Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120

Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille (God, You are praised in the stillness), BWV 120, is a sacred cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the occasion of Ratswechsel, the inauguration of a new town council in a church service, possibly in 1728. Parts of the cantata were used for a wedding cantata BWV 120a and a cantata BWV 120b commemorating the Augsburg Confession in 1730. Bach reworked the choral second movement for the Symbolum Nicaenum of his Mass in B minor.

History

Bach composed the cantata in Leipzig for the inauguration of the newly elected town council, which took place in a festive service on the Monday following St. Bartholomew's Day (24 August).^[1] A first performance in 1728 or 1729 seems likely. The cantata was performed again in 1742; the autographed score of that revision is preserved, with the heading "J. J. Concerto à 4 Voci. due Hautb. due Violini, Viola, 3 Trombe, Tamburi è | Continuo".^[2] Parts of the cantata were also used for the wedding cantata Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a and a cantata Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120b for the 200th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 1730. The latter work's music is lost.

Bach reworked the first part of the second movement Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen for the Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum in the Symbolum Nicaenum (Credo) of his Mass in B minor.^[3]

↑Jump back a section

Scoring, text and structure

The instrumentation reflects the festive occasion for which it was written: four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and basso, a four-part choir, 3 trumpets, timpani, 2 oboe d'amore, 2 violins, viola, and basso continuo.^[1]

Alto solo: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille
Coro: Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen
Recitativo (bass): Auf, du geliebte Lindenstadt
Aria (soprano): Heil und Segen
Recitativo (tenor): Nun, Herr, so weihe selbst das Regiment
Chorale: Nun hilf uns, Herr, den Dienern dein

The first movement is based on Psalm 65:2. It is unusual for Bach to open a cantata with a solo voice, but the words "aus der Stille" (out of silence) may have prompted him to write it for alto and two oboe d'amore. The first part of the jubilant second movement, a chorus dominated by the full orchestra, was adapted for the Mass in B minor. The soprano aria with solo violin is probably based on an earlier work from Bach's time in Köthen that served as a model also for a movement of a violin sonata BWV 1019a. The tenor recitative is accompanied by strings to underline its character as a prayer for justice and future blessings. The words for the final chorale are taken from the German Te Deum "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" of Martin Luther.^[1]

↑Jump back a section

Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a

Parts of the cantata were used in 1729, in a different order, for a wedding cantata, that also contained two pieces to be played after the wedding: a sinfonia similar to the opening movement of the cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 and a final chorale similar to the one closing the cantata Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137.^[3]

Coro: Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge (Lord God, Ruler of All Things) (parody of BWV 120/2)
Recitativo (tenor, bass, e coro): Wie wunderbar, o Gott, sind deine Werke
Aria (soprano): Leit, o Gott, durch deine Liebe (parody of BWV 120/4)
Sinfonia (similar to the Sinfonia of BWV 29/1, a parody of BWV 1006/1)
Recitativo (tenor, e coro): Herr Zebaoth, Herr, unsrer Väter Gott
Aria (alto, tenor): Herr, fange an und sprich den Segen (parody of BWV 120/1)
Recitativo (bass): Der Herr, Herr unser Gott, sei mit euch
Chorale: Lobe den Herren, der deinen Stand sichtbar gesegnet (parody of BWV 137/5)

↑Jump back a section