Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn, BWV 119
Encyclopedia
Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn (Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; BWV 119) is a cantata
by Johann Sebastian Bach
. It was composed during his first year as cantor to the Thomaskirche in Leipzig
for the festivities surrounding the change of councils or Ratswechsel on 30 August 1723 - as at Mühlhausen, one of the cantor's duties was to write music for special church services surrounding the council.
, 85
and 126
, lines from Martin Luther
's 'German Te Deum
' and poems by unknown writers. To suit the event for which it was written, these are all turned into hymns of thanking and praising God for Leipzig's prosperity and asking him to protect the city in the future. As it was written for a secular church service, it follow the Baroque world view of emphasizing that the government's political power is legitimised by God and His power.
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. It was composed during his first year as cantor to the Thomaskirche in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
for the festivities surrounding the change of councils or Ratswechsel on 30 August 1723 - as at Mühlhausen, one of the cantor's duties was to write music for special church services surrounding the council.
Themes
The text of the cantata consists of verses from psalms 147Psalm 147
Psalm 147 is the 147th psalm of the Book of Psalms. The theme of the psalm is a focus on the rebuilding of Jerusalem.-Judaism:*Psalm 147 is recited in its entirety in Pesukei Dezimra.*Is recited on Simchat Torah in some traditions.-External links:*....
, 85
Psalm 85
Psalm 85 is the 85th psalm from the Book of Psalms, composed by sons of Korah....
and 126
Psalm 126
Psalm 126 or Shir Hama'alot is a psalm and common piece of liturgy. It is one of the Songs of Ascents.-Text:A song of Ascents...
, lines from Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's 'German Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
' and poems by unknown writers. To suit the event for which it was written, these are all turned into hymns of thanking and praising God for Leipzig's prosperity and asking him to protect the city in the future. As it was written for a secular church service, it follow the Baroque world view of emphasizing that the government's political power is legitimised by God and His power.
Voices and instruments
- Soloists: SopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, AltoAltoAlto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
, TenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, BassBass (voice type)A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... - Chorus: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
- Instruments: TrumpetBaroque trumpetThe baroque trumpet is a musical instrument in the brass family. It was invented in the mid-20th century based on ideas from the natural trumpet of the 16th to 18th centuries and designed to allow modern performers to imitate the earlier instrument for music of that time...
I–IV, timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
I/II, oboe I–III (including two oboes da cacciaOboe da cacciaThe oboe da caccia is a double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family, pitched a fifth below the oboe and used primarily in the Baroque period of European classical music...
), violinBaroque violinA baroque violin is, in common usage, any violin whose neck, fingerboard, bridge, and tailpiece are of the type used during the baroque period. Such an instrument may be an original built during the baroque and never changed to modern form; or a modern replica built as a baroque violin; or an...
I/II, violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, Basso continuo.