Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53

Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde (Haste to strike, oh longed for hour), BWV 53, is an aria for alto, probably for a funeral. It was formerly attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, but is now thought to be the work of one of his contemporaries, Melchior Hoffmann, who was director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig until his death in 1715.

History, text and scoring

The work on an anonymous German text was likely composed for a funeral service.[1][2] It has often been attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, but Alfred Dürr did not include it in his 1971 book Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, based on the Bach-Jahrbücher 1955; instead, he mentions Melchior Hoffmann as the likely author ("mit Wahrscheinlichkeit").[3] Hoffmann has not been confirmed and the date of the first performance is unknown.[2][4]

The text is written by an anonymous poet. It reflects the hour of death as desired. Translations have been "Haste to strike, oh longed for hour",[5] "Strike my hour, so long awaited", and "Strike then thou, O blessed hour".[2] In a middle section, the angels are asked to open heavenly meadows, to see Jesus soon ("Kommt, ihr Engel, … Öffnet mir die Himmelsauen, meinen Jesum bald zu schauen").[2] The aria is scored for alto, two violins, viola, cello, organ, and bells.[2] The bells may have been part of the organ itself.[6]

Music

The aria is characterized by an obbligato bell duet.[7] Clifford Bartlett calls the bell knell "memorable and powerful".[8] Simon Crouch notes that "some of [the aria's] thematic material is suggestive of Bach but the accompanying bells would be unique amongst Bach's surviving output".[5]

Recordings
  • Andreas Scholl. Bach Cantatas. Decca, 2011.
  • London Symphony Orchestra, Karl Rankl. Bach: Cantata No. 53: Schlage Doch. Decca, 1946.
  • Orchestre de Chambre de la Sarre, Karl Ristenpart. J.S. Bach: Quatre Cantates No. 53, 55, 189 & 200. Les discophiles français, 1957.
  • Staats-Opera, Berlin, Emmi Leisner. Polydor, ~1926.
  • Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen. J.S. Bach: Cantatas No. 53, No. 54, No. 170. Archipel, 1952.
  • Daniel Taylor, "Theatre of Early Music", CD Lamento, ATMA Classique, 2001

References
  1. "Cantata BWV 53". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. "BWV 53 Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde". University of Vermont. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. Dürr, Alfred (1981). Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach (in German). 1 (4 ed.). Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag. pp. 723–724. ISBN 3-423-04080-7.
  4. "Cantata BWV 53 Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  5. Crouch, Simon (1999). Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde (Haste to strike, oh longed for hour). classical.net. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  6. Montagu, Jeremy (2002). Timpani and percussion. Yale University Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-300-09337-7.
  7. Lessner, Joanne Sydney. "Andreas Scholl: Bach Cantatas". Opera News. 76 (10): 69–70.
  8. Bartlett, Clifford. "Andreas Scholl: Bach Cantatas". Decca Classics. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
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