Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen
BWV 12 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by René Jacobs
Grote Kerk, Naarden
Behind the music
Story
Story
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Beacon in the labyrinth
A hymn to Jesus’ suffering hovers between fear and hope
‘You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again’, Jesus comforts his twelve apostles. ‘And your hearts will rejoice.’ The readings for the 3rd Sunday after Easter discuss, and sometimes glorify the pain of earthly life. Tears, worries, suffering and fear are an inevitable part of life for all those baptised in Christ’s name. After all, Jesus paid for eternal life for his followers with his death. So redemption awaits those who are patient.
While writing this BWV 12, in the winter of 1713-1714, Bach was comfortably at work in Weimar. He was expecting his fifth child (Carl Philipp Emanuel), his salary had risen steadily since 1708 and so had his reputation. And Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar was nowhere near ready to let go of his most talented musician. So when Bach auditioned elsewhere (in Halle), triumphed and even created a cantata there, the Duke acted quickly: more money and promotion to ‘Concert-Meister’, in exchange for a monthly cantata in Weimar. Bach then composed, in quick succession, some of his most popular works today, including Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen.
The sinfonia was written in the form of an instrumental lament, in which the oboe laboriously carves out a path between the large complement of strings (listen out for the extra viola). This is precisely the message of the recitative, as ‘only after many trials can we enter God’s kingdom.’ But first we hear the iconic opening section, which Bach arranged 35 years later to become the Crucifixus of his Mass in B minor. A poignant basso ostinato (repetitive bass line) provides a shaky foundation for sighing voices and faltering strings. The middle section makes a musical turnaround to hope, before the return of the sorrowful basso ostinato.
The recitative is followed by three arias that each link Jesus’ crucifixion to the lives of the congregation. The alto calls for resignation, as suffering (‘cross’ and ‘struggle’) is simply part of redemption (‘crown’ and ‘prize’). The bass would prefer to make Jesus’ crucifixion sacrifice himself, or at least share in his pain. And the tenor reminds us once again of the goal: eternal life in heavenly bliss. Listen to how the trumpet radiates the redemption chorale ‘Jesu, meine Freude’ above the tortuous melody of the aria – an answer to the searching oboe from the sinfonia. And Bach adds a jubilant upper voice or descant to the chorale Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan.
- BWV
- 12
- Title
- Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- 1713-1714
- City
- Weimar
- Lyricist
- probably Salomo Franck
- Occasion
- Sunday Jubilate
- First performance
- 22 April 1714, repeat performance 1724
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Sinfonia
2. Chor
Weinen, Klagen,
Sorgen, Zagen,
Angst und Not
sind der Christen Tränenbrot,
die das Zeichen Jesu tragen.
3. Rezitativ (Alt)
Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal
in das Reich Gottes eingehen.
4. Arie (Alt)
Kreuz und Krone sind verbunden,
Kampf und Kleinod sind vereint.
Christen haben alle Stunden
ihre Qual und ihren Feind,
doch ihr Trost sind Christi Wunden.
5. Arie (Bass)
Ich folge Christo nach,
von ihm will ich nicht lassen
im Wohl und Ungemach,
im Leben und Erblassen.
Ich küsse Christi Schmach,
ich will sein Kreuz umfassen.
Ich folge Christo nach,
von ihm will ich nicht lassen.
6. Arie (Tenor)
Sei getreu, alle Pein
wird doch nur ein Kleines sein.
Nach dem Regen
blüht der Segen,
alles Wetter geht vorbei,
sei getreu, sei getreu.
7. Choral
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,
dabei will ich verbleiben,
es mag mich auf die rauhe Bahn
Not, Tod und Elend treiben,
so wird Gott mich
ganz väterlich
in seinen Armen halten,
drum laß ich ihn nur walten.
Translation
1. Sinfonia
2. Chorus
Weeping, lamenting,
Worries, faintheartedness,
Anguish and distress
Are the bread-of-tears of Christians,
Those who bear the [brand-]mark of Jesus.
3. Recitative (Alto)
We must through much tribulation
enter into the kingdom of God.
4. Aria (Alto)
Cross and victory wreaths are bound together,
Contest and prize medal are united.
Christians may have, at every hour,
Their sorrow and their enemy,
Yet Christ’s wounds are their comfort.
5. Aria (Bass)
I follow Christ;
I will not let go of him
In well-being and in affliction,
In life and in [deathly] pallor.
I kiss Christ’s humiliation;
I will embrace his cross.
I follow Christ;
I will not let go of him.
6. Aria (Tenor)
Be faithful; all pain
Will indeed be but a little while.
After rain,
Blessing blooms;
Every storm passes;
Be faithful, be faithful.
7. Chorale
What God does is done well —
I will abide by this;
If distress, death, and sorrow may
Drive me on the rough course [of life],
Then God will,
Most paternally,
Hold me in his arms;
That is why I just let him rule.
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 20 February 2025
-
- Recording date
- 5 November 2023
-
- Location
- Grote Kerk Naarden
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- Conductor
- René Jacobs
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- Soprano
- Isabel Schicketanz
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- Alto
- Alexander Chance
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- Tenor
- Thomas Hobbs
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- Bass
- Edward Grint
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- Ripieno soprano
- Lauren Armishaw, Amelia Berridge, Marta Paklar, Anna Bachleitner
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- Ripieno alto
- Sofia Gvirts, Michaela Riener, Emilie Wijers
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- Ripieno tenor
- Adriaan De Koster, João Moreira, Immo Schröder
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- Ripieno bass
- Hidde Kleikamp, Mitchell Sandler, Jaap van der Wel
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- Vioin 1
- Evgeny Sviridov, Sayuri Yamagata, Annelies van der Vegt
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- Violin 2
- Lidewij van der Voort, Lucia Giraudo, Anneke van Haaften
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- Viola 1
- Femke Huizinga, Ivan Jorge Saez Schwartz
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- Viola 2
- Deirdre Dowling, Marta Jiménez
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- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Matyas Virag
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- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
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- Oboe
- Rodrigo López Paz
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- Bassoon
- Josep Casadellà
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- Trumpet
- Robert Vanryne
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- Organ
- Siebe Henstra
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- Archiliuto
- Shizuko Noiri
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- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
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- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Lilita Dunska, Pim van der Lee
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera
- Martin Struijf
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- Lights
- Ernst-Jan Thieme, Patrick Galvin, Robert Groendijk, Jason Mulder
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- Grip
- NEP
-
- Assistant director
- Ferenc Soeteman
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- Set technique
- NEP
-
- Data handling
- NEP
-
- Project manager nep
- Ron Vermeulen
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- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
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- Producer concert
- Imke Deters
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- Producer film
- Wietske Hovingh
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