The Cantata Trail

A listening journey through Bach's vocal music

Swinging for the here and now

Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen
BWV 48

As we continue to transverse Bach’s first year in Leipzig, we get to the 19th Sunday after Trinity, for which Bach composed Cantata 48, performed on October 3, 1723. Some of the cantatas preceding this one showed us how he was experimenting with the integration of chorales as structural elements in different ways. Cantata 48 largely continues to paint that picture for us, as we find a chorale inserted, quite unusually, as the third movement of the work. In contrast, there is no delivery of a chorale harmonization embedded in the first movement as we saw in some preceding pieces.

Some patterns occasionally arise also when one examines cantatas chronologically. In this case, we can observe that the scoring for 148 and 48 are almost identical: a trumpet added to the regular orchestra of oboes (no oboe da caccia in 48, though), strings and continuo, with four-part choir and even the same vocal soloists, alto and tenor.

The Gospel for this Sunday (Matthew 9: 1-8) narrates the episode of Jesus healing a man with palsy (paralysis). As in the recent Cantata 25, we are presented with the metaphor of sickness and healing to represent sin and redemption. The anonymous poet opens the libretto with a “dictum”, Romans 7: 24, chose a stanza of a hymn by Martin Rutilius of 1604 for the third movement, and closes the cantata with stanza 12 of the anonymous chorale “Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir,” of 1620. The rest of the movements are newly written poetry. So, we have two textual references to chorales, plus a purely musical one: Bach weaves a tune into the first movement, given to the trumpet and the oboes in canon, which is associated with a 1588 text which also draws a parallel between sin and sickness. This evidences how deeply versed Bach was in theology, the Bible and the Lutheran hymnbooks, and highlights his desire (and ability) to convey meaning to his audience through music, without the prompting of a libretto.

Presumably starting with the chorale tune, which he gives to the trumpet to lead and to the oboes to follow in canon (two bars later and a fourth lower), Bach builds the opening movement as a choral scene of yearning and search for salvation, on the text from Romans. With a slow ternary rhythm, clearly stated in quarters and punctuated with rests, he creates an atmosphere of aimless, disoriented wandering. He gives the text to the different voices of the choir on a theme that starts with an upward leap of a sixth (symbolizing a prayer, or an imploration) and quickly a downward appoggiatura (sighing). The voices chase each other in different groupings and successions, contributing to the sense of confusion. It’s fascinating how among all this uncertainty and fragility, the hidden answer is provided right there by the steady, unrelentless delivery of the chorale tune as the backbone of the movement.

The alto recitative that follows, accompanied by strings, uses remarkable harmonic twists and turns to depict the pain and suffering of the afflicted soul. It’s similar in character, although more impassionate in its musical plea, to the tenor recitative of Cantata 25 (“The whole world is just a hospice…”).

As mentioned before, we now encounter a bit of a structural surprise. Instead of following the statement of the anguished believer with a reflective aria, we get some relief in the form of a plain chorale. While the text suggests resignation (“If it must be so… let me atone here”), the final chord is in major mode, providing a bit of a mood uplift.

Next is an alto aria, set as a trio with solo oboe and basso continuo. A ternary meter and a cheerful oboe ritornello emphasize the message of the second section of the text: purify the soul and deliver a holy Zion. Tellingly, Bach does not go “da capo” – he prefers to move on to the “turning point” and shift the mood. This comes in the tenor “secco” recitative that follows, which delivers the good news: Jesus’ power makes the body strong and the soul whole.

Having received the uplifting message, we get to the tenor aria, which is accompanied with strings and oboes (doubling the first violins). Left behind is the cautious optimism of the alto aria: this one is a jubilant movement, again in triple time but with constant hemiolas that portray a joyful swinging character. However, it’s set in minor mode, which reminds us that while the long-term prospects are optimistic, we have to endure suffering before we get there. Julian Mincham calls this movement “an aria for the here and now”.

The closing chorale, in four parts with the instruments doubling the voices, harmonizes the same chorale tune that we heard blended into the opening movement, thus giving the cantata musical unity.

1. Chor
Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen vom Leibe dieses Todes?
(Romans 7:24)
1. Chorus
Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death?
2. Rezitativ (A)
O Schmerz, o Elend, so mich trifft,
Indem der Sünden Gift
Bei mir in Brust und Adern wütet:
Die Welt wird mir ein Siech- und Sterbehaus,
Der Leib muss seine Plagen
Bis zu dem Grabe mit sich tragen.
Allein die Seele fühlet den stärksten Gift,
Damit sie angestecket;
Drum, wenn der Schmerz den Leib des Todes trifft,
Wenn ihr der Kreuzkelch bitter schmecket,
So treibt er ihr ein brünstig Seufzen aus.
2. Recitative (A)
O pain, o misery, that hits me,
While the poison of sins
Rages in my chest and veins:
The world becomes to me a house of sickness and death,
The body must carry its plagues
To the grave.
Only the soul feels the strongest poison,
With which it is infected;
Thus, when the pain hits the body of death,
When the cross chalice tastes bitter to it,
It drives from it a fervent sigh.
3. Choral
Solls ja so sein,
Dass Straf und Pein
Auf Sünde folgen müssen,
So fahr hie fort
Und schone dort
Und lass mich hie wohl büßen.
3. Chorale
If it must be so,
That punishment and pain
Must follow sin,
Then go on here
And spare me there
And let me atone here well.
4. Aria (A)
Ach, lege das Sodom der sündlichen Glieder,
Wofern es dein Wille, zerstöret darnieder!
Nur schone der Seele und mache sie rein,
Um vor dir ein heiliges Zion zu sein.
4. Aria (A)
Ah, lay the Sodom of sinful limbs low,
If it be your will, destroy it!
But spare the soul and make it pure,
To be a holy Zion before you.
5. Rezitativ (T)
Hier aber tut des Heilands Hand
Auch unter denen Toten Wunder.
Scheint deine Seele gleich erstorben,
Der Leib geschwächt und ganz verdorben,
Doch wird uns Jesu Kraft bekannt:
Er weiß im geistlich Schwachen
Den Leib gesund, die Seele stark zu machen.
5. Recitative (T)
Here however the Savior's hand
Works wonders even among the dead.
Though your soul seems expired,
The body weakened and entirely corrupted,
Yet Jesus's power becomes known to us:
He knows how, in spiritual weakness,
To make the body healthy, the soul strong.
6. Aria (T)
Vergibt mir Jesus meine Sünden,
So wird mir Leib und Seel gesund.
Er kann die Toten lebend machen
Und zeigt sich kräftig in den Schwachen,
Er hält den längst geschlossnen Bund,
Dass wir im Glauben Hilfe finden.
6. Aria (T)
If Jesus forgives me my sins,
Then body and soul will be healthy for me.
He can make the dead alive
And shows Himself strong in the weak,
He upholds the long-established covenant,
That we find help in faith.
7. Choral
Herr Jesu Christ, einiger Trost,
Zu dir will ich mich wenden;
Mein Herzleid ist dir wohl bewusst,
Du kannst und wirst es enden.
In deinen Willen seis gestellt,
Machs, lieber Gott, wie dirs gefällt:
Dein bin und will ich bleiben.
7. Chorale
Lord Jesus Christ, sole consolation,
To you I will turn;
My heartache is well known to you,
You can and will end it.
Let it be placed in your will,
Do it, dear God, as pleases you:
Yours I am and wish to remain.

Damien Guillon, alto
Thomas Hobbs, tenor
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe

Alex Potter, alto
Daniel Johannsen, tenor
Netherlands Bach Society
Shunske Sato, violin and direction

Jesus Healing the Paralytic at Bethesda

Palma il Giovane (1592)

Movements

Chorus
Recitative (Alto)
Chorale
Aria (Alto)
Recitative (Tenor)
Aria (Tenor)
Chorale

Performers

Damien Guillon, alto
Thomas Hobbs, tenor
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe