Chamber Choir

Eugene Rogers, Director

Graduate Student Conductors Scott VanOrnum, Organ Sunday, April 25, 2021 Hill Auditorium 4:00 pm THREE BACH CANTATAS

Aus der Tiefen rufe ich zu dir, BWV 131 Johann Sebastian Bach Aus der Tiefen rufe ich zu dir (1685–1750) So du willt, Herr Jacob Surzyn, bass Margaret Burk, conductor Ich harre des Herrn Meine Seele wartet Tyrese Byrd, tenor David Hahn, conductor Israel hoffe auf dem Herrn Julian Goods, conductor

Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 Johann Sebastian Bach Sinfonia Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnügt Maia Aramburú, soprano Katherine Rohwer, conductor Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit Zedern müssen von den Winden Eliana Barwinski, alto; Jacob Carroll, tenor; Jacob Surzyn, bass Bryan Anthony Ijames, conductor Meine Augen sehen stets Meine Tage in dem Leide Maia Aramburu, soprano; Eliana Barwinski, mezzo-soprano Jacob Carroll, tenor; Julian Goods, bass Benjamin Gaughran, conductor

THe use of all cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers or set ringers to silent mode. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 Johann Sebastian Bach Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland Der Heiland ist gekommen Tyrese Byrd, tenor Komm, Jesu, komm zu deiner Kirche Jacob Carroll, tenor Siehe, ich stehe vor der Tür Jacob Surzyn, bass Öffne dich, mein ganzes Herze Cecilia Kowara, soprano Amen, Amen, komm du schöne Freudenkrone Joseph Kemper, conductor

BACH, AUS DER TIEFEN RUFE ICH ZU DIR, BWV 131

In July 1707, 22-year-old Johann Sebastian Bach began his short tenure as organist of the Bla- siuskirche in Mühlhausen, one of two major churches in the free imperial city. Young Sebastian was already gaining a stellar reputation for himself as a virtuoso organist and expert in organ construction and maintenance: already in his second professional appointment, he managed to secure both a massively expensive organ renovation project and a hefty pay raise! Perhaps most significantly, he would soon articulate his vision for “a regulated or orderly church music to the glory of God” by honing his compositional craft, as he already had begun doing at his previous appointment in Arnstadt. His cantata Aus der Tiefen (BWV 131) was most likely composed for a memorial service honoring the victims of a devastating fire that had blazed through Mühlhausen just before his arrival. The text of the work—most likely selected by its commissioner, Georg Christian Eilmar, pastor of the nearby Marienkirche—weaves passages from Luther’s translation of Psalm 130 with verses of “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstest Gut” (“Lord Jesus Christ, you highest good”), a chorale by sixteenth-century Lutheran pastor Bartholomäus Ringwaldt. Tapping into an already deep technical reservoir, Bach demonstrates in Aus der Tiefen his uncanny ability to marry musical rhetoric with theology to express the gamut of emotions present in the Psalm: despair, hope, and finally conviction.

Unlike later cantatas in which Bach repurposed operatic forms, Aus der Tiefen reflects the profound influence of Dieterich Buxtehude and the North German organ school as a stylistic antecedent. These works often featured short, contrasting sections that matched the emotional expression of the text. Here, Bach follows suit: he opens with a slow, doleful Sinfonia capturing the hopelessness and anguish of “Out of the depths I cry to you.” Notable is his use of a descending fifth as the opening melodic gesture, which was employed by both Martin Luther and Jean Calvin in their respective settings of Psalm 130 to convey a sense of longing and despair. This bleakAndante , however, is not to last: an abrupt Vivace soon follows, and Bach inverts the same fifth heavenward to depict the text “Lord, hear my voice.” In the ensuing fughetta, the word flehens (“supplication”) is the rhetorical high point, set with both a descending scale and ascendant seventh leap. This musical material blends seamlessly into the second movement, an Andante duet between a bass soloist and obbligato oboe. The word Vergebung (“forgiveness”) receives special harmonic treatment: often, it falls on a highly dissonant chord (such as a major seventh or a minor ninth) that resolves downward by step. It seems that Bach is subtly suggesting that resolution in all struggles is only achieved when the believer trusts in God’s redemptive love above all else. This sentiment is reinforced by the chorus’s sopranos, who enter singing the text of the Ringwaldt chorale as a cantus firmus above the fray.

The next two movements form a plea to the triune God of Israel with the strong statement of “I waited on the Lord.” Thrice-repeated choral declamations symbolic of God’s triune nature lead us to a somber fugue. Bach emphasizes the pleading nature of the text through long, descending melodic lines featuring chains of suspensions and sighing motives. While the choir main- tains the fugal subject throughout, the instruments play insistent motivic duets that simulate the sound of a ticking clock, further characterizing the nature of waiting. In the fourth movement, the tenor soloist sings a lilting melody on meine Seele (“my soul”) while the altos sing the next stanza of the Ringwaldt chorale quietly in the background, reminiscent of a cantus firmus. The lilting melody weaves in and out of keys without resolution, expressing the restless nature of the speaker’s soul. Text painting occurs throughout, especially at the end when the tenor line soars to the heavens to evoke the rising of the new morning sun.

Beginning with three strong chordal statements calling on Israel, the fifth movement is based on the verses in Psalm 130 encouraging the faithful to “hope in the Lord,” for He “will redeem them from their sins.” Bach utilizes a prelude and fugue form common in North German organ works: the prelude features a variety of rapidly changing textures, including homophonic sections and imitative sequences. In the virtuosic fugue, Bach uses themes derived from earlier in the cantata. The subject, introduced first in the soprano, is contrasted by a second main theme: a chromatic ascending line in the bass. These themes are developed in each vocal part while the continuo drives the momentum ever forward. The cantata comes to a close with a final ornamented Phrygian cadence. Ever the theologian, Bach faithfully reinforces the steadfast presence of God with words from the psalm: “He shall redeem Israel from all of its sins.” Note by Margaret Burk, David Hahn & Julian Goods

1. Chor 1. Chorus

Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir. Out of the depths, Lord, I cry to you. Herr, höre meine Stimme, Lord, hear my voice, laß deine Ohren merken Let your ears consider auf die Stimme meines Flehens! The voice of my supplication!

2. Arioso (Baß) und choral (Sopran) 2. Arioso (Bass) and Chorale (Soprano)

Baß: So du willst, Herr, Sünde zurechnen, Bass: If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Herr, wer wird bestehen? Lord, who could stand?

Sopran: Erbarm dich mein in solcher Last, Soprano: Have mercy on me under such a burden, nimm sie aus meinem Herzen, Take it out of my heart, dieweil du sie gebüßet hast Because you have atoned for it am Holz mit Todesschmerzen, On the wood of the Cross with pangs of death,

Baß: Denn bei dir ist die Vergebung, Bass: Because with you there is forgiveness, daß man dich fürchte. So that we can serve you.

Sopran: auf daß ich nicht mit großem Weh So that I in great pain in meinen Sünden untergeh, Might not perish from my sins, noch ewiglich verzage. Nor eternally despair. 3. Chor 3. Chorus

Ich harre des Herrn, I wait on the Lord, meine Seele harret, My soul waits, und ich hoffe auf sein Wort. And I hope in his word.

4. Aria (Tenor) und choral (Alt) 4. Aria (Tenor) and Chorale (Alto)

Tenor: Meine Seele wartet auf den Herrn Tenor: My soul waits on the Lord von einer Morgenwache bis zu der andern. Like a watchman for the morning.

Alt: Und weil ich denn in meinem Sinn, Alto: And since I, in my understanding, wie ich zuvor geklaget, As I complained before, auch ein betrübter Sünder bin, Also am a grieved sinner, den sein Gewissen naget, Gnawed by my conscience, und wollte gern im Blute dein And would gladly in your blood von Sünden abgewaschen sein From my sins be washed wie David und Manasse. Like David and Manasseh.

5. Chor 5. Chorus

Israel hoffe auf den Herrn; Israel, put your hope in the Lord; denn bei dem Herrn ist die Gnade Because with the Lord is grace und viel Erlösung bei ihm. And full redemption in him. Und er wird Israel erlösen And he will redeem Israel aus allen seinen Sünden. From all its sins.

Psalm 130:1–8; “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstest Gut” (B. Ringwaldt, 1588) Translation by Margaret Burk

BACH, NACH DIR, HERR, VERLANGET MICH, BWV 150

Another product from the young Sebastian is the cantata Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (BWV 150), scored for a small instrumental ensemble, chorus, and soloists. Recent scholarship sug- gests this plaintive, spiritual, and expressive work may be the earliest of Bach’s extant church cantatas, possibly composed just before or during his Mühlhausen appointment in 1707. With the original score lost, the music survived thanks to a copy made after Bach’s death by his student C. F. Penzel. While the circumstances of its inception remain obscure, Bach’s undeniable craftsmanship, sensitive treatment of the text, and evocative writing emanate throughout the cantata.

Structured in seven movements, the cantata opens with a sinfonia followed by a chorus, both characterized by an intense, mournful descending chromatic line. This lament figure, called the passus duriusculus or more commonly the lamento bass, weaves throughout each voice in an expression of profound longing. The libretto alternates between verses of scripture and poetry by an unknown author, seeking to express the suffering of the world that is eased only by placing one’s hope and trust in God. The first two verses of Psalm 25 provide the text for the initial chorus. Abrupt changes in tempo and affect in the latter half of the movement align with the second verse: steady but intimate declamations of hope and trust beneath a melismatic soprano; a cacophony of imitation proclaiming lass mich nicht zu schanden werden (“let me not be put to shame”); and finally a fugal presentation of dass sich meine Feinde nicht freuen über mich (“so that my enemies will not rejoice over me”) structurally inspired by the initial chromatic figure. The subsequent soprano aria,Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnügt (“Yet I am and remain content”), reveals Bach’s early mastery of text painting. Vigorous arpeggios and rhythmic octaves accompany the word Toben (“rage”). The call and response between the soprano and violins is most striking at Tod, Holl (“death, hell”), as they echo each other with an unusual and unstable descending leap of a diminished seventh.

In the fourth movement, Leite mich (“Lead me”), Bach alternates sections of choral passages characterized by opposite tempi (slow, fast, slow, fast) to define the movement’s structure. The first section, “Lead me in Your truth,” is marked Andante. Bach employs scalar melodic material beginning with the basses that is subsequently weaved through each vocal part until it reaches its pitch climax (three octaves and a third from its origin) in the first violin part. Und lehre mich (“and teach me”), the second section, is beautifully florid in an Allegro tempo with melismatic sixteenth notes in the relative major key. This passage displays a sense of eager- ness from the voices to be “taught” by the creator. In the third section, Andante, Bach allows each vocal part to profess God’s presence with a tutti affirmation from the remainder of the ensemble in rhythmic homophony. Finally, the fourth section, marked Allegro, leads to a beautifully contrasted Picardy third. The subject, a quasi-pedal tone motif, is sequenced through each voice part and is decorated by a melismatic countersubject. The text,täglich harre ich dein (“Daily I await You”), is beautifully painted in the final four bars as the bass voice sustains ten counts of the tonic before the final cadential progression.

The trio Zedern müssen von den Winden (“Cedars must, before the winds”) is masterfully ac- companied by solo cello, bassoon, and organ. Throughout this movement, the cello plays a primary role in providing rhythmic, harmonic, and melismatic interest that is strikingly reminiscent of the Prelude movement of Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007. Bach uses the unwavering sixteenth-note figurations in the cello to paint the “wind” that batters the “cedar trees” as described in the text: the instrumental accompaniment can be seen as an allegory for life’s ongoing trials. On the other hand, the bassoon’s rhythmic consistency, in constant duet with the cello, can be seen as God’s presence, which is omnipotent and steadfast throughout adversity.

No. 6, a chorus, is structured in two sections, in both of which Bach utilizes text painting as he has been throughout the cantata thus far. In the beginning, the upward motion of the choral writing, such as the ascending perfect fourth figure in the soprano line on the repeated text stets zu den Herrn (“look to the Lord”), paints the image of man looking heavenward to God in a beautiful manner. The heavenly floating nature of this opening section is gentle in the most wonderful early-Bach manner. The second half of chorus, markedAllegro , employs syncopation to portray the idea of a foot being stuck in and plucked out of a net, clearly de- picted through the lively figuration of the instruments. The use of a permutation fugue (where the instruments also take on a thematic role) creates something of an instrumental prelude and fugue structure. The repeated eighth notes of each entry call attention to the wordziehen (“pull”), in which one can feel an unexpected jerk supported by the sudden intervallic jump. The chorus ends with the final musical idea, a descending melodic contour suggesting the foot being freed from the net by the Lord.

The cantata ends with a sense of resolution, portraying the positive outcome from life’s struggles as presented throughout the preceding movements. The main musical idea is presented in the continuo as a ground bass. The melodic contour again points upward toward God and the heavens. Interestingly, when this work was first published in 1884, Brahms was working on his Fourth Symphony, and he adopted the ground bass of this movement for the passacaglia in the finale of his symphony. The chromatic figure at the words zur Freude (“to joy”) is heard in both the voice and violins, expressing the joy felt when God prevails in one’s life. After a section for the soloists of all four voice parts, a sense of determination and trust is portrayed by the constant quarter note movement in the bassoon and second violin in particular. To close the work, the choir declares in an imitative canonic structure how Christ stands daily in every trial and is ready to fight all our battles with us victoriously.

While some scholars have posited that this cantata represents Bach’s more immature writing, it most certainly demonstrates the skill of his early compositional technique, especially in its use of exchanging parts (Stimmtausch). Bach’s early mastery of a wide variety of musical styles—block-chordal writing, contrapuntal textures, imitative passages, and permutation fugue, to name a few—have cemented this cantata’s honored place in the repertoire. Its con- tinued popularity today stands as a testament to the craftsmanship and artistry of Bach, even in his earliest days. Note by Katherine Rohwer, Bryan Anthony Ijames & Benjamin Gaughran

1. Sinfonia 1. Sinfonia

2. Chor 2. Chor

Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich. Mein Gott, ich hoffe Lord, I long for you. My God, I hope in you. auf dich. Laß mich nicht zuschanden werden, daß Let me not be put to shame, so that my enemies sich meine Feinde nicht freuen über mich. will not rejoice over me. (Psalm 25:1–2) (Psalm 25:1–2)

3. Aria (Sopran) 3. Aria (Soprano)

Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnügt, Yet I am and remain content, Obgleich hier zeitlich toben although at the moment here may rage Kreuz, Sturm und andre Proben, cross, storm, and other trials, Tod, Höll, und was sich fügt. Death, Hell, and what is theirs. Ob Unfall schlägt den treuen Knecht, Though misfortune strikes the true servant, Recht ist und bleibet ewig Recht. Right is and remains eternally right.

4. Chor 4. Chorus

Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit und lehre mich; Lead me in your Truth and teach me; for you are denn du bist der Gott, der mir hilft, täglich harre ich the God, who helps me, I await you daily dein. (Psalm 25:5) (Psalm 25:5)

5. Terzett (Alt, Tenor, Baß) 5. Trio (Alto, Tenor, Bass)

Zedern müssen von den Winden Cedars must, before the winds, Oft viel Ungemach empfinden, often feel much hardship, Oftmals werden sie verkehrt. often they will be destroyed. Rat und Tat auf Gott gestellet, Place your words and deeds before God, Achtet nicht, was widerbellet, Heed not what howls against you, Denn sein Wort ganz anders lehrt. Since his Word teaches otherwise.

6. Chor 6. Chorus

Meine Augen sehen stets zu dem Herrn; My eyes gaze continually at the Lord; denn er wird meinen Fuß aus dem Netze ziehen. For he will draw my foot out of the net. (Psalm 25:15) (Psalm 25:15) 7. Chor 7. Chorus

Meine Tage in den Leiden My days in suffering Endet Gott dennoch zur Freuden; God will nevertheless end in joy; Christen auf den Dornenwegen Christians upon the thorny pathways Führen Himmels Kraft und Segen. are led by Heaven’s power and blessing. Bleibet Gott mein treuer Schatz, If God remains my dearest treasure, Achte ich nicht Menschenkreuz; I need not heed mankind’s cruelty; Christus, der uns steht zur Seiten. Christ, who stands by our side, Hilft mir täglich sieghaft streiten. Helps me daily fight to victory Translation by Pamela Dellal

BACH, NUN KOMM, DER HEIDEN HEILAND, BWV 61

The final cantata on this evening’s program dates from Bach’s tenure as court organist for the co-reigning dukes Wilhelm Ernst and Ernst August of Weimar. After leaving Mühlhausen for this more lucrative position in 1708, Bach quickly made himself invaluable as an organist, violinist, and musical jack-of-all-trades—so much so that in 1714 he was granted the title of concertmaster in addition to his role as organist. This new position brought with it compositional responsibilities that the 29-year-old had been craving: namely, the opportunity to compose new works for the Weimar palace church, the Himmelsbug (“Heaven’s palace”), on a monthly basis. Taken as a whole, the 18 extant cantatas from this period of 1714 to 1717 show Sebastian’s developing ability to enhance solemn sacred music with emotional, dramatic elements of opera—a marriage that would later bear its finest fruits in the Passions and the B Minor Mass, BWV 232.

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (“Savior of nations, come”), BWV 61 was composed for the first Sunday of Advent in 1714, which marked both the beginning of a new liturgical year and the season of anticipation before Christmas. Poet Erdmann Neumeister (1671–1756) provid- ed the text, which incorporates two well-known Advent chorales by Martin Luther and Philipp Nicolai, as well as freely-composed reflections upon the day’s scriptural readings. Bach’s syn- thesis of sacred with secular begins right away in the first movement, a chorale fantasy in the style of a French opera overture. At the court of King Louis XIV, the playing of double-dotted rhythms in a slow procession signaled the arrival of the monarch to the performance hall. Bach combines this musico-dramatic trope with Luther’s chant-based Advent chorale Nun komm to signal Jesus’s royal arrival into Jerusalem, described in the day’s Gospel reading. The second movement, a recitative for tenor, celebrates the arrival of the Savior with both secco (i.e., dry) and arioso styles plucked from Italian opera. The third movement—set for tenor soloist, unison strings, and continuo—acts as a trio sonata, cast in flowing 9/8 time. The focus of the poetry shifts to welcome Jesus into the church. The following recitative features the bass soloist acting as Christ knocking on the door, with pizzicato “knocks” coming from the strings. The fifth movement acts as a heartfelt word of welcome from the believer to Christ, scored intimately for soprano solo and continuo. Finally, the chorus returns in the sixth movement, trumpeting the Abgesang from Nicolai’s chorale Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (“How brightly shines the morning star”) to signal the thrilling hope and anticipation of the Advent season. Note by Joseph Kemper 1. Chor 1. Chorus

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, Now come, Savior of the heathens, Der Jungfrauen Kind erkannt, known as the Virgin’s child, Des sich wundert alle Welt, over whom the whole world marvels, Gott solch Geburt ihm bestellt. that God had ordained such a birth for Him. (Martin Luther, Nun komm, (Martin Luther, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, verse 1) der Heiden Heiland, verse 1)

2. Rezitativ (Tenor) 2. Recitative (Tenor)

Der Heiland ist gekommen, The Savior has come, Hat unser armes Fleisch und Blut has taken our poor flesh and blood An sich genommen upon Himself Und nimmet uns zu Blutsverwandten an. and claims us as blood-brothers. O allerhöchstes Gut, O Highest Good, Was hast du nicht an uns getan? what have You not done for us? Was tust du nicht What do You not do Noch täglich an den Deinen? still daily for Your own? Du kömmst und läßt dein Licht You come and allow Your light Mit vollem Segen scheinen. to shine full of blessing.

3. Aria (Tenor) 3. Aria (Tenor)

Komm, Jesu, komm zu deiner Kirche Come, Jesus, come to Your church Und gib ein selig neues Jahr! and grant a blessed new year! Befördre deines Namens Ehre, Support the honor of Your name, Erhalte die gesunde Lehre uphold the sound teachings Und segne Kanzel und Altar! and bless the chancel and altar!

4. Rezitativ (Bass) 4. Recitative (Bass)

Siehe, ich stehe vor der Tür und klopfe an. So Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Anyone jemand meine Stimme hören wird und die Tür auf- that hears My voice and opens the door to him tun, zu dem werde ich eingehen und das Abendmahl I will enter and keep the evening meal with him mit ihm halten und er mit mir. and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20) (Revelation 3:20)

5. Aria (Sopran) 5. Aria (Soprano)

Öffne dich, mein ganzes Herze, Open yourself, my whole heart, Jesus kömmt und ziehet ein. Jesus comes and enters in. Bin ich gleich nur Staub und Erde, Even though I am only dust and earth, Will er mich doch nicht verschmähn, yet He does not scorn Seine Lust an mir zu sehn, to reveal His joy to me, Daß ich seine Wohnung werde. so that I may be His dwelling. O wie selig werd ich sein! O how happy will I be!

6. Choral 6. Chorale

Amen, amen! Amen! Amen! Komm, du schöne Freudenkrone, bleib nicht lange! Come, you lovely crown of joy, do not delay, Deiner wart ich mit Verlangen. I await you with longing. (Philipp Nicolai, Wie schön leuchtet der (Philipp Nicolai, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, verse 7 refrain) Morgenstern, verse 7 refrain) Translation by Pamela Dellal Notes Edited by Andrew Kohler SUPPORT CHOIRS AT MICHIGAN!

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ME: 1016 CHAMBER CHOIR Eugene Rogers, Director of Choirs Scott VanOrnum, Piano

SOPRANO ALTO TENOR BASS Maia Aramburú Eliana Barwinski Christian Bashi Ben Gaughran Julia Bezems Anastasia Koorn Diego Buceta Julian Goods Maggie Burk Lucy Koukoudian Tyrese Byrd David Hahn Caitlyn Fuller Cinderella Ksebati Jacob Carroll Andrew Hallam Greta Groothuis Catherine Moore Will Fishwick AJ (Algernon) Robinson Amy Helms Alana O’Donnell Bryan Ijames Jacob Surzyn Cecilia Kowara Pelagia Pamel Joseph Kemper Alan Williams Megan Maloney Katherine Rohwer Imani Mchunu Juliet Schlefer

OBOE VIOLIN CELLO Cassandra Goodwin Emily Monroe Terence Lo Olivia Taylor BASSOON DOUBLE BASS Aaron Brown VIOLA Henri Gross Joshua Thaver Julia Daniels

PRODUCTION STAFF

DIRECTOR PERSONNEL MANAGER PUBLICITY Paul Feeny Katie Rohwer Brandon Monzon

MANAGER PROGRAMS Erin Casler Tom Erickson

LIBRARIAN SOUND ENGINEER Alizabeth Nowland Roger Arnett

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR VIDEO & AUDIO ENGINEER Jonathan Mashburn Dave Schall

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