| Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe | |
|---|---|
BWV 108 | |
| Church cantata byJ. S. Bach | |
 Christiana Mariana von Ziegler, author of the cantata text | |
| Occasion | Cantate |
| Cantata text | Christiana Mariana von Ziegler |
| Bible text | John 16:7,13 |
| Chorale | byPaul Gerhardt |
| Performed | 29 April 1725 (1725-04-29):Leipzig |
| Movements | 6 |
| Vocal |
SATB choir |
| Instrumental |
|
Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe (It is good for you that I leave),[1]BWV 108, is achurch cantata byJohann Sebastian Bach. He composed it inLeipzig forCantate Sunday, the fourth Sunday afterEaster, and first performed it on 29 April 1725.
It is the second of nine cantatas on texts byChristiana Mariana von Ziegler, with whom he collaborated at the end of hissecond cantata cycle. She used two quotations from the prescribed gospel from theFarewell Discourse and closed the cantata with astanza fromPaul Gerhardt's "Gott Vater, sende deinen Geist". The topic is the prediction of Jesus of his parting and the coming of theSpirit as a comforter. The first announcement is sung by the bass as thevox Christi, the second, in the centre of the work, by the chorus in threefugues combined inmotet style but unified by similar themes. Bach scored the cantata for three vocal soloists (alto,tenor andbass), afour-part choir, and aBaroque instrumental ensemble of two oboes d'amore, strings and continuo. He used elements ofword-painting, such as very long notes to illustrate firm belief, and sighmotifs interrupted by rests to illustrate the desiring heart.
Bach composed the cantata in his second year inLeipzig for theFourth Sunday after Easter, called Cantate.[2] The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from theEpistle of James, "Every good gift comes from the Father of lights" (James 1:17–21), and from theGospel of John, Jesus announcingthe Comforter in hisFarewell Discourse (John 16:5–15). In his second year Bach had composedchorale cantatas between the first Sunday afterTrinity andPalm Sunday, but forEaster returned to cantatas on more varied texts, possibly because he lost hislibrettist.[3]
Between Easter andPentecost Bach's congregation heard a series of nine cantatas with texts by a new librettist,Christiana Mariana von Ziegler. As the average interval between the performances was less than a week (they were not only for Sundays; there were additional ones forAscension Day and Pentecost), Bach may have been composed at a correspondingly intense rate, although it is not known when he began work on them. The first of the series wasIhr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103,[4][3] followed a week later byEs ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe. It begins with a bass solo as thevox Christi delivering a quotation from the gospel (John 16:7); a second quotation appears inmovement 4 (John 16:13). Movements 2 and 3 deal with the hope for salvation; movement 5 is a prayer for guidance until death.[2] The poet used as the closingchorale the tenthstanza ofPaul Gerhardt'shymn "Gott Vater, sende deinen Geist" (1653),[5] expressing faith in God's guidance.[2]
The cantata text was published in 1728 in Ziegler's first collection,Versuch in gebundener Schreibart.[3] The version set by Bach was slightly different, as he shortened the text here as in other cantatas by the same librettist. The music survived in aholograph manuscript, but was not published until 1876 when the cantata appeared in theBach Gesellschaft´s first complete edition of Bach's work.[6]
Bach structured the cantata in six movements, beginning with a biblical quotation for thevox Christi, Jesus speaking. A set of aria and recitative is followed by a chorus on another biblical quotation from the gospel, while an aria leads to the closing chorale. Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists (alto (A),tenor (T) andbass (B)), afour-part choir, and aBaroque instrumental ensemble of twooboes d'amore (Oa), twoviolins (Vl),viola (Va) andbasso continuo.[7] The duration of the cantata is given as 20 minutes.[2]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows theNeue Bach-Ausgabe.[7] Thekeys andtime signatures are taken fromAlfred Dürr, using the symbol for common time (4/4).[2] The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.
| No. | Title | Text | Type | Vocal | Oboe | Strings | Key | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe | John 16:7 | Aria | B | Oa | 2Vl Va | A major |  |
| 2 | Mich kann kein Zweifel stören | anon. | Aria | T | Vl | F-sharp minor | | |
| 3 | Dein Geist wird mich also regieren | anon. | Recitative | T | | |||
| 4 | Wenn aber jener, der Geist der Wahrheit kommen wird | John 16:13 | Chorus | SATB | 2Oa | 2Vl Va | D major | |
| 5 | Was mein Herz von dir begehrt | anon. | Aria | A | 2Vl Va | B minor | 6/8 | |
| 6 | Dein Geist, den Gott von Himmel gibt | Gerhardt | Chorale | SATB | 2Oa | 2Vl Va | B minor | |
The cantata presents similarities to the one Bach wrote the previous year for the same occasion,Wo gehest du hin? BWV 166.[8]
The similarities begin with the first movement, which like that of the previous year's cantata, is given to the bass as thevox Christi.[4] The movement is the quotation of verse 7 from the gospel, beginning: "Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe; denn so ich nicht hingehe, kömmt der Tröster nicht zu euch." (It is good for you that I leave; for if I did not go, the Comforter would not come to you.)[1] It is betweenaria andarioso.[2] An oboe d'amore as theobbligato instrument plays extended melodies. Voice and oboe share the musical material, conveying "the mood of grieving at parting".[4]
The following aria, "Mich kann kein Zweifel stören" (No doubt can disturb me),[1] is dominated by a virtuoso solo violin. The words "Ich glaube" (I believe) are illustrated by very long notes in the voice, while anostinato bass line renders "steadfastness" in a different way.[4] The musicologist Julian Mincham notes that Bach uses the key F-sharp minor selectively, "often for slowish movements of great expressive force", for example for the alto ariaBuß und Reu from his St Matthew Passion.[9]
A short seccorecitative expresses "Dein Geist wird mich also regieren, daß ich auf rechter Bahne geh" (Thus Your Spirit will guide me, so that I walk on the right path).[1]
The next biblical quotation, verse 13 of the gospel, "Wenn aber jener, der Geist der Wahrheit, kommen wird, der wird euch in alle Wahrheit leiten." (But when that one, the Spirit of Truth, shall come, He shall lead you into all truth.)[1] is rendered by the choir.[4] It is divided in three sections, similar to ada capo form. All three parts arefugues,[4] combined in motet style,[8] the instruments playing mostlycolla parte with the voices.[9] The second section begins "Denn er wird nicht vom ihm selber reden" (For He will not speak of His own accord);[1] the third section expresses "und was zukünftig ist, wird er verkündigen" (and what is to come, He will foretell),[1] on a fugue subject similar to the first,[2] giving the movement a "feeling of unity".[4]
The last aria,"Was mein Herz von dir begehrt" (What my heart desires from You),[1] is accompanied by the strings, dominated by the first violin. The word "Herz" (heart) is rendered in sighingmotifs, intensified by following rests.[4]
The closing chorale, "Dein Geist, den Gott vom Himmel gibt, der leitet alles, was ihn liebt" (Your Spirit, which God sends from heaven, leads everything that loves Him),[1] is a four-part setting on the melody of "Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn".[10] The bass line is pacing forward constantly.[4]
The selection is taken from the listing on the Bach Cantatas website.[11] Vocal ensembles with one voice per part (OVPP) and instrumental groups playing period instruments inhistorically informed performances are marked green.
| Title | Conductor / Choir / Orchestra | Soloists | Label | Year | Choir type | Instr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The RIAS Bach Cantatas Project (1949–1952) | Karl RistenpartRIAS KammerchorRIAS Kammerorchester | Audite | 1950 (1950) | |||
| Bach Cantatas BWV 67, 108 & 127 | Karl RichterMünchener Bach-ChorBayerisches Staatsorchester | Archiv Produktion | 1958 (1958) | |||
| J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk • Complete Cantatas • Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 6 | Nikolaus HarnoncourtTölzer KnabenchorConcentus Musicus Wien | Teldec | 1979 (1979) | Period | ||
| Die Bach Kantate Vol. 33 | Helmuth RillingGächinger KantoreiBach-Collegium Stuttgart | Hänssler | 1981 (1981) | |||
| Bach Edition Vol. 15 – Cantatas Vol. 8 | Pieter Jan LeusinkHolland Boys ChoirNetherlands Bach Collegium | Brilliant Classics | 2000 (2000) | Period | ||
| Bach Cantatas Vol. 24: Altenburg/Warwick / For the 3rd Sunday after Easter (Jubilate) / For the 4th Sunday after Easter (Cantate) | John Eliot GardinerMonteverdi ChoirEnglish Baroque Soloists | Soli Deo Gloria | 2000 (2000) | Period | ||
| J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 15 | Ton KoopmanAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir | Antoine Marchand | 2001 (2001) | Period | ||
| J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 36 – (Cantatas from Leipzig 1725) – BWV 6, 42, 103, 108 | Masaaki SuzukiBach Collegium Japan | BIS | 2006 (2006) | Period | ||
| J. S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 10 – "Himmelfahrts-Oratorium " – Cantatas BWV 108 · 86 · 11 · 44 | Sigiswald KuijkenLa Petite Bande | Accent | 2008 (2008) | OVPP | Period |
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