Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Laud to God in all his
kingdoms), BWV 11,[a] known as the Ascension Oratorio
(Himmelfahrtsoratorium), is an oratorio by Johann
Sebastian Bach, marked by him as Oratorium In Festo
Ascensionis Xsti (Oratorio for the feast of the
Ascension of Christ), probably composed in 1735 for the
service for Ascension and first performed on 19 May
1735.
Bach had composed his Christmas Oratorio, based on the
gospels of Luke and Matthew, in 1734, a work in six
parts to be p...(+)
Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Laud to God in all his
kingdoms), BWV 11,[a] known as the Ascension Oratorio
(Himmelfahrtsoratorium), is an oratorio by Johann
Sebastian Bach, marked by him as Oratorium In Festo
Ascensionis Xsti (Oratorio for the feast of the
Ascension of Christ), probably composed in 1735 for the
service for Ascension and first performed on 19 May
1735.
Bach had composed his Christmas Oratorio, based on the
gospels of Luke and Matthew, in 1734, a work in six
parts to be performed on six occasions during Christmas
tide. He had composed an Easter Oratorio already in
1725. The Ascension Oratorio appeared thus in the same
liturgical year as the Christmas Oratorio. The text for
the Ascension Oratorio, a compilation of several
biblical sources, free poetry and chorales, was
presumably written by Picander who had written the
libretti for the St Matthew Passion and the Christmas
Oratorio, among others. It follows the story of the
Ascension as told in Luke, Mark and the Acts of the
Apostles.
The bible narration is compiled from multiple sources:
the first recitative of the Evangelist (movement 2) is
from Luke 24:50–51, the second (5) from Acts 1:9 and
Mark 16:19, the third (7) from Acts 1:10–11, the last
(9) from Luke 24:52a, Acts 1:12 and Luke 24:52b. The
biblical words are narrated by the tenor as the
Evangelist. In his third recitative two men are quoted,
for this quotation tenor and bass both sing in an
Arioso.
Part I, which tells of the Ascension, is concluded by
the fourth stanza of Johann Rist's hymn "Du
Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ" in a four part setting.
Part II reflects the reaction of the disciples. The
closing chorale on the seventh stanza of Gottfried
Wilhelm Sacer's "Gott fähret auf gen Himmel" is set as
a chorale fantasia. While the music for the narration
and the first chorale were new compositions in 1735,
Bach based the framing choral movements and the two
arias on earlier compositions. He used the model for
the alto aria again much later for the Agnus Dei of his
Mass in B minor.
In the first complete edition of Bach's works, the
Bach-Ausgabe of the Bach Gesellschaft, the work was
included under the cantatas (hence its low BWV number),
and in the Bach Compendium it is numbered BC D 9 and
included under oratorios.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobet_Gott_in_seinen_Rei
chen,_BWV_11).
The soprano aria, Jesu, deine Gnadenblicke (Jesus, Your
merciful gaze), is also based on the wedding cantata
Auf, süß entzückende Gewalt. It is one of the rare
pieces in Bach's music without basso continuo, with the
two unison flutes, the oboe and the unison strings
playing a trio, augmented to a quartet by the singer.
The original words in the wedding cantata mentioned
"Unschuld" (innocence). Brian Robins notes "the lightly
translucent texture reflecting the text's allusion to
Christ leaving his body to ascend to Heaven". Jones
thinks that the setting without an earthly continuo
represents the Gnadenblicke (glances of Grace) of the
text.
I created this arrangement of the final Aria: "Jesu,
deine Gnadenblicke" (Jesus, Your merciful gaze) for
Flute Quartet (3 Flutes & Alto Flute).
