Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein

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Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein (Oh God, look down from heaven), BWV 2, is a sacred cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.

It was composed in Leipzig in 1724 for the second Sunday after Trinity, which occurred that year on 18 June, which marks the date of the first performance.

The prescribed readings for the day are 1 John 3: 13-18 and Luke 14: 16-24. The text of the cantata comprises the words of the hymn published by Martin Luther in 1524^[1], which paraphrase Psalm 12, in movements 1 and 6. Authorship of verses 2-5 is unknown.

The homonym chorale theme was codified by Martin Luther^[2], although Paul Speratus had previously used the melody in his hymn “Es ist das Heil uns kommen her”^[3]

Scoring and structure

The piece is scored for trombones I-IV, oboes I/II, violins I/II , viola, and basso continuo, three vocal soloists (altus, tenor, and bass) and four-part choir. It is in six movements:

1. (Coro): "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" for choir, violin I and trombone I col Soprano, violin II, oboe I/II and trombone II coll'Alto, viola and trombone III col Tenore, trombone IV col Basso, and continuo.
   
2. Recitativo: "Sie lehren eitel falsche List" for tenor and continuo.
   
3. Aria: "Tilg, o Gott, die Lehren" for altus, violino solo and continuo.
   
4. Recitativo: "Die Armen sind verstört" for bass, violins I/II, viola, and continuo.
   
5. Aria: "Durchs Feuer wird das Silber rein" for tenor, strings and continuo.
   
6. Chorale: "Das wollst du, Gott, bewahren rein" for choir, violin I, oboe I/II, and trombone I col Soprano, violino II and trombone II coll'Alto, viola and trombone III col Tenore, trombone IV col Basso, and continuo.
   

Text

Recordings

• J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 1 - Alt.: Paul Esswood; Ten.: Kurt Equiluz; Bass: Max van Egmond; Wiener Sängerknaben & Chorus Viennensis (Chorus Master: Hans Gillesberger) / Concentus Musicus Wien; Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor. Label: Teldec
• Die Bach Kantate Vol. 39 - Alt.: Helen Watts; Ten.: Aldo Baldin; Bass: Walter Heldwein; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; Helmuth Rilling, conductor. Label: Hänssler
• J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 10 - Alt.: Michael Chance; Ten.: Paul Agnew; Bass: Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir; Ton Koopman, conductor. Label: Erato/Antoine Marchand
• Bach Edition Vol. 12 - Cantatas Vol. 6 - Alt.: Sytse Buwalda; Ten.: Knut Schoch; Bass: Bas Ramselaar; Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium; Pieter Jan Leusink, conductor. Label: Brilliant Classics
• J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the First and Second Sundays After Trinity [C-2] - Alt.: Susan Trout; Ten.: William Hite; Bass: Paul Guttry; Orchestra and Chorus of Emmanuel Music (Chorus Master: Michael Beattie); Craig Smith, conductor. Label: Koch International
• J.S. Bach: “O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort” - Cantatas BWV 2, 20 & 176 [C-14] - Alt.: Ingeborg Danz; Ten.: Jan Kobow; Bass: Peter Kooy; Collegium Vocale Gent; Philippe Herreweghe, conductor. Label: Harmonia Mundi France
• J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 29 - Cantatas from Leipzig 1724 - Alt.: Pascal Bertin; Ten.: Gerd Türk; Bass: Peter Kooy; Bach Collegium Japan & Concerto Palatino Brass Ensemble; Masaaki Suzuki, conductor. Label: BIS 1461
• J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol. 7 Cantatas BWV 20 · 2 · 10 [C-11] - Sop.: Siri Thornhill; Alt.: Petra Noskaiova; Ten.: Marcus Ullmann; Bass: Jan van der Crabben; La Petite Bande; Sigiswald Kuijken, conductor. Label: Accent

References

Sources

• Craig Smith, Programme notes - BWV 2, Emmanuel Music.
• Walter F. Bischof, Text and orchestration for BWV 2, Bach Cantatas, University of Alberta.

External links

• Piano & vocal score of BWV 2 on bach-cantatas.com
• Discussion of the work on bach-cantatas.com