| Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens | |
|---|---|
BWV 148 | |
| Church cantata byJ. S. Bach | |
 Thomaskirche, Leipzig | |
| Occasion | 17th Sunday afterTrinity |
| Cantata text | Picander? |
| Bible text | Psalms 29:2 |
| Composed | 1723 or 1725 |
| Movements | six |
| Vocal | |
| Instrumental |
|
Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens (Bring to the Lord the honor due His name),[1]BWV 148, is acantata byJohann Sebastian Bach, achurch cantata for the 17th Sunday afterTrinity. Bach composed it inLeipzig in 1723 or 1725.
Bach wrote the cantata for the17th Sunday after Trinity. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from theEpistle to the Ephesians, the admonition to keep the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1–6), and from theGospel of Luke,healing a man with dropsy on the Sabbath (Luke 14:1–11). The cantata text refers not to the healing, but to the honour due to God on the Sabbath. The words for the opening chorus are fromPsalm 29 (Psalms 29:2). The lyrics of the cantata are based on a poem in six verses ofPicander, "Weg, ihr irdischen Geschäfte", published in 1725 in his first spiritual bookErbauliche Gedanken. The Bach scholarAlfred Dürr has nevertheless reason to date the cantata in 1723 already, suggesting that the cantata text may have preceded the poem, but there is no certain evidence that the cantata was not composed some years later.
The first recitative describes the desire for God as expressed inPsalm 42 (Psalms 42:1), "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Only the melody of the closingchorale "Auf meinen lieben Gott" (Lübeck, 1603) is known. Some musicologists includingWerner Neumann suggested the words of the fifth verse of that chorale, others such asPhilipp Spitta and the edition of theBach Gesellschaft preferred the final verse ofJohann Heermann's hymn "Wo soll ich fliehen hin" (1630) which was sung to the same melody in Leipzig.[1]
Bach first performed the cantata on 19 September 1723 or 23 September 1725.[2]
In accord with the festive theme, the cantata is scored foralto andtenor soloists, afour-part choir, and aBaroque instrumental ensemble oftrumpet, threeoboes, twoviolins,viola, andbasso continuo. It is structured in sixmovements.[1]
The opening chorus begins with as instrumentalsinfonia, presenting the themes. The choir sings twofugues on different themes, but both derived from the beginning of the sinfonia. The trumpet plays a fifth part in the fugues. The movement concludes with the voices embedded in the sinfonia.[1]
The solo violin in the firstaria illustrates both the joy in God and theEilen (running)[3] mentioned in the words. The altorecitative is accompanied by the strings. In the following aria the mystical unity of the soul with God is expressed in the unusual scoring for twooboe d'amore andoboe da caccia.[4][5] The closing chorale is set for four parts.[1]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
