2015–2016 Series DECEMBER 13, 2015 The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis x Schedule of Concerts 23rd Season BACH AT THE SEM – 2015-16 Dr. Maurice Boyer, Music Director OCTOBER 4, 2015, 3 p.m. (PENTECOST 19, TRINITY 18) J.S. Bach: Cantata, BWV 96, Herr Christ, der ein’ge Gottessohn; Duet for soprano & alto, “Herr, du siehst statt guter Werke,” from BWV 9, Es ist das Heil uns kommen her; Cantata BWV 67, Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ; Chorus from BWV 148, Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens DECEMBER 13, 2015, 3 p.m. (ADVENT 3) Hugo Distler: Organ prelude on Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern; BWV 1; Cantata BWV 61, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; Cantata BWV 133, Ich freue mich in dir; Cantata BWV 40, Dazu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes; Chorus from BWV 1, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern FEBRUARY 7, 2016, 3 p.m. (TRANSFIGURATION) J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV 127, Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’r Mensch und Gott; Concerto for violin in A minor, BWV 1041, movement 2; Aria for alto with chorale, “Ich folge dir nach,” from BWV 159, Sehet! Wir geh’n hinauf gen Jerusalem; Cantata BWV 161, Komm, du süße Todesstunde; Cantata BWV 23, Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn MAY 15, 2016, 3 p.m. (PENTECOST) J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV 11, Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen; Aria for bass, “Es ist vollbracht,” from BWV 159, Sehet! Wir geh’n hinauf gen Jerusalem; Organ prelude on Komm, heiliger Geist; Cantata BWV 34, O Ursprung der Liebe We are grateful to the “Friends of Bach at the Sem” for their continuing generosity that makes the Bach at the Sem series possible. Special thanks to Wayne Coniglio for supporting Bach at the Sem by donating the archival-only recording of the program. Concordia Seminary is privileged to make J.S. Bach’s music available to the St. Louis community and invites your generous support for these uplifting concerts. If you have not received information from Bach at the Sem and would like to be placed on the mailing list, please call 314-505-7009. Cover image – from the autograph score of J.S. Bach’s Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn BWV 23, which the American Kantorei will perform Feb. 7, 2016. /BachAtTheSem @BachAtTheSem csl.edu/bach Bach at the Sem December 13, 2015, 3:00 p.m. Third Sunday in Advent Dr. Maurice Boyer, Music Director The American Kantorei Dr. Jeral Becker, Assistant Conductor In Nomine Jesu Cantata: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 Johann Sebastian Bach (Now come, Savior of the nations) 1. Chorus 2. Recitative (Jeral Becker) 3. Tenor Aria (Jeral Becker) 4. Recitative (David Berger) 5. Soprano Aria (Marita Hollander) 6. Chorus Hymn: “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” The assembly stands to sing the hymn provided on Page 11 or in Lutheran Service Book 395 (orchestra and choir perform verses 3 and 5 in settings by Hugo Distler and J.S. Bach) Cantata: Ich freue mich in dir, BWV 133 Johann Sebastian Bach (I rejoice in You) 1. Chorale 2. Alto Aria (Stephanie Ruggles) 3. Recitative (Zachary Devin) 4. Soprano Aria (Emily Truckenbrod) 5. Recitative (Jeffrey Heyl) 6. Chorale Organ Voluntary: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern Hugo Distler (James Marriott, organist) The offerings received at this time support the Bach at the Sem concert series. Cantata: Dazu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40 Johann Sebastian Bach (For this reason the Son of God appeared) 1. Chorus 2. Recitative (Zachary Devin) 3. Chorale 4. Bass Aria (Jeffrey Heyl) 5. Recitative (Katharine Lawton Brown) 6. Chorale 7. Tenor Aria (Zachary Devin) 8. Chorale Chorus: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern from Cantata BWV 1 Johann Sebastian Bach (How brightly shines the Morning Star) Soli Deo Gloria Program Notes “Come, O beautiful crown of joy, rich harmonies with sweet suspensions in thirds and I wait for you with longing!” sixths — all express multifariously the wondrous beauty of the Incarnation. The opening’s regal style returns for Cantata: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 the final line of the verse, with the choir declaring in clear homophony that this birth was elected by God. Composed for the First Sunday of Advent 1714 while The orchestra then launches into a fiercely driving rush Bach was employed at the ducal court in Weimar, to the final cadence. BWV 61 was revived in 1723 — Bach’s first Advent in Leipzig. The autographed manuscript of this score, The tone changes dramatically with the tenor’s entrance. as well as its sister piece (BWV 62), contains priceless The Savior who had been called has now arrived in the information about the liturgical unfolding of the flesh, adopting “us” as blood relations and bearing services in Leipzig. Although Bach had begun as light and blessing. The recitative moves seamlessly cantor in the previous spring, he saw fit to place such to an arioso whose downward flowing 16th notes, information in the cantata that would usher in the new canonically unspooling between the cello and the tenor, church year. Inside the cover page, Bach clearly spells embody the bestowal of divine blessing. out the place of all musical components in worship. He was beginning to fulfill his desire to compose “a well- The succeeding da capo aria is in fact a trio for tenor, regulated or orderly church music to the Glory of God.” violins and violas in unison, and bass. It is a bright, light-footed, gigue-like dance in triple meter in C major. In The Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent is the A section, a descending line in all voices effectively Matt. 21:1-9, the narrative of Jesus’ triumphal entry translates musically the descent of Jesus Himself to His into Jerusalem. “Tell the daughter of Zion, / Look, church and His bestowal of a blessed New Year. The your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted B section, in the minor mode, is more reflective and on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” theological in nature, as it addresses the preservation The modest performance forces (five-part strings) of sound teaching and the blessing of pulpit and altar. align with the outward modesty of the circumstances. However, the French Overture that opens the The bass, as Vox Christi, then enters with words from cantata dispels unequivocally any notion that this Revelation (3:20): “Look, I stand at the door and “Savior of the nations” who is invoked might be a knock. If anyone will hear My voice and open the door, weakling. The form itself, one reserved for the entrance I shall go in and have supper with him and he with me.” of royalty at the French court, is stately and ceremonial. Hitherto, all had been forward thrust. Suddenly time But here, its jagged rhythms, sharp upward flourishes stops. Here is the heart of the matter. The knocking is and dark-hued minor mode paint a picture of a fierce vividly conjured in the strings’ pizzicato accompaniment, warrior king, not a self-aggrandizing powdered as well as in the voice’s staccato articulation. The potentate. In descending order (soprano-alto-tenor- arresting nature of this visitation is captured in the bass), the voices cry out in long note values for the harmony. In effect, the recitative begins with a coming of the “Savior of the nations.” All join in dominant seventh chord of E minor over a tonic pedal homophonic euphony to sing: “recognized as the Child — a dissonant sonority. However, when Jesus speaks of the virgin.” of entering, the harmony turns sweet and the vocal line fluid, creating a sense of gentleness and generosity. The contrasting middle section of this tri-partite form is for the expression of wonder and marvel: With the soprano aria, all adornment is stripped away. “at whom all the world is amazed.” The fleet triple Before Jesus, there is only the single individual. meter with a bright shift to the major mode, the piling up Supported only by the bass line, the singer responds in of fugal entrances with melismatic treatment of “all,” sheer delight to His call with the disarming innocence 2 and vulnerability of a child. Couched in an easy triple hymn in simple homophony. Within the space of one meter, the A section of this da capo aria seems to flow verse, Jesus is addressed affectionately as “my lovely effortlessly but for a delicate rhythmic tension created little Jesus” and “my little brother,” and the “great Son by a profusion of hemiolas. In effect, it feels at times of God” described as “friendly.” almost as if the music is notated in the wrong meter, as if below the written meter lies a deeper meter The ensuing tri-partite (ABA’) alto aria prolongs governing the whole. Bach is musically averring the joyful affect of the first movement. One gets the that, because of this encounter with Christ, there is now impression that the “I” of this aria is so elated that a different relation to time. Chronos has given way it cannot contain itself. Bach translates this musically to Kairos. The B section, by contrast, shifts to a slow in the motives governing the entire movement. First, duple meter (4/4, “adagio”). The pace is steady and there is the out-of-breath quality of the threefold measured as the singer contemplates in wonder and repetition of “Be confident,” each interrupted by a 16th gratitude the mystery of God’s choosing to make His rest. Second are the flowing 16th-note runs.