
Old Testament, as a foundation of the movement's
structure. The tune is played in a strict canon, the
most rigid musical law as one more symbol. The canon is
performed by the trumpet in the highest range, and the
continuo, representing the lowest range. The tempo of
the trumpet is twice as fast as the tempo of the
continuo, therefore the trumpet has time to repeat
first single lines and finally the complete melody of
the chorale. The trumpet enters ten times, to symbolize
once more the completeness of the law. The voices,
representing the law of the New Testament, engage in
imitation of a theme which is derived from the chorale
tune and first played by the instruments.
John Eliot Gardiner, who provided an extended analysis
of the movement, concludes: "The end result is a potent
mixture of modal and diatonic harmonies, one which
leaves an unforgettable impression in the mind's ear,
and in context propels one forward to the world of
Brahms' German Requiem and beyond, to Messiaen's
Quartet for the End of Time".
Source: Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du_sollt_Gott,_deinen_Her
ren,_lieben,_BWV_77)
Although originally scored for four vocal soloists
(soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir,
tromba da tirarsi (Baroque slide trumpet), two oboes,
two violins, viola, and basso continuo including
bassoon, I created this arrangement for Winds (Flute,
Oboe, Bb Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2
Violins, Viola & Cello).