The cantata Uns ist ein Kind geboren for Christmas Day has an unusual structure with only one aria, but two choral movements. The choral movements frame the work, while the soprano aria, bookended by two secco recitatives, is at the center of the cantata. The song-like B section of the aria forms the axis of symmetry, and it’s only here that the trumpets are heard outside the choruses, with a quotation from the opening chorus.
Both choruses are based on a Biblical text: the opening chorus on the well-known Old Testament prophecy of the Christmas event from Isaiah 9:5, and the final chorus on a passage from Timothy 3:16 about the mystery of faith: “Great is the mystery of godliness”. The opening and closing choruses are largely homophonic, but the second half of the final chorus, which is Christmassy and corresponds to the passage from Timothy “God was manifested in the flesh”, is developed into a grand final fugue.
It is one of many striking cantatas by Homilius, not just because of the very singable lines (which were typical of the time and often accompanied by a sprightly orchestra), but also because of the surprising overall structure.
Both choruses are based on a Biblical text: the opening chorus on the well-known Old Testament prophecy of the Christmas event from Isaiah 9:5, and the final chorus on a passage from Timothy 3:16 about the mystery of faith: “Great is the mystery of godliness”. The opening and closing choruses are largely homophonic, but the second half of the final chorus, which is Christmassy and corresponds to the passage from Timothy “God was manifested in the flesh”, is developed into a grand final fugue.
It is one of many striking cantatas by Homilius, not just because of the very singable lines (which were typical of the time and often accompanied by a sprightly orchestra), but also because of the surprising overall structure.
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Composer
Gottfried August Homilius
| 1714-1785Gottfried August Homilius, the son of a pastor, was born in Rosenthal (Saxony) on 2 February 1714. In May 1735 he enrolled as a law student at Leipzig University. Likewise, it was probably at this time that Homilius was a pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach; the latter fact had been attested to by Johann Adam Hiller. Apart from Bach, Homilius also had contact with Johann Schneider, a Bach pupil and organist at the Nicolaikirche, for whom he also substituted. After unsuccesfully applying for a post as organist in Bautzen, Homilius was appointed organist at the Dresden Frauenkirche in 1742. In 1755 Homilius succeeded Theodor Christlieb Reinhold as Kreuzkantor and music director of the three main churches in Dresden, a position that he occupied until his death on 2 June 1785. Personal details
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Editor
Uwe Wolf
| 1961As a musicologist, Dr. Uwe Wolf is particularly at home in the 17th and 18th centuries. The focus of his work ranges from the time of Monteverdi and Schütz to Bach and the generation of Bach's sons and pupils through to Viennese Classicism. He has been head of the editorial department at Carus-Verlag since October 2011. Prior to this, he worked in Bach research for over 20 years. Personal details
Reviews
Eine schlichte, aber dennoch wunderbar strahlkräftige Kantate in frühklassischem Stil des Dresdner Kreuz- und Frauenkantors.
Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik 4/2011
Die in jeder Hinsicht vorbildlichen Ausgaben der Werke von Homilius ermöglichen es, seine Stücke kennen zu lernen und sie als Beispiele für die protestantische Kirchenmusik nach 1750 in das wenig erschlossene Repertoire aufzunehmen.
Gottfried Gille, Forum Kirchenmusik 4/2012
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