Johann Sebastian Bach Oratorio for Ascension Day

Oratorium Festo Ascensionis Christi BWV 11, 1735

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Besides the Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248, Bach composed an additional work for the feast days of the church year 1734/35: The Himmelfahrtsoratorium BWV 11 (Oratorio for Ascension Day). Although in its dimensions and character the oratorio is akin to his cantatas, it occupies a special position as a result of the epic text on which it is based; the text includes a biblical story. In particular, the festive atmosphere and instrumentation of the opening and closing choruses mirror the triumphant joy of Christ’s ascension.

Published in cooperation with the Leipzig Bach Archive by Bach expert Ulrich Leisinger.

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  • Coro: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen
  • Recitativo (T): Der Herr Jesus hub seine Hände auf
  • Recitativo accompagnato (B): Ach, Jesu, ist dein Abschied schon so nah?
  • Aria (A): Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben
  • Recitativo (T): Und ward aufgehoben zusehends
  • Corale: Nun lieget alles unter dir
  • Recitativo (TB): Und da sie ihm nachsahen gen Himmel fahren
  • Recitativo accompagnato (A): Ach ja! so komme bald zurück
  • Recitativo (T): Sie aber beteten ihn an
  • Aria (S): Jesu, deine Gnadenblicke
  • Corale: Wenn soll es doch geschehen
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  • 1. Coro

    Praise to God on high in heaven,
    praise him all ye earthly creatures,
    sing his praise with loud acclaim!
    Praise him all ye hosts of heaven,
    men and angels join in chorus,
    sing and praise his holy name.

    2. Recitativo (T)

    Then did Jesus lift up his hands on high and gave unto them his blessing; it came to pass, that as he blessed them, he rose to heaven.

    3. Recitativo accompagnato (B)

    Ah, Jesus must thou go away so soon?
    Ah, is the hour already come,
    when thou and I must needs be parted?
    Ah, look now, see the bitter teardrops
    that down our pallid cheeks are rolling,
    ’tis thee for whom we’re yearning,
    ’tis thou who dost our cares allay.
    Ah, go thou not away!

    4. Aria (A)

    Ah, leave me not, my dearest Saviour,
    ah, linger yet a while with me.
    Thy farewell and the empty morrow
    bring to me deepest, darkest sorrow;
    ah, Lord abide a while with me;
    with thee away is all disaster.

    5. Recitativo (T)

    And before their eyes he was taken away up to heaven, and the clouds of heav’n from out their sight received him; there he reigns with the Father Almighty!

    6. Corale

    Ruler art

    ...

  • 1. Coro

    Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen,
    preiset ihn in seinen Ehren,
    rühmet ihn in seiner Pracht!
    Sucht sein Lob recht zu vergleichen,
    wenn ihr mit gesamten Chören
    ihm ein Lied zu Ehren macht!

    2. Recitativo (T)

    Der Herr Jesus hub seine Hände auf und segnete seine Jünger, und es geschah, da er sie segnete, schied er von ihnen.

    3. Recitativo accompagnato (B)

    Ach, Jesu, ist dein Abschied schon so nah?
    Ach, ist denn schon die Stunde da,
    da wir dich von uns lassen sollen?
    Ach, siehe, wie die heißen Tränen
    von unsern blassen Wangen rollen,
    wie wir uns nach dir sehnen,
    wie uns fast aller Trost gebricht.
    Ach, weiche doch noch nicht!

    4. Aria (A)

    Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben,
    ach, fliehe nicht so bald von mir!
    Dein Abschied und dein frühes Scheiden
    bringt mir das allergrößte Leiden,
    ach ja, so bleibe doch noch hier;
    sonst werd ich ganz von Schmerz umgeben.

    5. Recitativo (T)

    Und ward aufgehoben zusehends und fuhr auf gen Himmel, eine Wolke nahm ihn weg vor ihren Augen, und er sitzet zur rechten Hand Gottes.

    6. Corale

    Nun lieget alles unter dir,

    ...

  • Text from the CD Carus 83.290

    Ulrich Leisinger
    Translation: Ulrich Leisinger, John Coombs

    “A sacred oratorio [... ] is nothing other than a poem intended to be set to music which presents a certain sacred action or virtue in a dramatic manner.” These words are found in issue 20 of the Critischer Musikus, a weekly magazine about music, by which, between 1737 and 1740, Johann Adolph Scheibe, a student and sometimes rebellious critic of Johann Sebastian Bach, intended to introduce a wider audience to the music of his time. According to Scheibe, “the arrangement of the words consists of biblical sayings, arias, cavatas, recitatives, chorales, or short excerpts from psalms and songs of praise.” Oratorios can be either dramatic, if they include personages, which may be taken either from the bible or be freely invented, with regard to poetic considerations; but at the same time they can also be “poetic and prosaic”, namely when the text is based on the narrative accounts of the Evangelist from the Bible, for example in the Passion or the Resurrection histories. One could object, says Scheibe, that such an oratorio shows a certain tendency towards the epic, “but since the Evangelist, who in

    ...

  • Booklet-Text der CD Carus 83.290

    Ulrich Leisinger

    „Ein geistliches Oratorium [... ] ist nichts andres, als ein Singgedicht, welches eine gewisse geistliche Handlung oder Tugend auf dramatische Art vorstellet“, heißt es im 20. Stück des Critischen Musikus, einer Wochenschrift über Musik, mit der der Bach-Schüler und gelegentlich vorwitzige Bach-Kritiker Johann Adolph Scheibe in den Jahren 1737 bis 1740 einem breiteren Publikum Einblick in die Musik seiner Zeit geben wollte. „Die Einrichtung der Worte“, fährt Scheibe fort, „besteht aus biblischen Sprüchen, Arien, Cavaten, Recitativen, Choralen, oder kurzen Sätzen aus Psalmen und Lobgesängen.“ Oratorien können entweder dramatisch eingerichtet sein, indem sie handelnde, teils biblische, teils aus dichterischen Erwägungen heraus hinzugefügte Personen aufweisen; sie können aber auch „poetisch und prosaisch“ zugleich sein, nämlich dann, wenn sie als Textgrundlage den Evangelienbericht – etwa der Passions- oder der Auferstehungshistorie – aus der Bibel verwenden. Zwar ließe sich einwenden, so Scheibe, dass ein derartiges Oratorium in der Grundtendenz episch angelegt sei,

    ...

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  • Johann 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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Bach, Johann Sebastian: „Lobet Gott In seinen Reichen”, BWV 11

Bach, Johann Sebastian: „Lobet Gott In seinen Reichen”

Carus legt hier eine neue Ausgabe des Himmelfahrt-Oratoriums vor. Der Klavierauszug (Paul Horn) ist klar zu lesen und angenehm zu spielen. Besondere Erwähnung verdient das Vorwort, das praktische und wissenschaftliche Hinweise enthält. Partitur, Chor- und Orchestermaterial sind ebenfalls erschienen. Ein echter Grund für Sängerinnen eines geübten Chores, nicht über Christi Himmelfahrt in Urlaub zu fahren, sondern dieses herrliche Werk aufzuführen !!!

Stefan Burs
Quelle: Musik im Bistum Essen 1/98, S. 42

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