Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben
BWV 8 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Shunske Sato
Grote Kerk, Naarden
Behind the music
Story
Story
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Ringing of bells
The clocks, bells and clockwork in this cantata portray the certainties and uncertainties of death
Although the words of this cantata never literally refer to a bell, the music is still permeated with the ringing of bells. For Bach, there was nothing unusual about this in texts about death and dying, as he lived – just as the majority of people in Europe at the time – in a world where chiming bells communicated precise messages and mechanical clocks showed the time.
The opening chorus is determined by the first two thoughts in the text: one of uncertainty (“When shall I die?”) and one of certainty (“Time always goes on”). This second thought leads to a clockwork passage in which the strings and the basso continuo relentlessly tick away the time like a clock mechanism. On the other hand, the uncertainty about when we will die is heard in the oboe d’amores. At various places, they suddenly change the harmony unexpectedly to minor. And to make this idea perfectly clear, Bach does the same in the opening sentence of the chorus, precisely on the word “sterben”.
But the most striking element is the flute that is heard above everything else, like a shrilly jangling bell. This is no big church bell, but a small handbell – a ‘Loretto’ or ‘St Anthony’ bell – that was used when someone lay on their deathbed. Ringing it at the bedside drove away evil spirits, according to popular belief.
In the tenor aria that follows, we remain in a similar sound world: the plucked basso continuo is still reminiscent of a bell or clock mechanism. But now the words themselves also explicitly refer to what the soul does “when the final hour has struck” (and we also hear that ‘striking’ quite literally in the singing part). The worries are not dispelled until the bass aria, which – not by coincidence – is the only part of the cantata to have a clear dance form. The little bell has done its job in driving away the evil spirits and is once again just a carefree, cheerful flute.
- BWV
- 8
- Title
- Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben
- Instrument
- alto, bass, soprano, tenor, recorder
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- 1724
- City
- Leipzig
- Occasion
- 16th Sunday after Trinitatis
- First performance
- 24 September 1724
In loving memory of
Wendy Wallace
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Chor
Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?
Meine Zeit läuft immer hin,
und des alten Adams Erben,
unter denen ich auch bin,
haben dies zum Vaterteil,
daß sie eine kleine Weil
arm und elend sein auf Erden
und denn selber Erde werden.
2. Arie (Tenor)
Was willst du dich, mein Geist, entsetzen,
wenn meine letzte Stunde schlägt?
Mein Leib neigt täglich sich zur Erden,
und da muß seine Ruhstatt werden,
wohin man so viel tausend trägt.
3. Rezitativ (Alt)
Zwar fühlt mein schwaches Herz
Furcht, Sorge, Schmerz.
Wo wird mein Leib die Ruhe finden?
Wer wird die Seele doch
vom aufgelegten Sündenjoch
befreien und entbinden?
Das Meine wird zerstreut,
und wohin werden meine Lieben
in ihrer Traurigkeit zertrennt, vertrieben?
4. Arie (Bass)
Doch weichet, ihr tollen, vergeblichen Sorgen!
Mich rufet mein Jesus, wer sollte nicht gehn?
Nichts, was mir gefällt, besitzet die Welt.
Erscheine mir, seliger, fröhlicher Morgen,
verkläret und herrlich vor Jesu zu stehn.
5. Rezitativ (Sopran)
Behalte nur, o Welt, das Meine!
Du nimmst ja selbst mein Fleisch
und mein Gebeine;
so nimm auch meine Armut hin!
Genug, daß mir aus Gottes Überfluß
das höchste Gut noch werden muß;
genug, daß ich dort reich und selig bin.
Was aber ist von mir zu erben,
als meines Gottes Vatertreu?
Die wird ja alle Morgen neu
und kann nicht sterben.
6. Choral
Herrscher über Tod und Leben,
mach einmal mein Ende gut,
lehre mich den Geist aufgeben
mit recht wohlgefaßtem Mut!
Hilf, daß ich ein ehrlich Grab
neben frommen Christen hab
und auch endlich in der Erde
nimmermehr zuschanden werde!
Translation
1. Chorus
Dearest God, when shall I die?
My days run ever on,
and old Adam’s heirs,
of whom I am also one,
have this as their inheritance,
that they for a little while
are poor and wretched on earth,
and then become earth themselves.
2. Aria (Tenor)
Why, my spirit, would you be fearful,
when my final hour strikes?
Daily my body bows nearer the earth,
and there its place of rest must be,
whither so many thousands are borne.
3. Recitative (Alto)
In truth, my faint heart feels
fear, sorrow, pain:
where shall my body find rest?
Who shall free and release
my soul from the yoke of sin
that weighs upon it?
What is mine will be dispersed,
and whither will my loved ones
in their sadness be scattered and banished?
4. Aria (Bass)
But vanish, you foolish, vain worries!
My Jesus calls me: who would then not go?
Naught that I desire is of this world.
Appear to me, blessèd, happy morning,
transfigured and glorious before Jesus I’ll stand.
5. Recitative (Soprano)
You may keep, O world, what is mine!
Since you take my flesh
and bones,
take my poverty as well;
it is enough, that from God’s abundant store
the greatest blessing shall be mine,
it is enough, that I shall be rich and blessèd there.
But what is to be inherited from me
except my faith in God the Father?
For it is renewed each morning
and cannot die.
6. Chorale
Ruler over death and life,
let at the last my end be good,
teach me to give up the ghost
with courage firm and sure.
Help me earn an honest grave
next to godly Christian folk,
and finally covered by earth
never more be confounded!
translation © Richard Stokes
Credits
-
- Release date
- 23 May 2024
-
- Recording date
- 30 May 2023
-
- Location
- Grote Kerk, Naarden
-
- Violin and direction
- Shunske Sato
-
- Soprano
- Griet De Geyter
-
- Alto
- Franz Vitzthum
-
- Tenor
- Guy Cutting
-
- Bass
- Felix Schwandtke
-
- Ripieno soprano
- Marta Paklar, Amelia Berridge
-
- Ripieno alto
- Sofia Gvirts, Bernadett Nagy
-
- Ripieno tenor
- João Moreira, Immo Schröder
-
- Ripieno bass
- Matthew Baker, Donald Bentvelsen
-
- Violin 1
- Lidewij van der Voort, Kano Imada, Mayumi Sargent Harada
-
- Violin 2
- Lucia Giraudo, Alyssa Wright, Andrew Wong
-
- Viola
- Anneke van Haaften, Esther van der Eijk
-
- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Anne-Linde Visser
-
- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
-
- Recorder
- Benny Aghassi
-
- Oboe
- Rodrigo Lopez Paz, Katharina Verhaar
-
- Horn
- Christopher Price
-
- Organ
- Bart Naessens
-
- Harpsichord
- Siebe Henstra
-
- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
-
- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Pim van der Lee, Ernst Coutinho
-
- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
-
- Camera
- Martin Struijf, Bjorn Tiebout, Tom de Beer, Jesper Blok
-
- Lights
- Ernst-Jan Thieme
-
- Grip
- Jordi Kooij, Joey Marcoux
-
- Assistant director
- Ferenc Soeteman
-
- Set technique
- Justin Mutsaers
-
- Data handling
- Ruben Kuyl
-
- Project manager nep
- Ron Vermeulen
-
- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
-
- Producer concert
- Imke Deters
-
- Producer film
- Wietske Hovingh
-
- In loving memory of
- Wendy Wallace
Discover
Help us to complete All of Bach
There are still many recordings to be made before the whole of Bach’s oeuvre is online. And we can’t complete the task without the financial support of our patrons. Please help us to complete the musical heritage of Bach, by supporting us with a donation!