Wer da gläubet und getauft wird (He who believes and
is baptised), BWV 37,[a] is a cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach, a church cantata for the feast of the
Ascension. He composed it in Leipzig and first
performed it on 18 May 1724.
The work is Bach's first cantata composition for the
feast of the Ascension. Surprisingly for a high feast
day, it is modestly scored; only two oboes d'amore add
to the sound of the regular stings and basso continuo,
accompanying four vocal parts. An anonymou...(+)
Wer da gläubet und getauft wird (He who believes and
is baptised), BWV 37,[a] is a cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach, a church cantata for the feast of the
Ascension. He composed it in Leipzig and first
performed it on 18 May 1724.
The work is Bach's first cantata composition for the
feast of the Ascension. Surprisingly for a high feast
day, it is modestly scored; only two oboes d'amore add
to the sound of the regular stings and basso continuo,
accompanying four vocal parts. An anonymous poet
derived thoughts from the prescribed Gospel, even
quoting a verse, but excluded the Ascension itself and
concentrated on the Lutheran idea of justification by
faith alone. The poet structured the six movements of
the cantata in two parts, each concluded by a
chorale.
Although the text for the first movement is a quotation
of Jesus, it is not given to the bass as the vox
Christi but to the choir. John Eliot Gardiner notes
that Bach treats it as a "statement by the faithful, as
though to demonstrate that they had already absorbed
its message to 'go into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature". The movement begins with an
extended instrumental Sinfonia which introduces three
melodic lines that occur simultaneously. The first
motif is played by the oboes and later taken by the
choir, According to Gardiner, it suggests
"steadfastness of faith". The second motif in the
violins is reminiscent of Luther's hymn "Dies sind die
heiligen zehn Gebot (These are the holy Ten
Commandments), which opened two other cantatas.
Gardiner describes it as "emollient and graceful, a
halfway house between a minuet and a waltz, affirming a
more serene side to faith." The third motif is part of
the hymn "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" and
appears in the continuo. In two vocal sections, the
voices are embedded in a repetition of the
Sinfonia.
Movement 2 is an aria with a solo violin part missing,
as the Neue Bach-Ausgabe reported. In movement 3, the
chorale appears in the form of a chorale concerto, an
Italianate form that Johann Hermann Schein had used a
century earlier. The chorale melody is changed
according to the meaning of the words, only the
continuo accompanies two voices. The following
recitative is accompanied by the strings. They appear
also in the last aria, in which an oboe comes and goes,
with interesting effects. The closing chorale is a four
part setting
The cantata in six movements is scored rather modestly:
the four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass)
and a four-part choir are accompanied only by two oboes
d'amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo. Bach's
cantatas for the occasion in later years, Auf Christi
Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128, and Gott fähret auf mit
Jauchzen, BWV 43, and his Ascension Oratorio use a more
festive orchestra including horns or trumpets.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wer_da_gl%C3%A4ubet_und_
getauft_wird,_BWV_37).
I created this Arrangement of the first Chorale: "Herr
Gott Vater, mein starker Held!" (Lord God Father, my
mighty champion!) for Woodwind Trio (Piccolo, Flute &
Bassoon).
