- Date: 1728 -1731
- Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
- Period: Baroque (1600-1749)
Review
This cantata dates to Bach's years in Leipzig, where he lived from 1723 until his death in 1750. It is unusual in two respects: it is one of the few cantatas in which the composer set a complete hymn text, and it is one of a handful that was apparently written for no specific liturgical occasion. That said, it was almost certainly composed for some celebratory event, probably with a connection to a religious or court occasion. The author of the text was Johann Jakob Schütz (1640-1690), and its title in English can be translated as "Let there be praise and honor for the highest good." The cantata is scored for tenor, alto, and bass soloists, four-part chorus, and chamber orchestra consisting of pairs of transverse flutes, oboes, oboes d'amore and violins, and viola and continuo.In the first of the nine movements, simply titled "Chorus," Bach uses a chorale melody that first appeared in the fifteenth century Easter chorale Freu dich, du werte Christenheit, that was later and more famously used by Luther associate Paul Speratus in his chorale Es ist das Heil uns kommen her. Bach used this same melody in other cantatas -- BWV 9, 86, 155, 186, and 251 -- and also used the text in BWV 251. In BWV 117 here Bach also employs the melody in the fourth movement, Chorale, and the Ninth, which is a reprise of the opening panel but with a different text. The melody has a glorious serenity about it and is presented after a brief, lively introduction by the orchestra in the opening and closing panels.
The second movement is an energetic recitative for bass, while the ensuing Aria, for tenor, is similar in mood. The next two movements are made up of a brief, joyous recitative for alto soloist and a less lively aria for bass. The seventh movement is viewed by many Bach mavens as the finest in the work. It is an Aria for alto, with music that brims with confidence. Bach conceived this section on a magisterial scale, casting it in a form similar to that of a rondo. Its text begins with "Ich will dich all mein Leben lang, O Gott, von nun an ehren" (I will Thee all my life long, O God, from now on honor) and the mood is joyous, with vocal writing and scoring that exude an expressive depth.
The eighth movement is a very brief recitative for tenor that is the least lively and least celebratory of all the movements. It quite deftly sets the mood, however, for the glorious closing Chorale. This is not one of the more often encountered Bach cantatas, but it probably deserves greater attention. ~ Robert Cummings, All Music Guide
