J.S. Bach / Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159 (Herreweghe)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Cantata BWV 159: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem (27 Februrary 1729)

1. Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem (Arioso and Recitative: B, A)
2. Ich folge dir nach (Aria and Chorale: S, A) 02:50
3. Nun will ich mich, mein Jesu (Recitative: T) 06:44
4. Es ist vollbracht (Aria: B) 07:33
5. Jesu, deine Passion ist mir lauter Freude (Chorale) 12:02

Soloists:
Soprano: Dorothee Mields
Alto: Matthew White
Tenor: Jan Kobow
Bass: Peter Kooy

Collegium Vocale Gent performs under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded by Harmonia Mundi France in 2007.

"The cantata Sehet, wir gehen hinauf gen Jerusalem (BWV 159) was probably written for performance in February 1729 as part of the enigmatic Picander Jahrgang. In the summer of 1728 the secretary to the Leipzig post office and occasional poet Christian Friedrich Henrici, alias Picander, had commenced publication of a cycle of cantata librettos, in the preface to which he announced that the 'incomparable Herr Kapellmeister Bach' would set these texts and perform them in successive weeks in the principal churches of the city of Leipzig. However, it is a matter of debate whether Bach actually composed music for the Picander cycle in its entirety. At any rate, only some ten works from it are extant, including the cantata recorded here, BWV 159. The work opens with a setting of Jesus' words from the Gospel appointed for Quinquagesima, which point ahead to the beginning of Passiontide. The biblical text is commented on and interpreted by interjections from the alto voice in freely composed verse. The ensuing alto aria 'Ich folge dir nach', accompanied by continuo alone, acquires through the chorale strophe 'Ich will hier bei dir stehen' (simultaneously sung by the soprano) a second level of meaning that provides a textual and musical link with the St. Matthew Passion--and in fact Bach performed the latter work in 1729. However, the sound-world of the 'Great Passion' is even more powerfully evoked in the second aria, 'Es ist vollbracht'. Over a dense chordal background in the strings, the solo oboe unfolds a poignant lament, soon joined by the bass voice. The elaborately harmonized chorale strophe, 'Jesu, deine Passion' concludes this impressive work, which may be seen as one of the peaks of Bach's cantata output." - Peter Wollny

Painting: Christ and Simon of Cyrene, Titian