Erschallet, ihr Lieder
BWV 172 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by René Jacobs
Grote Kerk, Naarden
Behind the music
Story
Story
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
A perfect Whitsun cantata
This cantata was one of Bach’s personal favourites
Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172, must have been one of Bach’s favourite cantatas. Years after composing the cantata in his late twenties, he performed it on at least three other occasions. That is unusual, as Bach heard most of his cantatas just once in his lifetime.
It is easy to understand why Bach wanted to perform this cantata again and again. It is a perfect Whitsun cantata, which besides giving a purely theological message is also primarily a celebration. The exuberant opening chorus lends itself to singing along, and has an especially bombastic instrumentation that includes three trumpets and timpani.
However, there is also room for mystical meditation, which is noticeable in the quiet tenor aria ‘O Seelenparadies’. The tenor voice is supported by a rarefied accompaniment of violins and violas playing in chorus, clearly intended to represent the Holy Spirit. For one of the later performances, Bach added a flute, lending an even more sublime sound to the accompanying melody.
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Chor
Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten!
O seligste Zeiten!
Gott will sich die Seelen
zu Tempeln bereiten.
2. Rezitativ (B)
Wer mich liebet,
der wird mein Wort halten,
und mein Vater wird ihn lieben,
und wir werden zu ihm kommen
und Wohnung bei ihm machen.
3. Arie (B)
Heiligste Dreieinigkeit,
großer Gott der Ehren,
komm doch in der Gnadenzeit
bei uns einzukehren,
komm doch in die Herzenshütten,
sind sie gleich gering und klein,
komm doch, komm und laß dich doch erbitten,
komm und kehre bei uns ein,
komm und laß dich doch erbitten,
komm und ziehe bei uns ein!
Heiligste Dreieinigkeit,
großer Gott der Ehren.
4. Arie (T)
O Seelenparadies,
das Gottes Geist durchwehet,
der bei der Schöpfung blies,
der Geist,
der nie vergehet;
auf, auf, bereite dich,
der Tröster nahet sich.
5. Arie / Duet (S wie Seele, A wie Heiliger Geist)
(S) Komm, laß mich nicht länger warten,
komm, du sanfter Himmelswind,
wehe durch den Herzengarten!
(A) Ich erquicke dich, mein Kind.
(S) Liebste Liebe, die so süße,
aller Wollust Überfluß!
ich vergeh, wenn ich dich misse.
(A) Nimm von mir den Gnadenkuß.
(S) Sei im Glauben mir willkommen,
höchste Liebe, komm herein!
Du hast mir das Herz genommen.
(A) Ich bin dein, und du bist mein!
6. Choral
Von Gott kömmt mir ein Freudenschein,
wenn du mit deinen Äugelein
mich freundlich tust anblicken.
O Herr Jesu, mein trautes Gut,
dein Wort, dein Geist, dein Leib und Blut
mich innerlich erquicken.
Nimm mich
freundlich
in dein Arme,
daß ich warme werd von Gnaden:
auf dein Wort
komm ich geladen.
Translation
1. Chorus
Ring out, you songs; sound out, you strings;
O most blessed times;
God will prepare [Christian] souls as temples [for him to inhabit].
2. Recitative (B)
Whoever loves me [Jesus],
he will keep my word,
and [God] my father will love him;
and we [God the father and I] will come to him
and make [our] dwelling place in him.
3. Aria (B)
Most holy Trinity,
Great God of honor,
Do come, at the time of grace,
To sojourn in us.
Do come into the tabernacles of the heart,
Even though they are lowly and small;
Come and do let yourself be entreated,
Come and take up residence in us.
Come and do let yourself be entreated,
Come and take up residence in us.
Most holy Trinity,
Great God of honor.
4. Aria (T)
O paradise of the soul,
Through which God’s [Holy] Spirit wafts;
[The Spirit] who blew [living breath into Adam] at creation,
The Spirit who never perishes.
Up, up, [soul,] prepare yourself;
The Comforter [Holy Spirit] draws near.
5. Aria / Duet (S as Soul, A as Holy Spirit)
(S) Come, let me wait no longer;
Come, you gentle wind of heaven,
Waft through the garden of the heart;
(A) I will revive you, my child.
(S) Most beloved love that [is] so sweet,
The superfluity of all [virtuous] pleasure,
I will perish if I want for you.
(A) Accept from me the kiss of grace.
(S) Be welcome to me in faith;
Supreme love, come in [to my garden].
You have captured my heart;
(A) I am yours, and you are mine.
6. Chorale
A halo of joy comes [into view] to me from God
When you [Jesus] do glance amicably at me
With your dear little eyes.
O Lord Jesus, my cherished possession,
Your word, your Spirit, your body and blood
Inwardly revive me.
Take me
Amicably
Into your arms, that I may be warmed by [God’s] grace;
At your word I come, invited [into the kingdom of God].
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Credits
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- Release date
- 18 June 2026
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- Recording date
- 5 November 2023
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- Location
- Grote Kerk Naarden
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- Conductor
- René Jacobs
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- Soprano
- Isabel Schicketanz
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- Alto
- Alexander Chance
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- Tenor
- Thomas Hobbs
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- Bass
- Edward Grint
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- Ripieno soprano
- Lauren Armishaw, Amelia Berridge, Marta Paklar, Anna Bachleitner
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- Ripieno alto
- Sofia Gvirts, Michaela Riener, Emilie Wijers
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- Ripieno tenor
- Adriaan De Koster, João Moreira, Immo Schröder
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- Ripieno bass
- Hidde Kleikamp, Mitchell Sandler, Jaap van der Wel
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- Violin 1
- Evgeny Sviridov, Sayuri Yamagata, Annelies van der Vegt
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- Violin 2
- Lidewij van der Voort, Lucia Giraudo, Anneke van Haaften
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- Viola 1
- Femke Huizinga, Ivan Jorge Saez Schwartz
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- Viola 2
- Deirdre Dowling, Marta Jiménez
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- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Matyas Virag
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- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
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- Oboe
- Rodrigo López Paz
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- Bassoon
- Josep Casadellà
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- Trumpet
- Robert Vanryne, Mark Geelen, Christopher Price
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- Timpani
- Marianna Soroka
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- Organ
- Siebe Henstra
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- Archiliuto
- Shizuko Noiri
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- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
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- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Lilita Dunska, Pim van der Lee
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera
- Martin Struijf, Jesper Blok, Tijmen Veerman, Bjorn Tiebout
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- Lights
- Ernst-Jan Thieme, Patrick Galvin, Robert Groendijk, Jason Mulder
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- Assistant director
- Ferenc Soeteman
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- Set technique
- Justin Mutsaers
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- Data handling
- Ruben Kuyl
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- Project manager nep
- Ron Vermeulen
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- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
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- Producer concert
- Imke Deters
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- Producer film
- Wietske Hovingh
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