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Schwingt freudig euch empor (Soar joyfully aloft), BWV 36.1 (formerly BWV 36c), is a secular cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.^[1] He composed it in Leipzig, most likely in 1725. There is evidence that the cantata was performed in April or May that year, and that it was re-staged six years later for the 40th birthday of Johann Matthias Gesner.^[1] Bach reused parts of the cantata in two other secular cantatas, and in a church cantata for the first Sunday in Advent, Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36.

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History and text

Bach wrote several works for celebrations of the Leipzig University, Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern.^[2] This cantata was originally probably composed as a homage to one of the composer's academic colleagues, but it is not known which. Johann Burckhard Mencke [de]^[1] and Johann Heinrich Ernesti (the septuagenarian rector of the Thomasschule) have been suggested as possible recipients. The unmodified cantata was likely re-staged for Johann Matthias Gesner's 40th birthday (9 April 1731).^[1] Gesner had become rector at the Thomasschule in Leipzig in 1730 and had been acquainted with the composer since the 1710s when both worked in Weimar.^[3] Bach reworked this cantata in both secular and sacred versions:

Secular cantatas:
- Steigt freudig in die Luft, BWV 36.2 (composed before 30 November 1726)^[4]
- Die Freude reget sich, BWV 36.3 (c. 1737-1738)^[5]
Sacred cantata Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36, in two versions:
- BWV 36.4 (c. 1726-1730)^[6]
- BWV 36.5 (2 December 1731)^[7]

The libretto is likely by Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), who published the Steigt freudig in die Luft version of the text in 1727, as a cantata for the birthday of the duchess of Anhalt-Köthen, which fell on 30 November. The duchess's birthday cantata was set by Bach (in 1726 or earlier), but the music is lost.^[8]^[9]

Scoring and structure

The cantata is scored for three soloists—soprano, tenor and bass—a four-part choir, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola, viola d'amore and basso continuo.^[10]

Coro: Schwingt freudig euch empor
Recitative (tenor): Ein Herz, in zärtlichem Empfinden
Aria (tenor): Die Liebe führt mit sanften Schritten
Recitative (bass): Du bist es ja
Aria (bass): Der Tag, der dich vordem gebar
Recitative (soprano): Nur dieses Einz'ge sorgen wir
Aria (soprano): Auch mit gedämpften, schwachen Stimmen
Recitative (tenor): Bei solchen freudenvollen Stunden
Chorus & Recitatives (soprano, tenor, bass): Wie die Jahre sich verneuen

Music

The opening chorus is a "jolly" gavotte form, highlighting the oboe d'amore (which is also important in introducing the third movement).^[11]^[12] The recitatives are all secco and fairly short, with the tenor recitative being only six measures long.^[12]

Recordings

Bach made in Germany Vol. VII – Secular Cantatas I, Peter Schreier, Berliner Solisten, Kammerorchester Berlin, Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Siegfried Lorenz, Eterna
Edition Bachakademie Vol. 139 – Congratulatory and Hommage Cantatas, Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Eva Oltiványi, Marcus Ullmann, Andreas Schmidt, Hänssler
J.S. Bach: Kantate Nr. 36c, Kurt Thomas, Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester, Adele Stolte, Hans-Joachim Rotzsch, Theo Adam, Eterna
J.S. Bach: Weltliche Kantaten · Secular Cantatas · Cantates Profanes, Reinhard Goebel, Ex Tempore, Musica Antiqua Köln, Dorothea Röschmann, Axel Köhler, Christoph Genz, Hans-Georg Wimmer. Archiv Produktion
J.S. Bach: Secular Cantatas Vol. 3, Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Joanne Lunn, Hiroya Aoki, Makoto Sakurada, Roderick Williams, BIS 2013

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Work 00051 at Bach Digital website
^ Timm, David (2009). Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern (in German). Leipziger Universitätschor. pp. 8f. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
^ Finlay, I. (1950). Bach's Secular Cantata Texts. Music and Letters. pp. 189–195.
^ Work 00049 at Bach Digital website
^ Work 00050 at Bach Digital website
^ Work 00048 at Bach Digital website
^ Work 00047 at Bach Digital website
^ Wolff, Christoph (2006). Die Welt der Bach-Kantaten. Metzler/Bärenreiter, Stuttgart and Kassel. ISBN 3-476-02127-0.
^ Terry, C. S.; Litti, D. (1917). Bach's Cantata Libretti. Journal of the Royal Musical Association. pp. 71–125. doi:10.1093/jrma/44.1.71. ISBN 3-476-02127-0.
^ Dürr, Alfred (1971). Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach (in German). Vol. 1. Bärenreiter-Verlag. OCLC 523584.
^ Crouch, Simon (1999). "Cantata BWV 36c, BC G 35". Classical Net. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
^ ^a ^b Mincham, Julian. "Chapter 99 BWV 36b and 36c". jsbachcantatas. Retrieved 29 May 2013.