Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht
BWV 105 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Jos van Veldhoven
Walloon Church, Amsterdam
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Firm ground
The string parts are significant in this cantata
The special slide trumpet steals the show in this cantata from Bach’s first year in Leipzig – rather unjustly. It is actually the strings in this cantata that appear to lend extra emphasis to the message of the text. Although it is not immediately apparent, in the first half of the opening chorus all four of the string parts (partially doubled by the oboes and the trumpet) retain their independence from the singing parts. In this type of piece, the instruments usually support the vocal parts now and then, but this cantata is different. Even when everyone is singing and playing together, the cello and double bass play slightly differently to the basses in the choir, and the violas and first and second violins are also independent from the tenors, altos and sopranos.
In the soprano aria, the role of the strings is even more important, as Bach leaves out the basso continuo. In his day, the continuo was the foundation of the musical system. If it is left out, there is always something unusual going on, as the music then has no firm ground underfoot. The oboe is plaintive, the violins tremble and the balance is precarious. Everything is poised on the narrow base of the violas. Stability returns to the piece only gradually. In the bass recitative, the cello and double bass do no more than pluck. At the same time, the other strings spin a mysterious aura around the singing voice, which somehow appears to say more than a thousand words.
It is not until the lively tenor aria that everything apparently returns to normal, with a strong bass line once again. But actually, here too the first violins are rather lacking in direction, circling busily around themselves. Just like the tenor, they seem to be mainly plucking up courage. And indeed the trembling uncertainty and the qualms of remorse return immediately afterwards in the final chorus. But now the believer knows that Jesus will calm the pangs of conscience. In a masterly musical stroke, which is both simple and effective, Bach gradually slows the trembling of the strings to a halt. Peace descends at last.
- BWV
- 105
- Title
- Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- 1723
- City
- Leipzig
- Lyricist
- unknown
- Occasion
- Ninth Sunday after Trinity
- First performance
- 25 July 1723
- Special notes
- Bach uses a special instrument - the corno da tirarsi
With support from
Keith Wallace - Founder Cavalli Research Charity
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Chor
Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht.
Denn vor dir wird kein Lebendiger gerecht.
2. Rezitativ (Alt)
Mein Gott, verwirf mich nicht,
indem ich mich in Demut vor dir beuge,
von deinem Angesicht.
Ich weiss, wie groß dein Zorn
und mein Verbrechen ist,
dass du zugleich ein schneller Zeuge
und ein gerechter Richter bist.
Ich lege dir ein frei Bekenntnis dar
und stürze mich nicht in Gefahr,
die Fehler meiner Seelen
zu leugnen, zu verhehlen!
3. Aria (Sopran)
Wie zittern und wanken
der Sünder Gedanken,
indem sie sich untereinander verklagen
Und wiederum sich zu entschuldigen wagen.
So wird ein geängstigt Gewissen
durch eigene Folter zerrissen.
4. Rezitativ (Bass)
Wohl aber dem, der seinen Bürgen weiss,
der alle Schuld ersetzet,
so wird die Handschrift ausgetan,
wenn Jesus sie mit Blute netzet.
Er heftet sie ans Kreuze selber an,
er wird von deinen Gütern,
Leib und Leben, wenn deine Sterbestunde schlägt,
dem Vater selbst die Rechnung übergeben.
So mag man deinen Leib,
den man zum Grabe trägt,
mit Sand und Staub beschütten,
dein Heiland öffnet dir die ewgen Hütten.
5. Aria (Tenor)
Kann ich nur Jesum mir zum Freunde machen,
So gilt der Mammon nichts bei mir.
Ich finde kein Vergnügen hier
bei dieser eitlen Welt und irdschen Sachen.
6. Choral
Nun, ich weiss, du wirst mir stillen
mein Gewissen, das mich plagt.
Es wird deine Treu erfüllen,
was du selber hast gesagt:
dass auf dieser weiten Erden
keiner soll verloren werden,
sondern ewig leben soll,
wenn er nur ist Glaubens voll.
Translation
1. Chorus
Lord, do not enter into judgment with [me] your servant.
For before you no living person will be righteous.
2. Recitative (Alto)
My God, do not cast me,
In that I bow before you in humility,
Away from your countenance.
I know how great your anger and my evildoing is;
I know that you are simultaneously a swift testifier [against sin]
And a righteous judge.
To you I make a free acknowledgment [of my guilt],
And I do not plunge myself into [the] danger
Of denying, of hiding,
The faults of my soul.
3. Aria (Soprano)
How the thoughts of sinners
Tremble and waver,
In that they [one’s thoughts] accuse one another
And venture in turn to excuse themselves.
In this way an anxious conscience
Is torn apart by its own torment.
4. Recitative (Bass)
But how well it is with him who knows of his guarantor
Who makes good all debt;
The promissory note [for debt/fault/guilt] is thus canceled
When Jesus inundates it with [the “ink” of his] blood.
He himself affixes it [the promissory note] to the cross;
The reckoning of your goods, life and limb,
He will, when the hour of death strikes,
Himself deliver to [God] the father.
Though your body that is carried to the grave
May have sand and dust poured over it,
Your savior opens to you the eternal habitations [for your soul].
5. Aria (Tenor)
If I can only make Jesus my friend,
Then mammon counts for nothing with me.
I find no pleasure here
In this vain world and [in] earthly things.
6. Chorale
Now, I know, you will still
My conscience that plagues me.
Your faithfulness will fulfill
What you yourself have said:
That on this wide earth
No one shall be lost,
But rather shall fare well eternally,
If only he is full of [Christian] faith.
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 14 June 2019
-
- Recording date
- 10 February 2018
-
- Location
- Walloon Church, Amsterdam
-
- Conductor
- Jos van Veldhoven
-
- Soprano
- Maria Keohane
-
- Alto
- Tim Mead
-
- Tenor
- Daniel Johannsen
-
- Bass
- Matthew Brook
-
- Ripieno soprano
- Marjon Strijk, Hilde Van Ruymbeke
-
- Ripieno alto
- Barnabás Hegyi, Marleene Goldstein
-
- Ripieno tenor
- Kevin Skelton, Guy Cutting
-
- Ripieno bas
- Matthew Baker, Drew Santini
-
- Violin 1
- Shunske Sato, Anneke van Haaften, Pieter Affourtit
-
- Violin 2
- Sayuri Yamagata, Lidewij van der Voort, Paulien Kostense
-
- Viola
- Staas Swierstra, Jan Willem Vis
-
- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Richte van der Meer
-
- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
-
- Oboe
- Martin Stadler, Peter Frankenberg
-
- Bassoon
- Benny Aghassi
-
- Corno da tirarsi
- Robert Vanryne
-
- Organ
- Leo van Doeselaar
-
- Harpsichord
- Siebe Henstra
-
- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
-
- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Bastiaan Kuijt, Pim van der Lee
-
- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
-
- Camera
- Merijn Vrieling, Ivo Palmen, Martin Struijf, Bjorn Tiebout
-
- Lights
- Zen Bloot, Henry Rodgers, Patrick Galvin
-
- Assistant director
- Ferenc Soeteman
-
- Video engineer
- Vincent Nugteren
-
- Set technique
- Dennis van Hoek
-
- Data handling
- Jesper Blok
-
- Project manager nep
- Peter Ribbens
-
- Interview
- Onno van Ameijde, Marloes Biermans
-
- Producer concert
- Imke Deters
-
- Producer film
- Jessie Verbrugh
-
- With support from
- Keith Wallace - Founder Cavalli Research Charity
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