Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125

Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
BWV 125
Chorale cantata by J. S. Bach
Simeon's Song of Praise by Aert de Gelder, around 1700–1710
Occasion	Purification
Performed	2 February 1725 (1725-02-02): Leipzig
Movements	6
Cantata text	anonymous
Chorale	"Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" by Martin Luther
Vocal	SATB choir solo: alto, tenor and bass
Instrumental	horn flauto traverso oboe oboe d'amore 2 violins viola continuo

Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (With peace and joy I depart),^[1] BWV 125,^{[lower-alpha 1]} is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig in 1725 for the Feast of the purification of Mary and first performed it on 2 February 1725. The text is based on Martin Luther's hymn "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" in four stanzas, published in 1524. The gospel for the feast day, the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, includes Simeon's canticle Nunc dimittis, which Luther paraphrased in his hymn.

The cantata is part of Bach's chorale cantata cycle, his project to cover Sundays and feast days of the liturgical year by cantatas each based on a related Lutheran hymn. In the format of that cycle, an unknown librettist retained the first and the last of Luther's four stanzas, while he paraphrased the second stanza for an aria, then included its original text in a recitative, and derived text for two more movements from the third stanza. Bach structured the cantata in six movements, framing four movements for soloists by a chorale fantasia and a closing chorale. He scored the work for three vocal soloists, a four-part choir, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of a horn to support the chorale tune, flauto traverso, oboe, oboe d'amore, strings and basso continuo. The opening chorus has been compared to the opening movement of Bach's St Matthew Passion.

Background

Chorale cantata cycle

Bach wrote the chorale cantata in his second year as Thomaskantor, director of church music, in Leipzig. He was responsible for the music at four churches, which included the training and education of the boys singing in the Thomanerchor. Bach had taken office in 1723 in the middle of the liturgical year, and began his first cantata cycle, a project to compose a cantata for every occasion of the liturgical year for which concerted music was requested. When the first cycle was completed a year later, he set out to compose another cycle with the restriction that each cantata was a chorale cantata, based exclusively on a Lutheran hymn. The cycle became known as the his chorale cantata cycle.^[2][3]

Lutheran hymns

Martin Luther, portrait by Lucas Cranach, 1528

The Protestant reformer Martin Luther had emphasised the importance of singing hymns in church services and at home, and had himself written many hymns, including "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Hymns were important for Lutheran worship, and the choice of hymns for the series of chorale cantatas was probably made by the minister, according to the prescribed readings and his intentions for sermons.^[3] Bach had written an early chorale cantata on a hymn by Luther, Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, probably in 1707.^[4] He used nine of Luther's hymns as the basis of cantatas during the chorale cantata cycle:

• Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2, for the second Sunday after Trinity, 18 June 1724^[5]
• Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7, for St. John's Day, 24 June 1724^[6]
• Meine Seel erhebt den Herren, BWV 10, for Visitation, 2 July 1724^[7]
• Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38, for the 21st Sunday after Trinity, 29 October 1724^[8]
• Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62, for the first Sunday in Advent, 3 December 1724^[9]
• Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91, for Christmas Day, 25 December 1724^[10]
• Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121, for the second day of Christmas, 26 December 1724^[11]
• Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125, for Purification, 2 February 1725
• Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BWV 126, for Sexagesima, 4 February 1725^[12]

Bach used Luther's hymn "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" early for a cantata for Advent and reworked it much later as a cantata for Reformation Day, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80.^[13]

In 1735 Bach composed Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BWV 14 for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany.^[14]

Bach's chorale cantata format

Bach used a specific format for most of the chorale cantatas in the chorale cantata cycle. He deviated from using the strophic hymn text and tune in all stanzas (per omnes versus) which he had used in Christ lag in Todes Banden. Instead, he retained text and melody only in the outer stanzas, typically treating the first stanza as a chorale fantasia and the last stanza as a four-part chorale setting, while the inner stanzas were reworded by a contemporary poet to form the basis for recitatives and arias, often with music independent of the hymn tune.^[3] Andreas Stübel (1653–1725), a former headmaster of the Thomasschule, may have been the poet.^[3]

Text

Readings

Nunc dimittis, Gregorian chant

When Bach worked in Leipzig, three Marian feasts were observed and celebrated with concerted music: Purification (2 February), Annunciation (25 March) and Visitation (2 July).^[15] The prescribed readings for the feast of Purification (German: Mariae Reinigung),^[16] were from the book of Malachi, "the Lord will come to his temple" (Malachi 3:1–4), and from the Gospel of Luke, the purification of Mary and the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, including Simeon's canticle Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:22–32).^[2] The canticle, one of only three in the New Testament, along with the Magnificat and the Benedictus, has often been set to music, traditionally sung in the daily evening service compline,^[17] from Gregorian chant to music of the 21st century such as Pärt's 2001 Nunc dimittis.

Hymn and words

Luther's hymn in four stanzas is a paraphrase of Simeon's canticle, "With peace and joy I depart in God's will".^[18] Luther phrased each verse of the canticle in one stanza. The first stanza expresses accepting death in peace (Luke 2:29), the second gives as a reason the meeting with the Saviour (Luke 2:30), the third is focused on his coming for all people (Luke 2:31), the fourth sees the coming as a light for the heathen and glory for Israel (Luke 2:31). The lines are of different length, meter 8.4.8.4.7.7, stressing single statements.^[19]

The first stanza of the chorale in the hymnal Babstsches Gesangbuch of 1545, with an illustration of the Presentation at the temple

The tune appeared first in 1524 in Johann Walter's choral hymnal Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn.^[20] Luther wrote an interpretation: "As [Simeon] means, Praise and thanks be to God that I have lived to see this day, I will now gladly die, now my death will be delightful, because God has fulfilled what He called me to do. Why will you so gladly die, dear Simeon? 'For my eyes have seen your Salvation.'" (Als wolt er [Simeon] sagen / Gott sey lob und danck / daß ich diesen Tag erlebet habe / ich will nun gerne sterben / nun soll mir der Tod lieblich seyn / denn es ist erfüllet / das mir verheissen war. Warum wiltu aber so gerne sterben / lieber Simeon? 'Denn meine Augen haben deinen Heyland gesehen.')^[21]

Bach had used the hymn before, first in the funeral cantata of possibly 1708 Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106 (Actus tragicus), the alto singing the first stanza, juxtaposed to a bass arioso, "Heute wirst du mit mir im Paradies sein".^[22] Bach had used the hymn twice in his first cantata cycle, in his cantata for the 16th Sunday after Trinity of 1723, Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95, where he used the first stanza, along with the first stanza of the funeral hymn "Christus, der ist mein Leben" in the opening movement for tenor, and also in the cantata for Purification of 1724, Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83 which he closed with its final fourth stanza, "Es ist das Heil und selig Licht".^[20][23]

An unknown librettist kept the first and the last stanza and paraphrased the inner stanzas in four movements. Movement 2 takes Luther's second stanza as a starting point and relates Simeon's view as an example on how to look at death. Movement 3 comments the complete text of Luther's second stanza in recitative. The allusion to "light for the heathen" from the gospel and the hymn is seen related to "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Movements 4 and 5 are derived from the third stanza, 4 relates to Paul's teaching about God's grace, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:25), thus declaring the Lutheran teaching of justification "by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone" even more clearly than Luther's song.^[24]

Bach led the first performance of the cantata with the Thomanerchor on 2 February 1725. He performed it at least one more time after 1735.^[25]

Music

Structure and scoring

Bach structured the cantata in six movements, with chorale movements framing a sequence of alternating arias and recitatives, an opening chorale fantasia and a closing chorale. In movement 3, he expands a stanza from the hymn by recitative. He scored the cantata for three vocal soloists (alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B)), a four-part choir, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble: horn to support the chorale tune sung by the soprano in the outer movements, flauto traverso (Ft), oboe (Ob), oboe d'amore (Oa), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo (Bc).^[26][27] The title page of the original parts reads: "Festo Purificat: Mari[ae] / Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin etc. / â / 4 Voc: / Travers: / Hautbois d' Amour / 2 Violini / Viola / con / Continuo / di / Sign: / JS. Bach".^[28] The duration has been given as 24 minutes.^[29]

In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe.^[27] The keys and time signatures are taken from Alfred Dürr, using the symbol for common time (4/4).^[30] The instruments are shown separately for winds and strings, while the continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.

Movements of Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125

No.	Title	Text	Type	Vocal	Winds	Strings	Key	Time
1	Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin	Luther	Chorale fantasia	SATB	Co Ft Ob	2Vl Va	E minor	12/8
2	Ich will auch mit gebrochnen Augen	anon.	Aria	A	Ft Oa		B minor	3/4
3	O Wunder, daß ein Herz Das macht Christus, wahr' Gottes Sohn	anon. Luther	Recitative e chorale	B		2Vl Va
4	Ein unbegreiflich Licht	anon.	Aria (Duetto)	T B		2Vl	G major
5	O unerschöpfter Schatz der Güte	anon.	Recitative	A
6	Er ist das Heil und selig Licht	Luther	Chorale	SATB	Co Ft Ob	2Vl Va	E minor

Movements

1

The opening chorus, "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin in Gottes Willen" (With peace and joy I depart in God's will),^[1] begins with a concertante ritornello, in which the flute and the oboe play opposed to the strings. A motif in triplets rises a fifth, related to the first interval of the chorale tune.^[16][20]

Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
In Gottes Willen,
Getrost ist mir mein Herz und Sinn,
Sanft und stille.
Wie Gott mir verheißen hat:
Der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden.

The soprano sings the cantus firmus in Phrygian mode in long notes.^[31] The lower voices participate in the instrumental motifs for lines 1, 2, 3 and 5, but lines 4 and 6 are treated differently. In accordance to the text, "sanft und stille" (calm and quiet) and "der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden" (death has become my sleep), they are performed softly (piano), in homophony, chromatic, and modulating to distant keys.^[32] The Bach scholar Alfred Dürr notes the movement's "extremely dense, highly expressive texture"^[32] with motifs independent from the hymn tune but derived from its opening leap of a fifth.^[32] The musicologist Richard D. P. Jones observes that the movement foreshadows Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen, the opening chorus of Bach's St Matthew Passion, in key, 12/8 meter and "much else".^[33]

2

The alto aria, "Ich will auch mit gebrochnen Augen" (Even with broken eyes),^[1] is a Sarabande with slow dotted rhythms.^[33] The vocal line is richly ornamented and accompanied by the flute and oboe d'amore, on a calm foundation of repeated notes in the continuo, marked "legato".^[24] The phrase "gebrochne Augen" (broken eyes) is pictured by a broken vocal line, flute and oboe d'amore play dotted rhythm to the "almost trembling declamation" of the voice.^[31] Dürr notes: "Rich suspension appoggiaturas, and other ornaments reveal that an expressive interpretation of this movement lay particularly close to the composer's heart."^[32]

3

The bass recitative "Herr, du siehst statt guter Werke" (Lord, you see, instead of good works).^[1] includes the complete text of the second stanza of the chorale, "Das macht Christus, wahr' Gottes Sohn" (Christ, God's true son, does this).^[1]

Das macht Christus, wahr' Gottes Sohn,
Der treue Heiland,
Den du mich, Herr, hast sehen lan,
Und machst bekannt
Daß er sei das Leben und Heil,
Im Tod und auch im Sterben.

The chorale tune is unadorned but for the last line, "im Tod und auch im Sterben" (in death and also in dying), where the music is extended by two measures and coloured in chromatic and rich ornamentation. The elements recitative and chorale are distinguished, the free text rendered as recitative, the chorale as arioso, but unified by a motif in the strings, called "Freudenmotiv" by Dürr, which "always indicates an underlying mood of happiness".^[16][34] In the last line of the chorale, mentioning death and dying, the strings cease to play that motif and accompany in "tranquil notes".^[32]

4

The duet of tenor and bass, "Ein unbegreiflich Licht erfüllt den ganzen Kreis der Erden" (An unfathomable light fills the entire orb of the earth),^[1] is focused on the light mentioned by Simeon, expressed in a joyful mood. .^[1] The Bach scholar Klaus Hofmann notes: "The playful character is shown by the extended, circling coloratura on the word "Kreis" ("circle" or "orb"), and the baroque sound effect of statement and response unfolds to the words "Es schallet kräftig fort und fort" (Powerfully there rings out time after time.)"^[16]

5

The alto expresses in recitative "O unerschöpfter Schatz der Güte" (O uncreated hoard of goodness).^[1]

6

The closing chorale, "Er ist das Heil und selig Licht" (He is the salvation and the blessed light),^[1] is a four-part setting of the hymn tune.^[35]

Er ist das Heil und selig Licht
Für die Heiden,
Zu erleuchten, die dich kennen nicht,
Und zu weiden.
Er ist deins Volks Israel
Der Preis, Ehr, Freud, und Wonne.

The horn, the flute (an octave higher), the oboe and the first violin all reinforce the soprano part, the second violin the alto, and the viola the tenor.^[27]

Manuscripts and publication

The original parts are kept in the Bach-Archiv Leipzig. They were copied from the lost autograph score by four scribes, three of them known by name, including the composer.^[36] A set of parts is kept in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz as D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 384, Faszikel 1. They were copied by five scribes, three of them known by name: Christian Gottlob Meißner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Johann Kuhnau. The set has a title page and parts for violin 1 and II, and continuo. ^[37]

The cantata was first published in 1878 as No. 4 in volume 26 of the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA), edited by Alfred Dörffel. The New Bach Edition (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, NBA) published the score in 1994, edited by Uwe Wolf, with the critical commentary published the same year.^[25]

A critical edition was published also by Breitkopf, edited by Eva-Maria Hodel.^[38]

Selected recordings

The selection is taken from the listing on the Bach-Cantatas website.^[39] Instrumental groups playing period instruments in historically informed performances are highlighted green under the header Instr..

Notes

References

Bibliography

General

• Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• "Mit Fried und Freud fahr ich dahin BWV 125; BC A 168 / Chorale cantata (Purification of the Virgin Mary (2 February))". Bach digital website, managed by Bach Archive, SLUB, SBB and Leipzig University. 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016. 
• "Leipzig, Bach-Archiv Leipzig / D-LEb Thomana 125, Faszikel 1". Bach digital website. 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016. 
• "Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz / D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 384, Faszikel 1". Bach digital website. 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016. 

Books

• Dürr, Alfred (1971). Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach (in German) (4 ed.). Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag. ISBN 978-3-423-04080-8. 
• Dürr, Alfred; Jones, Richard D. P. (2006). The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4. 
• Jones, Richard D. P. (2013). The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Volume II: 1717–1750: Music to Delight the Spirit. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-150384-9. 
• Melamed, Daniel R., ed. (2010). J. S. Bach and the Oratorio Tradition. Bach Perspectives. 9. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-09021-9. 

Online sources

• Bischof, Walter F. (2010). "BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". University of Alberta. Retrieved 4 January 2016. 
• Hale, Roger. ""Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" (Actus Tragicus) / Bach Cantata BWV 106". citeseerx.ist.psu.edu. Retrieved 3 December 2016. 
• Braatz, Thomas; Oron, Aryeh (2005). "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Bach-Cantatas. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
• Browne, Francis (2008). "Mit Fried und Freud / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach-Cantatas. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
• Dellal, Pamela (2012). "BWV 125 – Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 4 January 2016. 
• Grob, Jochen (2014). "BWV 125 / BC A 168" (in German). s-line.de. Retrieved 4 January 2016. 
• Hofmann, Klaus (2006). "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin / In peace and joy I shall depart, BWV 125" (PDF). bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 26 January 2012. 
• Oron, Aryeh (2015). "Cantata BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Bach-Cantatas. Retrieved 2 February 2016. 
• Tatlow, Ruth (2000). "For the Feast of the Purification of Mary" (PDF). Bach-Cantatas. Retrieved 3 December 2016. 
• Wolff, Christoph (2001). "Conclusion of the second yearly cycle (1724–25) of the Leipzig church cantatas" (PDF). Retrieved 2 February 2012. 
• "Cantata BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Breitkopf. Retrieved 3 December 2016. 
• "An Order for Night Prayer (Compline)". Church of England. Retrieved 2 December 2016. 
• "Mit Fried' und Freud' ich fahr' dahin". hymnary.org. Retrieved 12 November 2014. 

External links

• Harbison, John; Smith, Craig (2012). "BWV 125 – Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 30 November 2016. 
• Mincham, Julian (2010). "Chapter 38 BWV 125, Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin / I depart in peace and joy.". jsbachcantatas.com. Retrieved 2 February 2012. 
• "Bach Cantata Vespers" (PDF). Grace Lutheran Church. 2015. p. 11. Retrieved 30 November 2016. 
• "BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin". University of Vermont. Retrieved 30 November 2016.