Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn

Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn

BWV 23 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken
Walloon Church, Amsterdam

  • Menu
  • 1. Du wahrer Gott (Arie)
  • 2. Ach! gehe nicht vorüber (Rezitativ)
  • 3. Aller Augen warten, Herr (Chor)
  • 4. Christe, du Lamm Gottes (Choral)

Behind the music

Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits

Audition notes

Bach played this music to convince the Leipzig council of his qualities

With no introduction, you dive straight into the story, which is about the healing of a blind man that Jesus met on the road to Jericho. The blind man asked Jesus for help and he healed him. The blind man sees his true nature, while the sighted bystanders are blinded. In the bass, you can hear the road to Jericho, above which is an oboe duet and a duet for soprano and alto – so twice two-part texture. The oboe parts and those of the singers imitate one another. They are the same and yet not the same. This may refer to Jesus’ duality as god and as mortal (‘wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn’).

This cantata first consisted of only three movements. The original ending was the positive ‘Aller Augen warten, Herr’, in which you hear the optimism and faith of the blind man. The final movement that was added later (the monumental chorale arrangement ‘Christe du Lamm Gottes’) was based on a Passion hymn that was familiar to everyone in Bach’s day. Bach was thus referring to the weeks ahead, as Quinquagesima is the last Sunday before Lent, and Lent is followed by the Passion.

Incidentally, the fact that Bach only added ‘Christe du Lamm Gottes’ later, does not mean that it was just tacked on. You can already hear the melody of the hymn in the oboe in the tenor’s recitative. But whereas the tenor calls attention to his suffering, like the blind man from the parable, the oboe already refers to the suffering of Jesus himself. By adding a complete chorale arrangement to the same hymn at the end, Bach pursues the comparison.

Actually, this cantata must be viewed in conjunction with Jesus nahm zu sich di Zwölfe, BWV 22. Bach performed Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn along with BWV 22 on 5 February 1723, at a service in Leipzig. The two works were written on commission from the city council as audition pieces, to be played as part of Bach’s job application procedure in Leipzig. His music pleased the council and he was eventually appointed cantor there. The newspaper wrote: “Am verwichenen Sonntage Vormittage machte der Hochfürstl. Capellmeister zu Cöthen, Mr. Bach, all hier in der Kirchen zu Thomä wegen der bisher noch immer vacant stehenden Cantor-Stelle seine Probe, und ist desselben damahlige Music von allen, welche der gleichen ästimeren, sehr gelobet worden...”.

BWV
23
Title
Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn
Instrument
alto, soprano, tenor
Genre
cantatas
Year
1723
City
Köthen/Leipzig
Lyricist
unknown
Occasion
Estomihi
First performance
5 February 1723
Special notes
This is one of the two audition pieces played by Bach when applying for a job in Leipzig. The final section ‘Christe du Lamm Gottes’ was written earlier, and he used it in 1725 as the closing chorus of the St John Passion, BWV 245.

Extra videos

Sigiswald Kuijken and Lucia Swarts

“Especially for this concert Lucia Swarts learned to play the violoncello da spalla.”

Bassist Robert Franenberg on the violone

“It's a challenge to try and understand which instrument might had been used for a particular performance.”

Vocal texts

Original

1. Arie (Sopran, Alt)
Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn,
der du von Ewigkeit in der Entfernung schon
mein Herzeleid und meine Leibespein
umständlich angesehn,
erbarm dich mein!
Und lass durch deine Wunderhand,
die so viel Böses abgewandt,
mir gleichfalls Hilf und Trost geschehen.

2. Rezitativ (Tenor)
Ach! gehe nicht vorüber;
du, aller Menschen Heil,
bist ja erschienen,
die Kranken und
nicht die Gesunden zu bedienen.
Drum nehm ich ebenfalls an
deiner Allmacht teil;
ich sehe dich auf diesen Wegen,
worauf man mich hat wollen legen,
auch in der Blindheit an.
Ich fasse mich und lasse dich
nicht ohne deinen Segen.

3. Chor
Aller Augen warten, Herr,
du allmächtger Gott, auf dich,
und die meinen sonderlich.
Gib denselben Kraft und Licht,
lass sie nicht
immerdar in Finsternissen!
Künftig soll dein Wink
allein der geliebte Mittelpunkt
aller ihrer Werke sein,
bis du sie einst durch den Tod
wiederum gedenkst zu schliessen.

4. Choral
Christe, du Lamm Gottes,
der du trägst die Sünd der Welt,
erbarm dich unser!
Christe, du Lamm Gottes,
der du trägst die Sünd der Welt,
erbarm dich unser!
Christe, du Lamm Gottes,
der du trägst die Sünd der Welt,
gib uns dein 'Frieden. Amen.

Translation

1. Aria (Soprano, Alto)
Thou very God and David’s Son,
Thou, who from eternity, hath from afar
already seen all my body’s pain
and heart’s distress,
have mercy upon me!
Grant through Thy wondrous hand,
which has repelled so much evil,
that I be given both help and comfort.

2. Recitative (Tenor)
Ah, do not pass me by;
Thou, the Saviour of mankind,
didst appear on earth
to succour the sick
and not the healthy.
So I too share in
Thy almighty power;
I see Thee also along these paths,
where people have tried to leave me,
even in my blindness.
I compose myself and shall not leave Thee
except Thou bless me.

3. Chorus 
The eyes of all, O Lord,
Thou almighty God, wait upon Thee,
mine above all others.
Give them strength and light,
leave them not
in darkness for evermore!
Henceforth a sign from Thee
shall be the beloved focus
of all their labours,
till Thou shalt at last through death
decide once more to close them.

4. Chorale
Christ, Thou Lamb of God,
who dost bear the sins of the world,
have mercy on us!
Christ, Thou Lamb of God,
who dost bear the sins of the world,
have mercy on us!
Christ, Thou Lamb of God,
who dost bear the sins of the world,
grant us Thy peace. Amen.

Credits

  • Release date
    11 November 2016
  • Recording date
    23 April 2016
  • Location
    Walloon Church, Amsterdam
  • Violoncello da spalla and direction
    Sigiswald Kuijken
  • Soprano
    Miriam Feuersinger
  • Alto
    Damien Guillon
  • Tenor
    Wolfram Lattke
  • Bass
    Christian Immler
  • Ripieno soprano
    Griet de Geyter
  • Ripieno alto
    Barnabás Hegyi
  • Ripieno tenor
    Kevin Skelton
  • Ripieno bass
    Sebastian Myrus
  • Violin 1
    Shunske Sato, Pieter Affourtit
  • Violin 2
    Sayuri Yamagata, Anneke van Haaften
  • Viola
    Staas Swierstra
  • Violoncello da spalla
    Lucia Swarts
  • Violone
    Robert Franenberg
  • Oboe
    Martin Stadler, Peter Frankenberg
  • Bassoon
    Benny Aghassi
  • Trumpet
    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
    Jochem Timmermans, Merijn Vrieling, Chris Reichgelt
  • Lights
    Zen Bloot, Gijs 't Hoen
  • Assistant director
    Ferenc Soetman
  • Video engineers
    Vincent Nugteren, Justin Mutsaers
  • Camera assistants
    Robert Wijermans, Leon Mignon
  • Set technicians
    Justin Mutsaers, Chris Reichgelt
  • Data handling
    Jesper Blok
  • Projectmanager NEP
    Peter Ribbens
  • Interview
    Onno van Ameijde
  • Producer
    Marco Meijdam, Imke Deters, Jessie Verbrugh
  • Acknowledgements
    Nienke Meuleman

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