| Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan | |
|---|---|
BWV 99 | |
| Chorale cantata byJ. S. Bach | |
 Nikolaikirche, c. 1850 | |
| Occasion | 15th Sunday afterTrinity |
| Chorale | "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" bySamuel Rodigast |
| Performed | 17 September 1724 (1724-09-17):Leipzig |
| Movements | six |
| Scoring |
|
Johann Sebastian Bach composed thechurch cantataWas Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (What God does is well done),[1]BWV 99, inLeipzig for the 15th Sunday afterTrinity and first performed it on 17 September 1724. Thechorale cantata is based on thehymn "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" bySamuel Rodigast (1674).
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan belongs to Bach'schorale cantata cycle, the second cycle during his tenure asThomaskantor that began in 1723. The text retains the first and laststanza of the hymn unchanged, while the text of the inner stanzas was paraphrased by an unknownlibrettist into a sequence of fourmovements of alternatingrecitatives andarias, retaining some lines from the original chorale. The first movement is achorale fantasia, and the work is closed by afour-partchorale setting.
The cantata is scored for four vocal soloists, afour-part choir, and aBaroque instrumental ensemble offlauto traverso,oboe d'amore, strings andbasso continuo, with ahorn doubling the soprano in the outer movements.
Bach composed the cantata in his second year in Leipzig as part of his second annualcycle of chorale cantatas.[2] for the15th Sunday after Trinity.[3][4] The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from theEpistle to the Galatians,Paul's admonition to "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25–6:10), and from theGospel of Matthew, from theSermon on the Mount, the demand not to worry about material needs, but to seek God's kingdom first (Matthew 6:23–34).[2] The cantata text is based on the chorale "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" bySamuel Rodigast,[2][5] which is generally related to the Gospel.[4] The hymn was published in 1674, and was thus 50 years old when the chorale cantata was derived from it.[3] Bach used the chorale in several other cantatas, especially later in another chorale cantata, "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 100".[6] All sixstanzas begin with the same line. An unknown author retained the text of the first and last stanza, but paraphrased the inner four stanzas to as manymovements, even retaining some of the rhymes in the second movement. In the fourth movement, he referred to the Gospel,[3] paraphrasing the last verse to "Even if every day has its particular trouble". He introduced references to the cross twice in the fifth movement, stressing the suffering of Jesus and his followers.[4] The librettist did not use the element of beginning each stanza with the same line.[3]
Bach led theThomanerchor in the first performance on 17 September 1724.[2][3][4] Parts indicate a subsequent performance but it could not be dated.[2]
Bach structured the cantata in six movements and scored it for four vocal soloists (soprano (S),alto (A),tenor (T) andbass (B)), afour-part choir, and aBaroque instrumental ensemble of ahorn (Co) to reinforce the chorale tune in the outer movements,flauto traverso (Ft),oboe d'amore (Oa), twoviolins (Vl),viola (Va),violone (Vo) andbasso continuo.[2][4][7]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring,keys andtime signatures are taken fromAlfred Dürr'sDie Kantaten von J. S. Bach, using the symbol forcommon time (4/4).[4] The instruments are shown separately for winds and strings, while the continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.
| No. | Title | Text | Type | Vocal | Winds | Strings | Key | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan | Rodigast | Chorale fantasia | SATB | Co Ft Oa | 2Vl Va | G major |  |
| 2 | Sein Wort der Wahrheit stehet fest | anon. | Recitative | B | | |||
| 3 | Erschüttre dich nur nicht, verzagte Seele | anon. | Aria | T | Ft | B minor | 3/8 | |
| 4 | Nun, der von Ewigkeit geschloß'ne Bund | anon. | Recitative | A | | |||
| 5 | Wenn des Kreuzes Bitterkeiten | anon. | Aria | S A | Ft Oa | B minor | ||
| 6 | Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan | Rodigast | Chorale | SATB | Co Ft Oa | 2Vl Va | G major | |
The opening chorus, "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, es bleibt gerecht sein Wille" (What God does is well done, his will remains righteous),[1] is a distinctconcerto movement.[4] The strings open with a theme derived from the chorale melody.[8] After 16 measures, a concertino of flute, oboe d'amore and violin begins, with the oboe playing the theme introduced by the strings and the flute playing a virtuoso counterpoint.Three measures later, the voices enter, with thecantus firmus in the soprano, doubled by the horn.
In the interlude following thebar form's stollen, all of the instruments participate in the concerto. This complete sequence is repeated for the second stollen. For the abgesang, the strings and woods play together, and the flute appears as a solo, alternating with the oboe. The postlude is not a repeat of the introduction, but a more complex combination.[4] According to Julian Mincham, "this movement would still work perfectly well if the vocal parts were entirely removed."[6]
The firstseccorecitative is sung by the bass, "Sein Wort der Wahrheit stehet fest und wird mich nicht betrügen" (His word of truth stands fast and will not betray me).[1] It ends on a longcoloratura on the last word "wenden", or "turn", as in "can turn aside my misfortune".[4]
The firstaria, for tenor, "Erschüttre dich nur nicht, verzagte Seele, wenn dir der Kreuzeskelch so bitter schmeckt" (Do not shudder, despairing soul, when the cup of suffering tastes so bitter),[1] is accompanied by the flute. It is another piece from the period written for a capable flute player, followingWas frag ich nach der Welt, BWV 94 andNimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101, composed only a few weeks earlier. The text mentions "erschüttern" (shudder); shaking and torment of the soul are pictured in virtuoso figuration, although in the text, the soul is asked not to shudder.[4]
The second recitative, for alto, "Nun, der von Ewigkeit geschloß'ne Bund bleibt meines Glaubens Grund" (Now, the covenant sealed from eternity shall remain the foundation of my faith),[1] is similar to the first, ending on the last word "erscheinet", or "appeareth", as in "when God's true loyal will appeareth".[4]
The last aria is aduet for soprano and alto, "Wenn des Kreuzes Bitterkeiten mit des Fleisches Schwachheit streiten" (When the bitterness of the cross struggles with the weakness of the flesh).[1] The strings are still silent, while the flute and oboe accompany the voices. The instruments begin with aritornello, a trio with the continuo. After a first vocal section, a second section presents new material, but refers to the first section by a repeat of instrumentalmotifs and a complete repeat of the ritornello as a conclusion.[4]
The closing chorale, "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, dabei will ich verbleiben" (What God does, is well done, I will cling to this),[1] is set for four parts.[4][9]
The cantata'sautograph score is partly extant. The first set of parts was inherited byAnna Magdalena Bach and belonged to the Thomasschule in 1750. It is held by theBach Archive.[3]
The cantata was first published in 1875, in the first complete edition of Bach's work, theBach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe. The volume in question was edited by Thomaskantor,Wilhelm Rust.[3] In theNeue Bach-Ausgabe it was published in 1987/88, and edited by Matthias Wendt.[2][3]
A list of recordings is provided on the Bach Cantatas Website.[10][11] Choirs singing withone voice per part (OVPP) and ensembles playing period instruments inhistorically informed performances are shown with a green background.
| Title | Conductor / Choir / Orchestra | Soloists | Label | Year | Orch. type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Die Bach Kantate Vol. 52 | Helmuth RillingGächinger KantoreiBach-Collegium Stuttgart | Hänssler | 1979 (1979) | ||
| J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk • Complete Cantatas • Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 5 | Nikolaus HarnoncourtTölzer KnabenchorConcentus Musicus Wien |
| Teldec | 1979 (1979) | Period |
| Bach Edition Vol. 8 – Cantatas Vol. 3 | Pieter Jan LeusinkHolland Boys ChoirNetherlands Bach Collegium | Brilliant Classics | 1999 (1999) | Period | |
| J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 12 | Ton KoopmanAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir | Antoine Marchand | 2000 (2000) | Period | |
| Bach Cantatas Vol. 8: Ambronay / Santiago[12] | John Eliot GardinerMonteverdi ChoirEnglish Baroque Soloists | Soli Deo Gloria | 2000 (2000) | Period | |
| J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 25 – Cantatas from Leipzig 1724 (BWV 78, 99, 114) | Masaaki SuzukiBach Collegium Japan | BIS | 2003 (2003) | Period |
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