Strata i zysk w oratorium J. S. Bacha „Lobet Gott in Seinem Reichen” (BWV 11/249B) przeznaczonym na uroczystość Wniebowstąpienia Pańskiego

Abstract

Large part of John Sebastian Bach’s composition (1685-1750) is made of religious works: masses, motets, passions, cantatas, and oratorios. Essential significance in protestant church have made evangelical church cantata. Similar role played three oratorios composed by Saint Thomas, the Cantor of church in Lipsk: the Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 (1734/35), the Easter Oratorio BWV 249 (ca 1735) and the Ascension Oratorio BWV 11 (1735). From the liturgical point of view, compositions take place of cantatas, even though they differ from them by having close actions. The oratorio intended for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Lobet Gott in seinem Reichen (BWV 1 l/249b) was composed in Lipsk in 1735 and performed the same year on May 19th. Creation attachment to this particular kind has its base in the fact of occurrence of the person of Evangelist and two other persons singing in recitative fragments taken from New Testament. Besides, composer himself indicated this piece by placing on the title page inscription „Oratorium auf Himmelfahrt” The oratorio intended for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is made of 11 parts, which are made of choral parts and solo recitatives and arias. Composer used here some elements deriving from his earlier compositions (parody technique). Author of the oratorio text remains unknown. Poetic text is joined by biblical relation of ascension, taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke (Lk 24,50-52), Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1,9-12 Epistle intended for this day) and the Gospel of Saint Mark (Mk 16,19 – Gospel intended for this day). Furthermore, composer used two protestant chorales. In the sixth part of composition fourth strophe Nun lieget alles unter dir Johann Rista’s song Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ from 1641, and in the chorale end seventh verse Wenn soll es doch geschehen Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer’s song Gott führet auf gen Himmel from 1697. The whole oratorio can be divided into two phases, from part 1 to 5, and from part 7a to 9. Composer in every one of them carefully builds distinct dramatically-musical tension garlanding with mentioned before protestant chorales. Evangelical relation, according to tradition, was given to tenor, which is accompanied only by basso continuo creating so called recitative secco. They are separated by recitative accompagnato containing loose poetry in the form of reflection or commentary. Bach, based on mentioned before recitative texts, constructs dramatic tension between sadness-loss caused by parting from Jesus who is ascending to heaven and hope-gain from his coming back to earth. Some kind of stop to this action is reverie, reflection, prayer of the (believing) soul, which is expressing itself in the words of madrigal poetry sung in two arias. John Sebastian Bach, was a deeply believing Christian, protestant and at the same time a person living in the culture time of Baroque. Religion in Bach’s music is lyric and dramatic as in introduced oratorio. It is faith which is evincing itself in religious feelings. A human being cannot ’’touch” God or ’’earn” Him by good deeds. A human being can strive to God among others by pain and constant consciousness of own sin. Faith is a constant struggle and unfulfilled longing and its realization can occur only by the meeting with God in the life after death. The oratorio for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (also many other texts in Bach’s cantatas) talks about vast longing, apparent loss, but also about undying hope for meeting soul with God, an enormous gain, which will result in the living in Heaven with God.