October 7
Cantata 41 was premiered the day after yesterday’s work for New Years Day in 1725. Bach clearly intended to construct a cantata of magnificent splendor, in contrast to yesterday’s introspective and relatively small-scale work, as he used the largest ensemble at his disposal – a four part (SATB) choir and four soloists, three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, two violins, viola, a solo piccolo cello and continuo (organ, viola da gamba and possibly bassoon). Additionally, the chorale on which the cantata is based is the longest one set in his cantatas, consisting of an incredible 14 lines with a repeat of the last two lines at the end. This joyously festive work resembles the more official compositions Bach was required to write for such events as the inauguration of the new town council of Leipzig every year, and one imagines that the town council members (Bach's employers) might have been present for this premiere.
The length of the challenging chorale Bach chose for this work required innovation in how he structured the opening chorale fantasia, which is among the largest he ever wrote. He thus divided the fantasia into four sections.
The opening section is quick-paced and features a joyous fanfare-like ritornello that recurs between each of the first eight lines of the chorale. In this section the soprano sings the chorale melody in slow unadorned notes above a fray of resplendent, highly active counterpoint in the lower voices, which enter at the same time as the soprano.
The second section (starting 4:05 in this video) switches to a highly contrasting slow, ¾ meter and sets the next two lines of the chorale with all of the voices entering homophonically in block chords. This is short-lived, however, only lasting 30 seconds.
In the third section, setting the last four lines of the chorale, the lower voices enter one by one in a presto fugato where the fugal subject is derived from the opening of the chorale tune.
Finally, the last section returns to the opening fanfare-like material to repeat the last two lines and close the fantasia as it began - a cyclical gesture that mirrors the beginning and ending of the year. Bach ends the last movement of the cantata with the same fanfare-like material from this opening fantasia, reaffirming the parallel to the yearly cycle.
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