J. S. Bach: Cantata #133

Dear Bach Cantata Fans,

Welcome back to another vocal gem from MBE’s archival recordings. Cantata #133 “Ich freue mich in dir” (I rejoice in you) was written for the third day of Christmas. Appropriately, the opening movement starts with two short upbeat motives that come to an abrupt halt, almost like false starts. It is the third upbeat that gets things going.

Christmas is the happiest of times in the Christian calendar. Bach was able to relay that unbridled, bustling joy of welcoming the Saviour into the world like no other composer. The bright, festive key of D-major is adorned with continuous strings of sixteenth notes in the treble voices crisscrossing each other like garlands on an over-decorated Christmas tree. The instrumental intro prepares us for a grand entrance of the chorus, heralding the birth of Jesus: “Ich freue mich in dir und heiße dich wilkommen” (I rejoice in you and bid you welcome).

The entire movement is based on a chorale melody in four stanzas by Kaspar Ziegler. Bach adds the harmonies, plus the elaborate instrumental parts (this technique is similar to his chorale preludes for organ).  After the opening welcome, the text addresses Jesus diminutively as an infant (Jesulein) and our connection to him as a little brother (Brüderlein). Just to make sure nobody would consider this as a slight to Christ, the closing lines emphasize his greatness: “Wie Freundlich sieht er aus, Der große Gottessohn!” (How friendly He appears, the great son of God!). On the last syllable “…sohn”, Bach creates a long, majestic melisma (stretched out syllable over many notes), underlining the greatness of Jesus and his birth.

This movement brings back my childhood memories around Christmas time: the festive decorations in a small village church, all parishioners dressed in their finest clothes, the exhilarating sounds of the organ and choir, and the overall happiness of spending time with family and friends. I know we are a long time away from the Holiday season, but I feel we can all use a little of that profound sense of happiness that Bach’s music bestows upon us.

 Mischa Santora, MBE artistic director

Translation

1. Chor
Ich freue mich in dir
Und heiße dich willkommen,
Mein liebes Jesulein!
Du hast dir vorgenommen,
Mein Brüderlein zu sein.
Ach, wie ein süßer Ton!
Wie freundlich sieht er aus,
Der große Gottessohn!

The Cantata #133 was performed on December 5/6, 2015 at MacPhail’s Antonello Hall, Minneapolis, MN, with the following performers:

Linh Kauffman, soprano
Alyssa Anderson, alto
Andrew Kane, tenor
Philip Zawisza, bass
Andrew Altenbach, conductor
MBE Ensemble

Recording engineer/mixing: Michael Barone (MPR)
Audio edits/mastering: Mischa Santora