This cantata was originally composed for the second Sunday after Epiphany in 1716, during Bach’s Weimar years, and was then given a second performance in Leipzig in 1724. Consistent with its Weimar origins, it’s scored for reduced forces: four solo voices, strings and continuo, with the notable (and delightful) addition of a solo bassoon, probably a new notion for the Leipzig congregations, who were by now undoubtedly getting used to their new Cantor introducing all sorts of innovative devices into the music he presented weekly at church.
The libretto is by the poet Salomo Franck, a frequent collaborator of Bach in Weimar. The Gospel for this Sunday is John 2: 1-11, which narrates the story of the Wedding at Cana, where Jesus performed his first recorded miracle, turning water into wine. A possible interpretation of this story is a transition from adversity to fortune, or from despair to hope, which is the image picked up by Franck to capture in his text using his typical passionate language and strong imagery.
Unusually, the libretto starts with a recitative, in the form of a desperate prayer asking God to show his mercy and end misery, pain and sorrows. Towards the end, the text points to the water and wine elements of the Gospel story, with references to the “measure of tears” being full and the “wine of joy” lacking. This movement is given by Bach to the soprano, possibly a nod to the fact that it’s Mary who prompts Jesus to turn the water into wine. The voice is accompanied by a 12-bar-long pedal point of pulsating eighth notes on the continuo, with chords on the upper strings, creating an atmosphere of angst and tension. The “My God” (“Mein Gott”) utterance, which opens the text, is set to an upward leap of a sixth, a musical illustration of pain. Other examples of word painting include descending chromaticism for “tears” (“Tränen”), an agile melisma for “Freuden” (“joy”) associated to the reference to wine, and the downward fourths illustrating the “sinking” (“sinkt”) of confidence.
The response to this emotional cry for help comes right away, in the form of an alto and tenor duet, accompanied by the solo bassoon and continuo. While the bassoon decorates with an idiomatic and quite virtuosic obbligato line, the voices move mostly homophonically in consonant intervals, with the occasional short imitative motifs as if the two singers were emphasizing and agreeing with each other’s guidance and reassuring words.
The next movement reveals the identity of the distressed character of the first movement – it’s the believer’s soul, who now continues to be consoled in the bass recitative. The text revisits the Gospel story with a mention of the “wine of consolation and joy”, frames present-day suffering as a test, and reassures the soul of future delights. The encouraging message is underlined by the lyrical two final bars of the solo continuo line.
Coming full circle after the positive messages, the soul is once again voiced by the soprano, now with an animated and joyous aria. Strings and continuo accompany, taking turns throughout the entire movement to carry a “skipping” dotted rhythm. The text states the believer’s intention of trusting Jesus and resting burdens and worries on his grace.
The cantata closes with a four-part chorale by Paul Speratus of 1524, with a tune used by Bach in several other cantatas and an organ prelude. The stanza chosen by Franck connects with the Gospel story in verses 3 and 4 – Jesus makes no effort to be recognized as he performs his miracle at the wedding.
