Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden, BWV 47
Encyclopedia
Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden (Who exalts himself, will be humbled / KJV: For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased), BWV 47, is a church cantata
by Johann Sebastian Bach
. He composed it in Leipzig
for the 17th Sunday after Trinity
and first performed it on 13 October 1726.
, , the admonition to keep the unity of the Spirit, and from the Gospel of Luke
, , healing a man with dropsy
on the Sabbath. The poet Johann Friedrich Helbig (1680–1722) was a court poet at the ducal court of Saxe-Eisenach
from 1718. He published an annual cycle of cantatas in 1720, Aufmunterung der Andacht (Encouragement of Devotion), which included this cantata. It is the only cantata text of Helbig which Bach composed. It is not known whether he knew the publishing or rather a composition of Georg Philipp Telemann
, who composed several of Helbig's texts in Eisenach. The poet takes the final line from the Gospel as a starting point (movement 1) and then concentrates on the warning of pride, leading to a prayer for humility. The closing chorale
is the eleventh and final stanza of Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, which Bach had used in 1723 in his cantata Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, BWV 138
.
and bass
, four-part choir, two oboe
s, two violin
s, viola
, organ
obbligato
and basso continuo.
music from his organ prelude in C minor (BWV 546), transposed to G minor
. The oboes play a motif
, rising in sequence
s, which becomes a vocal theme of a fugue, illustrating the haughty self-exaltation in the first half of the Gospel text. A countersubject moves in the opposite direction to illustrate the self-humiliation. The fugue is concluded by a homophonic
"summary". The sequence of fugue and summary is repeated. Finally, the complete ritornello is repeated like a da capo
, but with the voices additionally embedded, stating the complete text once more in homophony.
The soprano aria
was originally accompanied by an obbligato organ, as was, three weeks later, the aria Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49
. In a later performance of the cantata, Bach assigned the obbligato part to a violin. The da capo aria depicts humility in the first section, pride in the middle section, in rough rhythm both in the voice as in the obbligato, whereas the continuo plays the theme from the first section to unify the movement. John Eliot Gardiner describes the "harsh, stubborn broken chords" as illustrating arrogance. The only recitative
, accompanied by the strings, is the central movement. Gardiner observes that Bach's "autograph score shows, for example, how he sharpened the rhythm of the word "Teufelsbrut" (devil’s brood) to make its impact more abrupt and brutal." The second aria is in three parts, but without a vocal da capo. Oboe and violin are equal partners to the bass voice in a prayer for humility. The closing chorale is set for four parts in utmost humility.
General sources are found for the Bach cantata
s. Several databases provide additional information on each single cantata:
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
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...
. He composed it 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 17th Sunday after Trinity
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
and first performed it on 13 October 1726.
History and words
Bach wrote the cantata in his fourth year in Leipzig for the 17th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 13 October 1726. It is regarded as part of his third annual cycle of cantatas. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the EphesiansEpistle to the Ephesians
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by...
, , the admonition to keep the unity of the Spirit, and from the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, , healing a man with dropsy
Healing a man with dropsy
Healing a man with dropsy is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels .According to the Gospel one Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, and he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy, i.e. abnormal swelling of his body.Jesus...
on the Sabbath. The poet Johann Friedrich Helbig (1680–1722) was a court poet at the ducal court of Saxe-Eisenach
Saxe-Eisenach
Saxe-Eisenach was the name of an Ernestine duchy ruled by the Saxon House of Wettin. The State intermittendly existed at three different times in the Thuringian region of the Holy Roman Empire...
from 1718. He published an annual cycle of cantatas in 1720, Aufmunterung der Andacht (Encouragement of Devotion), which included this cantata. It is the only cantata text of Helbig which Bach composed. It is not known whether he knew the publishing or rather a composition of Georg Philipp Telemann
Georg Philipp Telemann
Georg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually...
, who composed several of Helbig's texts in Eisenach. The poet takes the final line from the Gospel as a starting point (movement 1) and then concentrates on the warning of pride, leading to a prayer for humility. The closing chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
is the eleventh and final stanza of Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, which Bach had used in 1723 in his cantata Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, BWV 138
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, BWV 138
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz , BWV 138, is a church cantata written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1723 in Leipzig for the 15th Sunday after Trinity, first performed on 5 September 1723...
.
Scoring and structure
The cantata is scored for two soloists, sopranoSoprano
A 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...
and bass
Bass (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...
, four-part choir, two oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, two violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, viola
Viola
The 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...
, organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
obbligato
Obbligato
In classical music obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified...
and basso continuo.
- Coro: Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden
- Aria (soprano): Wer ein wahrer Christ will heißen
- Recitativo (bass): Der Mensch ist Kot, Stank, Asch und Erde
- Aria (bass): Jesu, beuge doch mein Herze
- Chorale: Der zeitlichen Ehrn will ich gern entbehrn
Music
The opening chorus is the most elaborate of the five movements Bach used for the long ritornelloRitornello
A ritornello is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. The first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria may be in "ritornello form", in which the ritornello is the opening theme, always played by tutti, which returns in whole or in part and in different keys throughout...
music from his organ prelude in C minor (BWV 546), transposed to G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
. The oboes play a motif
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
, rising in sequence
Sequence (music)
In music, a sequence is the immediate restatement of a motif or longer melodic passage at a higher or lower pitch in the same voice. It is one of the most common and simple methods of elaborating a melody in eighteenth and nineteenth century classical music...
s, which becomes a vocal theme of a fugue, illustrating the haughty self-exaltation in the first half of the Gospel text. A countersubject moves in the opposite direction to illustrate the self-humiliation. The fugue is concluded by a homophonic
Homophony
In music, homophony is a texture in which two or more parts move together in harmony, the relationship between them creating chords. This is distinct from polyphony, in which parts move with rhythmic independence, and monophony, in which all parts move in parallel rhythm and pitch. A homophonic...
"summary". The sequence of fugue and summary is repeated. Finally, the complete ritornello is repeated like a da capo
Da capo
Da Capo is a musical term in Italian, meaning from the beginning . It is often abbreviated D.C. It is a composer or publisher's directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space. In small pieces this might be the same thing as a repeat, but in larger works D.C...
, but with the voices additionally embedded, stating the complete text once more in homophony.
The soprano aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
was originally accompanied by an obbligato organ, as was, three weeks later, the aria Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49
Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49
Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen , BWV 49, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the 20th Sunday after Trinity Sunday and first performed it 3 November 1726....
. In a later performance of the cantata, Bach assigned the obbligato part to a violin. The da capo aria depicts humility in the first section, pride in the middle section, in rough rhythm both in the voice as in the obbligato, whereas the continuo plays the theme from the first section to unify the movement. John Eliot Gardiner describes the "harsh, stubborn broken chords" as illustrating arrogance. The only recitative
Recitative
Recitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
, accompanied by the strings, is the central movement. Gardiner observes that Bach's "autograph score shows, for example, how he sharpened the rhythm of the word "Teufelsbrut" (devil’s brood) to make its impact more abrupt and brutal." The second aria is in three parts, but without a vocal da capo. Oboe and violin are equal partners to the bass voice in a prayer for humility. The closing chorale is set for four parts in utmost humility.
Selected recordings
Additional recordings are listed on the bach-cantatas entry of the cantata.- J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV 10, BWV 47; Sanctus BWV 241, Paul SteinitzPaul SteinitzPaul Steinitz OBE was a pioneer in the post-war interpretation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. He founded the London Bach Society and Steinitz Bach Players in order to put his scholarship into practice, performing all Bach’s cantatas in mainly London venues over the space of 29...
, London Bach SocietyLondon Bach SocietyThe London Bach Society is a society devoted to performing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach with small, professional forces, using period instruments in order to obtain an authentic style of interpretation.-History:...
, English Chamber OrchestraEnglish Chamber OrchestraThe English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
, Sally Le Sage, Neil HowlettNeil HowlettNeil Howlett is a retired English operatic baritone who has sung leading roles in major opera houses and festivals in the UK and abroad, including the Royal Opera House, Teatro Colón, and the English National Opera, where he was the Principal Baritone for seventeen years...
, Oryx 1965 - J.S. Bach: Cantata No. 47; W.A. Mozart: Missa Brevis, Rudolf BarshaiRudolf BarshaiRudolf Borisovich Barshai was a Soviet/Russian conductor and violist.Barshai was born in Stanitsa Lobinskaya, Krasnodar Krai, and studied at the Moscow Conservatory under Lev Tseitlin and Vadim Borisovsky. He performed as a soloist as well as together with Sviatoslav Richter, David Oistrakh, and...
, Yurlov Choir, Moscow Chamber OrchestraMoscow Chamber OrchestraThe Moscow Chamber Orchestra is a Chamber Orchestra based in Moscow, Russia, and assigned to the Moscow Philharmonia, a State-run enterprise, formerly under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and now, Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation.-Founding, 1955 :Rudolf Barshai was a virtuoso...
, Galina Pisarenko; Bass: Alexander VedernikovAlexander VedernikovAlexander Alexandrovich Vedernikov is a Russian conductor. He is son of the bass Alexander Filipovich Vedernikov ....
, Melodiya 1966 - J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 3, Nikolaus HarnoncourtNikolaus HarnoncourtNikolaus Harnoncourt is an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the Classical era and earlier. Starting out as a classical cellist, he founded his own period instrument ensemble in the 1950s, and became a pioneer of the Early Music movement...
, Wiener Sängerknaben, Concentus Musicus WienConcentus Musicus WienConcentus Musicus Wien is a baroque music ensemble founded by Nikolaus and Alice Harnoncourt in 1953. It generated the now well-established movement in performance and recordings to play early music on period instruments....
, soloist of the Wiener Sängerknaben, Ruud van der Meer, TeldecTeldecThe Teldec is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.-History:...
1974 - Die Bach Kantate Vol. 53, Helmuth RillingHelmuth RillingHelmuth Rilling is an internationally known German choral conductor, founder of the Gächinger Kantorei , the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart , the Oregon Bach Festival , the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart and other Bach Academies worldwide, and the "Festival Ensemble Stuttgart"...
, Gächinger KantoreiGächinger KantoreiGächinger Kantorei is an internationally known German mixed choir, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1954 in Gächingen and still conducted by him. A "Kantorei" is a choir of high standard dedicated mostly, but not exclusively, to sacred music. The ensemble operates in Stuttgart now and is therefore...
, Bach-Collegium StuttgartBach-Collegium StuttgartBach-Collegium Stuttgart is an internationally known German instrumental ensemble, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1965 to accompany the Gächinger Kantorei in choral music with orchestra...
, Arleen AugérArleen AugerJoyce Arleen Auger was an American soprano singer, admired for her coloratura voice and interpretations of works by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Monteverdi, Gluck, and Mozart.-Biography:...
, Philippe HuttenlocherPhilippe HuttenlocherPhilippe Huttenlocher is a Swiss baritone.He was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He first studied violin at the conservatory in Neuchâtel, and then voice in Fribourg...
, HänsslerHänssler ClassicHänssler Classic is a German classical record label based in Holzgerlingen.Friedrich Hänssler Senior founded Musikverlag Hänssler in 1919 to publish church music. Since 1972 Hänssler Classic has also published contemporary and jazz music...
1982 - Bach Edition Vol. 14 - Cantatas Vol. 7, Pieter Jan LeusinkPieter Jan LeusinkPieter Jan Leusink is a Dutch conductor of classical music.He studied organ in Zwolle at the Municipal Conservatory and took conducting lessons from Gottfried van der Horst...
, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Ruth HoltonRuth Holton-Training:Holton won a choral exhibition at Clare College, Cambridge and studied music there. Her later musical studies were with Elizabeth Lane, Nancy Long and Julie Kennard.-Career:...
, Bas Ramselaar, Brilliant Classics 2000 - Bach Cantatas Vol. 9: Lund / Leipzig / For the 17th Sunday after Trinity / For the 18th Sunday after Trinity, John Eliot GardinerJohn Eliot GardinerSir John Eliot Gardiner CBE FKC is an English conductor. He founded the Monteverdi Choir , the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique...
, Monteverdi ChoirMonteverdi ChoirThe Monteverdi Choir was founded in 1964 by Sir John Eliot Gardiner for a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers in King's College Chapel, Cambridge. A specialist Baroque ensemble, the Choir has become famous for its stylistic conviction and extensive repertoire, encompassing music from the early...
, English Baroque SoloistsEnglish Baroque SoloistsThe English Baroque Soloists is a chamber orchestra playing on period instruments, formed in 1978 by English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Its repertoire comprises music from the early Baroque period to the Classical period...
, Katharine Fuge, Stephan Loges, Soli Deo Gloria 2000 - J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 18, Ton KoopmanTon KoopmanTon Koopman is a conductor, organist and harpsichordist.Koopman had a "classical education" and then studied the organ , harpsichord and musicology in Amsterdam...
, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & ChoirAmsterdam Baroque Orchestra & ChoirThe Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir is a Dutch early-music group based in Amsterdam.The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir was created in two stages by the conductor, organist and harpsichordist Ton Koopman. He founded the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra in 1979 and the Amsterdam Baroque Choir in...
, Sandrine PiauSandrine PiauSandrine Piau is an opera soprano. Trained as a harpist, she studied voice at the Collège Lamartine and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique du Paris....
, Klaus MertensKlaus MertensKlaus Mertens is a German bass and bass-baritone singer who is known especially for his interpretation of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach.-Professional career:Klaus Mertens took singing lessons while attending school...
, Antoine Marchand 2003 - J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 12: "Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz" - Cantatas BWV 138 · 27 · 47 · 96, Sigiswald KuijkenSigiswald KuijkenSigiswald Kuijken is a Belgian violinist, violist, and conductor known for playing on authentic instruments.-Biography:Kuijken was born in Dilbeek, near Brussels. He was a member of the Alarius Ensemble of Brussels between 1964 and 1972 and formed La Petite Bande in 1972...
, La Petite BandeLa Petite BandeLa Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
, Gerlinde SämannGerlinde SämannGerlinde Sämann is a German soprano known for her performances in concerts and operas. She is particularly associated with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach...
, Petra NoskaiováPetra NoskaiováPetra Noskaiová is a Slovak classical mezzo-soprano, active in the field of Baroque music.- Professional career :Petra Noskaiová studied studied music at the conservatory of Bratislava from 1988 to 1994 and voice with Ružena Illenbergerová...
, Christoph GenzChristoph Genz- Biography :Christoph Genz was a member of the Thomanerchor. He studied at the King’s College, Cambridge where he was a member of the King’s College Choir. He studied voice with Hans-Joachim Beyer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ Leipzig and with Elisabeth...
, Jan van der CrabbenJan van der CrabbenJan van der Crabben is a Belgian baritone singer.Born in 1964 in Ghent, Belgium, van der Crabben studied music at the Etterbeek Academy under the direction of Aquiles Delle Vigne and subsequently at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels...
, Accent 2009 - J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 47 - Cantatas from Leipzig 1723, Masaaki SuzukiMasaaki Suzukiis a Japanese organist, harpsichordist and conductor, and the founder and musical director of the Bach Collegium Japan.He was born in Kobe to parents who were both Christians and amateur musicians...
, Bach Collegium JapanBach Collegium JapanBach Collegium Japan is composed of an orchestra and a chorus specialising in Baroque music, playing with period instruments. It was founded in 1990 by Masaaki Suzuki with the purpose of introducing Japanese audiences to European Baroque music. Suzuki still remains its music director...
, Hana Blažíková, Peter KooyPeter KooyPeter Kooy is a Dutch bass singer specialized in baroque music.- Biography :Peter Kooy started his musical career at 6 years as a choir boy. However he started his musical studies as a violin student...
, BISBIS RecordsBIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings....
2010
Sources
The first source is the score.General sources are found for the Bach cantata
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
s. Several databases provide additional information on each single cantata:
- Cantata BWV 47 Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, bach-cantatas website
- BWV 47 - "Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden" English translation, discussion, Emmanuel MusicEmmanuel MusicEmmanuel Music is a Boston-based collective group of singers and instrumentalists founded in 1970 by Craig Smith. It was created specifically to perform the complete cycle of over 200 sacred cantatas of J.S. Bach in the liturgical setting for which they were intended, an endeavor twice completed...
- Wer sich selbst erhöhet history, scoring, Bach website
- BWV 47 Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden English translation, University of VermontUniversity of VermontThe University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
- BWV 47 Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden text, scoring, University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...