October 12
Bach wrote Cantata 92 for Septuagesimae, the third Sunday before Lent, which fell on January 28th, 1725. Very unusually, Bach used the same chorale melody for this cantata that he used in the one for last week, reviewed yesterday. On top of this, instead just basing the first and last movements of the chorale cantata on the chorale melody as usual, he uses it in five different movements! It appears that Bach must have loved this chorale melody especially, recognizing the numerous musical possibilities suggested by the theme.
Cantata 92 is among Bach’s longer works in the form, lasting around 30 minutes and setting a great deal of text in nine movements. I’m happy to say (as I heard it for the first time today) that it really is among my favorite cantatas from start to finish, maintaining interest throughout with a dramatic storyline and wide variety of structures and moods for every movement.
Each of the three arias is fresh and invigorating, setting scenes from the rage of battle to the roaring of the winds to God lifting the singer’s soul up to heaven . The chorale fantasia opening the cantata is thoroughly engaging and the strict chorale that closes it fortifying. Two of the three recitatives are interpolated by entrances of the chorale, the last one featuring rich harmonizations by all members of the choir and entrances by each of the four soloists (bass, tenor, alto, soprano). Finally, there is an absolutely bewitching chorale movement where the melody is sung by the alto only, accompanied by a pair of duetting oboes d'amore and continuo (harpsichord and bass, playing the same material).
Choosing the movement for this Cantata of the Day was quite difficult. I figured it was appropriate to introduce some variety into the constant stream of chorale fantasias though and take advantage of these rarer settings for the chorale. I chose in the end to highlight the fourth movement - that bewitching combination of instrumental trio and chorale.
This movement is similar in form to the Experimental Trio with Chorale that I reviewed on October 6th (Cantata 144, movement 4). However, in that movement the duet is sung by two other voices that sing themes in imitation of the chorale, sung by a third voice. In the contrapuntal tapestry below, the musical themes of the duetting oboes and continuo are independent of the chorale melody sung by the alto, even though the mood of the instrumental trio reflects the meaning of the words being sung:
Furthermore wisdom and understanding is His beyond measure, time, place and hour is known to Him, when to act and also to leave alone. He knows, when joy, He knows, when sorrow will serve us, His children, and what He does is all good even though it might seem so lamentable.
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