| Das neugeborne Kindelein | |
|---|---|
BWV 122 | |
| Chorale cantata byJ. S. Bach | |
 Thomaskirche, Leipzig | |
| Occasion | Sunday after Christmas |
| Chorale | "Das neugeborne Kindelein" byCyriakus Schneegaß |
| Performed | 31 December 1724 (1724-12-31):Leipzig |
Das neugeborne Kindelein (The newborn little Child),[1]BWV 122,[a] is achurch cantata byJohann Sebastian Bach. Bach composed thechorale cantata in six movements inLeipzig for the Sunday after Christmas and first performed it on 31 December 1724. It is based on a 1597hymn of the same name byCyriakus Schneegaß. The work is part of Bach'schorale cantata cycle; in the format of this cycle, the text of the first and laststanzas of the hymn is retained unchanged while the text of the inner stanzas was paraphrased by an unknownlibrettist into a sequence of alternatingarias andrecitatives. The cantata is opened by achorale fantasia and closed by achorale setting. It is scored for four vocal soloists, afour-part choir, and aBaroque instrumental ensemble ofrecorders,oboes, strings andbasso continuo.
Bach composed the cantata in his second year asThomaskantor in Leipzig for theSunday after Christmas.[1][2] The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from theEpistle to the Galatians, "through Christ we are free from the law" (Galatians 4:1–7), and from theGospel of Luke,Simeon andAnna talking toMary (Luke 2:33–40).[1]: 133 [2] The chorale cantata is based on ahymn with the same title byCyriakus Schneegaß (1597).[1][3] This hymn is extremely short, with threestanzas of only four lines each, and reflects the turn of the year more prominently than thebirth of Jesus mentioned in the first line. This was suitable as the Sunday after Christmas fell on the last day of the calendar year in 1724.[1] The unknownlibrettist[2] made no effort to connect to the Gospel reading.[1]
Bach first performed the cantata on 31 December 1724.[1][2]
Bach structured the cantata in six movements, beginning with achorale fantasia, followed by a series of alternating arias and recitatives, and concluded by a chorale. He scored it for four vocal soloists (soprano (S),alto (A),tenor (T) andbass (B)), and aBaroque instrumental ensemble of threerecorders (Rc), twooboes,taille (Ta), twoviolin parts (Vl), aviola part (Va), andbasso continuo (Bc) withorgan.[1][2][4]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring,keys andtime signatures are taken fromAlfred Dürr's standard workDie Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, using the symbol for common time (4/4).[2] The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.
| No. | Title | Text | Type | Vocal | Winds | Strings | Key | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Das neugeborne Kindelein | Schneegass | Chorale fantasia | SATB | 2Ob Ta | 2Vl Va | G minor | 3 8 |
| 2 | O Menschen, die ihr täglich sündigt | anon. | Aria | B | C minor |  | ||
| 3 | Die Engel, welche sich zuvor | anon. | Recitative | S | 3Rc | G minor | | |
| 4 | Ist Gott versöhnt und unser Freund | anon. | Aria and chorale | ST A | 2Vl 2Va | D minor | | |
| 5 | Dies ist ein Tag, den selbst der Herr gemacht | anon. | Recitative | B | 2Vl Va | | ||
| 6 | Es bringt das rechte Jubeljahr | Schneegass | Chorale | B | 2Ob Ta | 2Vl Va | G minor | 3 4 |
The opening chorus is achorale fantasia with a long opening and closingritornello[1] framing a chorale theme with four entries and lengthy interspersedepisodes. The three lower voices imitate the soprano thrice in the chorale phrases and then move into a fast ascending figure.[1][5]
The second movement is a long andchromatic bass aria discussingsündigt (sinning).[6] This is the longest movement of the cantata. The continuo accompanying the vocal line was described as "tortuous and chromatically convoluted".[5]
The sopranorecitative is accompanied by a simple recorder trio, a combination designed to represent the "aura of the angels".[5] As this is the only movement to include the recorders, the parts were likely performed by the oboe and taille players.[5]
The fourth movement is a trio of the soprano, alto and tenor voices; the alto sings the chorale line with the strings while the soprano and tenor perform a duet aria.[1][6] The movement is inD minor and6
8 time.[5]
The bass recitative begins in major before modulating to theG minor of the final movement. It is accompanied by high chordal strings and a continuo line.[5]
The closing chorale is fast and short.[5] It is in block form.[7]
The "rather muted" music of the first chorus and the bass aria (the opening line of which translates as "O mortals, ye who sin daily") have been described by one writer as giving listeners a "moral hangover" after the possible overindulgence of the Christmas holidays.[6]
The cantata was published in 1878 with other church cantatas as part of the first complete edition of Bach's works (Joh. Seb. Bach's Werke). The editor wasAlfred Dörffel.[2]
The cantata is available as part of series:
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