Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51

History and words#

Bach used the cantata in Leipzig for the 15th Sunday after Trinity on 17 September 1730. The prescribed readings for the Sunday came from the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul’s admonition to “walk in the Spirit” (), and from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, which exhorts the faithful not to worry about material needs, but to seek God’s kingdom first (). The author is unknown. Without any reference to the prescribed readings, The trumpet part was probably written for Gottfried Reiche, Bach’s principal trumpeter at the time. The scoring is unique in Bach’s cantatas, but was frequently used by Italian composers such as Alessandro Scarlatti. Bach’s son Friedemann Bach arranged the work by adding a second trumpet and timpani.

Structure and scoring#

Bach structured the cantata in five movements and scored it for a soprano soloist and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of trumpet (Tr), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo (Bc). The title of the autograph score reads: “Dominica 15 post Trinitatis / et / In ogni Tempo. / Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen. / à / Soprano solo / 1 Tromba* / 2 Violino / Viola / e / Continuo / di / Joh:Seb:Bach”. It is the only church cantata by Bach scored for solo soprano and trumpet. The duration is given as 20 minutes. In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe. The keys and time signatures are taken from Dürr, using the symbol for common time (). The instruments are shown separately for wind instrument and strings. The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.

Movements#

The music is concertante and virtuoso for both the trumpet and the soloist. The first aria and the concluding Alleluja are in the style of an Italian concerto. Dürr observes that the five movements are in five different musical forms: concerto, monody, variation, chorale fantasia and fugue. The scoring is richest in the outer movements (with the trumpet), and reduced to just continuo in the central aria.

1#

The first aria, "" (Exult in God in every land), is in da capo form, with extended coloraturas. The theme, with a beginning in a triad fanfare, is well suited to the trumpet. It is first developed in a ritornello of the orchestra and then “constantly worked” in the soprano part.

2#

The only recitative, "" (We pray at Thy temple), is first accompanied by the strings, a second part is secco but arioso. The second part develops the idea of “von seinen Wundern lallen” (chatter about His wonders) in coloraturas of rhythmical complexity.

3#

The second aria, "" (Highest, renew Thy goodness), is accompanied only by the continuo “quasi ostinato” which supports expressive coloraturas of the voice. The lines in the continuo, in constant movement in time seem to constantly rise, towards the addressed “Höchster” (Highest) which appears as an octave jump down. Two extended melismas express gratefulness for being a child of God. The musicologist Julian Minchem notes that Bach is able to convey with modest means a “profound expression of commitment to God”.

4#

The chorale, "" (Glory, and praise with honor), is a chorale fantasia, with the soprano singing the unadorned melody to a three-part accompaniment of two violins and continuo.

5#

The chorale leads without a break to a concluding fugal “Alleluja” with the trumpet, bringing the cantata to a particularly festive close. The movement begins with the soprano and the responding trumpet, before the other instruments come in to build a “fine display piece”. Mincham summarizes: “The long flowing melismas leave one literally breathless with the sheer pleasure in, and energy generated through, the relationship with God.”

Recordings#

The selection is taken from the listing provided by Bach Cantatas Website. The cantata was recorded by sopranos such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (from 1948), Maria Stader (1959), Elly Ameling (1970), Edith Mathis (1972), Edita Gruberova (1979), Lucia Popp (1980), Helen Donath (1983), Elizabeth Parcells (1983), Monika Frimmer (1984), Barbara Hendricks (1989), Christine Schäfer (1999), Siri Thornhill (2007), and Natalie Dessay (2009). In the following table, the second soloist is the trumpeter. Ensembles playing on period instruments in historically informed performance are marked by a green background under the header Instr. .

Sources#

• Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51; BC A 134 / Sacred cantata (15th Sunday after Trinity) Bach Digital
• BWV 51 Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen English translation, University of Vermont

External links#

• Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)
• “Alleluja” , Heinrich Schütz Ensemble of Munich with Emma Kirkby