Glory to God in the highest
Cantata for the 1st day of Christmas BWV 197a (BWV3 197.1), 1728
Only the text and the last page of the autograph score of the Christmas Cantata Glory to God in the highest BWV 197.1 (197a) have survived, beginning with the end of the 2nd aria. This, along with the complete surviving 3rd aria are found in parody versions in the Wedding Cantata BWV 197 / BWV3 197.2, from which this cantata takes its BWV number. For a long time there has been a fascinating theory about the missing opening chorus: could this have been the parody source for the Gloria in the Mass in B minor?
The musicologist and organist Pieter Dirksen has pursued this, creating a four-part choral version largely derived from corrections made in the autograph of the Mass in B minor. He has underlaid this with the text of the opening chorus (the German translation of the Gloria). What results is a convincing version of the Christmas Cantata – with one of Bach’s best-known choruses as the prominent opening chorus and plausible solutions for the other sections missing in the autograph.
This is a reconstruction of the incompletely preserved Christmas cantata BWV3 197.1. The wedding cantata BWV3 197.2, in which Bach re-used two movements from the Christmas cantata, has been published as Carus 31.197/50.
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(7)
- Coro: Glory to God in the highest
- Aria (soprano): Declare ye, o heavens, the glory of the Lord
- Recitativo (tenore): O love, that no equal knows!
- Aria (alto): O you pleasant, gracious treasure
- Recitativo (basso): The child is mine, and I am his
- Aria (basso): I do not forsake
- Choral: And so I will forthwith
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Contents
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Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
| 1685-1750Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most important composers of Western music history. He came from a widely ramified musical dynasty, which produced numerous musicians and organists in the Thuringian-Saxon area.
Bach vocal
Ever since Carus-Verlag was founded in 1972, publishing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach has been a special focus for us. In the 2017 Reformation anniversary year we completed the Bach vocal project. Bach's complete sacred vocal works are now available in modern Urtext editions, together with performance material. A complete edition of all the full scores is also available in a high quality box set. Personal details
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Editor
Pieter Dirksen
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Songwriter / Librettist
Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander)
| 1700-1764
Reviews
… eine stattliche Weihnachtskantate in der glanzvollen Besetzung … Mit 25 Minuten Spieldauer ist sie gerade noch gottesdienst-kompatibel, macht aber natürlich auch im Weihnachtskonzert eine gute Figur.
Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik, Jan 2025
Wer also um Weihnachten ein h-Moll-Messen-Feeling light haben möchte, weil er beispielsweise nicht gut fünf Chorstimmen besetzen kann, hat mit dieser Kantate ein attraktives Chorprojekt gefunden.
Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik, Juli/Aug 2024
Jedenfalls gleicht Pieter Dirksen die mangelhafte Überlieferung mit dieser gelungenen Rekonstruktion überzeugend aus. Ein großer Gewinn für Ausführende und Hörende!
Musik & Kirche, Jan/Feb 2023, No. 1
Eine sehr plausible Rekonstruktion, die in der Praxis eine wunderbar schöne und prächtige Weihnachtskantate aufführbar macht.
CHORaktuell, Dezember 2022
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