Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 93

History#

Bach composed the chorale cantata in 1724 as part of his second annual cycle for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Only continuo parts of the first four movements survived of the first performance. The manuscripts of the complete music date from another performance around 1732/1733, therefore it is unknown if the cantata had the same structure from the beginning.

Scoring and structure#

The cantata in seven movements is scored for four soloists—soprano, alto, tenor and bass—a four-part choir, two oboes, two violins, viola, viola da gamba and basso continuo. # Chorus: # Recitative (+ chorale, bass): # Aria (tenor): # Duet aria (soprano, alto): # Recitative (+ chorale, tenor): # Aria (soprano): # Chorale:

Music#

In the central duet violins and violas play the melody of the chorale. Bach later arranged this movement for organ as one of the Schübler Chorales, BWV 647. The opening chorus is a concerto of three elements: the orchestra, dominated by the two oboes, playing an introduction and ritornellos, the cantus firmus in the soprano, and the other voices which start each of the three sections and keep singing on the long final notes of the cantus firmus, soprano and alto opening the first section, tenor and bass the second, all four voices the last section. Movements 2 and 5 are composed in the same fashion, alternating the slightly ornamented lines of the chorale with recitative. In the first aria for tenor Bach uses a motive which turns the beginning of the chorale melody to major, to express trust in God. Johann David Heinichen used a similar major-mode variant, almost a very altered parody of Bach’s, for the Recordare in his 1726 requiem in E-flat major, S. 18. The cantata concludes with a four-part setting of the chorale’s last stanza. \header tagline = ##f \layout indent = 0 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \context \Score \remove “Bar_number_engraver” global = \key g \minor \time 4/4 \partial 4 soprano = \relative c \global \set midiInstrument = “violin” \repeat volta 2 g4 c d es d c d b g\fermata r bes bes as g c c8 (d) b4 c2. d4 es f g g f f es2\fermata r4 g4 f es d \tempo 4 = 78 c8 (d) es4 \tempo 4 = 66 d c2.\fermata \bar " ." alto = \relative c’ \global \set midiInstrument = “viola” \repeat volta 2 es4 g g g g8 (f) e4 as g d r g g f es g g g g2. g4 g bes bes bes c bes8 (as) g2 r4 bes as a b c c g8 (f) e2. \bar " ." tenor = \relative c’ \global \set midiInstrument = “cello” \repeat volta 2 c4 es d c b c f d b r d es f8 (bes,) bes4 c8 (d) es4 d es2. b4 c d es es es d bes!2 r4 es es8 (d) c (a) d (es16 f) es4 a,8 (b16 c) b4 g2. \bar " ." bass = \relative c \global \set midiInstrument = “contrabass” \repeat volta 2 c4 c’ b c g as f g g, r g’ c, d es4. f8 g4 g, c2. g'4 c bes8 (as) g4 f8 (es) as4 bes es,2 r4 es f fis g as8 (g) fis4 g c,2. \bar " ." verse = \lyricmode > denn wel – cher sei – ne Zu – ver – sicht auf Gott setzt, den ver – lässt er nicht. \score \new ChoirStaff > \new Lyrics \with \override VerticalAxisGroup #‘staff-affinity = #CENTER \lyricsto “soprano” \verse \new Staff \with \consists “Merge_rests_engraver” > » \layout \score \unfoldRepeats > \midi \tempo 4 = 90 \context \Score midiChannelMapping = #‘instrument \context \Staff \remove “Staff_performer” \context \Voice \consists “Staff_performer”

Recordings#

• J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 93 & BWV 131, Hans Thamm, Windsbacher Knabenchor, Consortium Musicum, Teresa Żylis-Gara, Ingeborg Ruß, Peter Schreier, Franz Crass, EMI Electrola 1966
• Bach Cantatas Vol. 3 – Ascension Day, Whitsun, Trinity, Karl Richter, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Archiv Produktion 1975
• Die Bach Kantate Vol. 14, Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Arleen Auger, Ann Murray, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein, Hänssler 1979
• J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk – Sacred Cantatas Vol. 5, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Tölzer Knabenchor, Concentus Musicus Wien, soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, , Teldec 1979
• J. S. Bach: Kantaten O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe BWV 34; Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten BWV 93; Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan BWV 100, Karl-Friedrich Beringer, Windsbacher Knabenchor, Consortium Musicum, Susanne Winter, , Markus Schäfer, , Rondeau Production 1999
• J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 21, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Deborah York, Franziska Gottwald, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 2000
• J. S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 5, Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande, Siri Thornhill, Petra Noskaiová, Christoph Genz, Jan van der Crabben, Accent 2005

External links#

• Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten BWV 93; BC A 104 / Chorale cantata (5th Sunday after Trinity) Bach Digital
• Cantata BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, Bach Cantatas Website
• BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten English translation, University of Vermont
• BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten text, scoring, University of Alberta
• Luke Dahn: BWV 93.7 bach-chorales.com