Cantata BWV 73 – Herr, wie du willt, so schick’s mit mir
What with all the public holiday shenanigans and our trip to the ghastliest hotel that Canberra can offer, I rather missed the deadline on this week’s Bach cantata. I did actually listen to it at the appointed hour, but writing about it and getting a translation together were a bit beyond me. Slapped wrists all round then, and I’ll try not to do it again!
It’s a shame I didn’t get around to writing about it on time, because it’s a particularly nice one: it has a rather unusual setting of the first movement, for example, which is neither chorale nor recitative/aria, but a combination of the two. The choir starts the chorale (with a rather lovely oboe/organ accompaniment), but the pure chorale is interrupted as tenor, bass and soprano soloists interject with their comments. Each brief recitative/interjection is followed by a return of the not-to-be-distracted choir/chorale. The whole effect is rather jolly -at least for this listener! Once you realise what they’re all singing about, it’s pretty clear that ‘jolly’ is probably not what you’re supposed to feel, but there you go!
The other reason this cantata is particularly interesting is that the text bears almost no resemblance to any of the readings for the day, Old Testament, Epistle or Gospel. There is a tiny bit of relevance to the Gospel for the day (which was Matthew 8, v1 -13, the story of Jesus first curing a leper and then the servant of a Roman Centurion), but it’s tricky to spot! The key passage is this one:
When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
In German, the bit where the leper says ‘if you will it, you can make me clean’ reads, “Herr, so du willst, kannst du mich wohl reinigen.” And those are the three words Bach’s librettist has seized on (and proceeded to wrestle into a mostly-unrecognisable form!). The cantata’s title therefore translates, broadly speaking, into ‘Lord, as you will, so let it be done to me’, and the entire piece is a meditation on the idea that however awkward and difficult life might be from time to time, God’s will is behind it all: there is a purpose to it all, and we must just learn to trust in God that this is so.
I’ve already mentioned the first movement is a particular highlight of the whole work, but so is the Bass’s long aria in the fourth movement (Herr, so du willt -note the echo of the three key words in the Gospel reading once again), in which the ‘if it’s your will’ is repeated, over and over: the orchestration and presentation changes with each repetition of the words, so that the effect is of repetition without boredom. Inspired stuff, basically. As you can probably tell, therefore, this is one of my favourites.
| 1. Chorale and Recitative (T,B and S) | ||
| Herr, wie du willt, so schick’s mit mir Im Leben und im Sterben! [Tenor] Ach! aber ach! wieviel [Bass] Du bist mein Helfer, Trost und Hort, Erhalt mich nur in deiner Huld, [Soprano] Dein Wille zwar ist ein versiegelt Buch, Herr, wie du willt! |
Lord, as you will it, so deal with me In life and death! But alas! How often
You are my help, solace and refuge. Sustain me in your grace… Your will, in truth, is a closed book, Lord, as you will it!
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| 2. Aria (Tenor) | ||
| Ach senke doch den Geist der Freuden Dem Herzen ein! Es will oft bei mir geistlich Kranken Die Freudigkeit und Hoffnung wanken Und zaghaft sein. |
Ah, let the spirit of joy embed itself in my heart! It is my spiritual weakness that Often undermines and makes uncertain My happiness and hopes |
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| 3. Recitative (Bass) | ||
| Ach, unser Wille bleibt verkehrt, Bald trotzig, bald verzagt, Des Sterbens will er nie gedenken; Allein ein Christ, in Gottes Geist gelehrt, Lernt sich in Gottes Willen senken Und sagt: |
Oh, our will is badly mixed up, One minute defiant, the next despondent. It forgets we all must die. But a Christian, taught by God’s spirit, Learns how to embrace God’s will, And say: |
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| 4. Aria (Bass) | ||
| Herr, so du willt, So preßt, ihr Todesschmerzen, Die Seufzer aus dem Herzen, Wenn mein Gebet nur vor dir gilt. Herr, so du willt, Herr, so du willt, |
Lord, as you will it, So let the pains of death squeeze out A sigh from my heart That shall be an acceptable prayer for you. Lord, if you will it, Lord, when you will it, |
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| 5. Chorale | ||
| Das ist des Vaters Wille, Der uns erschaffen hat; Sein Sohn hat Guts die Fülle Erworben und Genad; Auch Gott der Heilge Geist Im Glauben uns regieret, Zum Reich des Himmels führet. Ihm sei Lob Ehr und Preis! |
This is the will of The Father who created us; His Son, rich in Goodness and mercy; And the Holy Spirit, Who rules us in faith and Leads us to the Kingdom of Heaven. To him be praise and honour and glory! |
Further Information
Next Sunday (for which I shall be on time, I hope!) is BWV 81, which is all about Jesus calming the storm at sea. Have fun in the meantime!