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Cantata No. 1: Wie schoen leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Cantata/ Oratorio, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score & Parts
By Johann Sebastian (J.S.) Bach, ed./arr. by Moritz Hauptmann/ German text by Philipp Nicolai (Nos. 1, 6) and Anonymous (Nos. 2-5)
Item: 36-A249202
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Description
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) composed Cantata No. 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1 in 1725 during his second annual cycle of chorale cantatas in Leipzig. Written for the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March), the work is based on Philipp Nicolai's celebrated 1599 hymn of the same name, often called the "Queen of Chorales" for its theological richness and enduring popularity. Bach's anonymous librettist retained the hymn's first and final stanzas while paraphrasing the intervening verses into recitatives and arias that emphasize the mystical union of Christ and the believing soul, themes that resonated especially strongly when the Feast of the Annunciation coincided with Holy Week, as it did in 1725. Scored for two horns, two oboes da caccia (substituting English Horn in this edition), strings, continuo, STB soloists, and SATB chorus, the cantata opens with one of Bach's most radiant chorale fantasias, in which the hymn tune shines above an intricate web of orchestral and vocal counterpoint. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern received its premiere on March 25, 1725, at either St. Thomas Church or St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig under the composer's direction. Today, Cantata No. 1, BWV 1 is regarded as one of the crowning achievements of Bach's chorale cantata cycle and a cornerstone of the sacred choral repertoire, admired for its luminous orchestration, masterful contrapuntal writing, and joyful expression of faith, making it one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all the Bach cantatas. Instrumentation: 0.0+2(EH).0.0: 2.0.0.0: Hpchrd (in score): Str (2.2.2.1.1 in set): Solo Vn(2) in set: Soli STB: Mix Chorus. Reprint of the edition by Moritz Hauptmann, part of the Bach Gesellschaft Ausgabe.
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