Es erhub sich ein Streit
BWV 19 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Shunske Sato
Concertzaal Tilburg
Behind the music
Story
Story
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
War in heaven
In this cantata, angels wage war against the devil
In the opening chorus of Bach’s cantata Es erhub sich ein Streit (BWV 19), Bach gets straight to the point. With no orchestral introduction whatsoever, the bass enters with a prickly theme, jumping up an octave after two notes already. And before he even finishes the theme, the tenor pounces on him with the same theme, now five tones higher. One bar later, the alto enters as well, and then the soprano. After a mere eight bars, three trumpets and a set of rolling timpani take us to a splendid climax: four times, the orchestra builds up and deals a ‘blow’, before the voices jostle one another again. It’s clear – this is war. And not any old war, but a heavenly attack on Satan. Led by Archangel Michael, the serpent that once tempted Eve is wrestled to the ground by swarming armies of angels.
The story of the heavenly war between good and evil comes from the Book of Revelation in the Bible. In the Lutheran church of Bach’s day, the feast of St Michael, or Michaelmas, was an important date, on which Christ’s victory over death was also commemorated. The story of St Michael’s victory came to represent Christ’s battle against evil.
Quite apart from its theological significance, Michaelmas was also an important secular occasion, as it officially heralded the end of summer and beginning of autumn. All over Western Europe that meant sowing new crops, making wine and starting the new academic year. It was also an important date for the economy of Leipzig, as the Sunday after Michaelmas marked the opening of the big autumn trade fair, where goods from all over the world were traded. The Leipzig market attracted many visitors, so it is no wonder that Bach took an expansive musical approach to this cantata.
Bach seeks out contrast in the arias. After the turbulent opening chorus, heavenly order is restored, which Bach expresses in two exceptionally fine arias for soprano and tenor. The soprano aria ‘Gott schickt uns Manahim zu’ emphasises the libretto message that God protects the faithful against evil. Following a short recitative, the tenor prays for God’s protection in a pleading minor, in his aria ‘Bleibt ihr Engel’. Above this supplication, a sort of answer descends in protracted trumpet notes: the wordless chorale ‘Ach Herr, lass dein lieb' Engelein’, which is known as the closing chorale of the St John Passion. In between the movements, the bass provides unity in recitatives that are almost reminiscent of news flashes. Bach finishes off with a warm closing chorale, with radiant accompaniment from the orchestra.
About this recording
We recorded this cantata as part of our staged programme ‘Bach & Telemann: Money, power and pleasure’. Watch the entire performance on YouTube.
- BWV
- 19
- Title
- Es erhub sich ein Streit
- Instrument
- bass, soprano, tenor
- Genre
- cantatas
- City
- Leipzig
- Occasion
- Saint Michael (29 September)
- First performance
- 29 September 1726
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Chor
Es erhub sich ein Streit.
Die rasende Schlange, der höllische Drache
stürmt wider den Himmel mit wütender Rache.
Aber Michael bezwingt,
und die Schar, die ihn umringt,
stürzt des Satans Grausamkeit.
2. Rezitativ (Bass)
Gottlob! der Drache liegt.
Der unerschaffne Michael
und seiner Engel Heer hat ihn besiegt.
Dort liegt er in der Finsternis
mit Ketten angebunden,
und seine Stätte wird nicht mehr
im Himmelreich gefunden.
Wir stehen sicher und gewiß,
und wenn uns gleich sein Brüllen schrecket,
so wird doch unser Leib und Seel
mit Engeln zugedecket.
3. Arie (Sopran)
Gott schickt uns Mahanaim zu;
wir stehen oder gehen,
so können wir in sichrer Ruh
vor unsern Feinden stehen.
Es lagert sich so nah als fern,
um uns der Engel unsers Herrn
mit Feuer, Roß und Wagen.
4. Rezitativ (Tenor)
Was ist der schnöde Mensch, das Erdenkind?
Ein Wurm, ein armer Sünder.
Schaut, wie ihn selbst der Herr so liebgewinnt,
daß er ihn nicht zu niedrig schätzet
und ihm die Himmelskinder,
der Seraphinen Heer,
zu seiner Wacht und Gegenwehr,
zu seinem Schutze setzet.
5. Arie (Tenor)
Bleibt, ihr Engel, bleibt bei mir!
Führet mich auf beiden Seiten,
daß mein Fuß nicht möge gleiten!
Aber lernt mich auch allhier
euer großes Heilig singen
und dem Höchsten Dank zu singen!
6. Rezitativ (Sopran)
Laßt uns das Angesicht
der frommen Engel lieben
und sie mit unsern Sünden nicht
vertreiben oder auch betrüben.
So sein sie, wenn der Herr gebeut,
der Welt Valet zu sagen,
zu unsrer Seligkeit
auch unser Himmelswagen.
7. Choral
Laß dein Engel mit mir fahren
auf Elias Wagen rot
und mein Seele wohl bewahren,
wie Lazrum nach seinem Tod.
Laß sie ruhn in deinem Schoß,
erfüll sie mit Freud und Trost,
bis der Leib kommt aus der Erde
und mit ihr vereinigt werde.
Translation
1. Chorus
A battle arose.
[Satan] the raging serpent, [Satan] the hellish dragon,
Storms against heaven with furious vengeance.
But [the angel] Michael conquers,
And the legion that rallies around him
Overthrows Satan’s barbarity.
2. Recitative (Bass)
Praise God! The dragon [Satan] lies [in the abyss].
The uncreated “Michael” [Jesus]
And his army of angels has vanquished him.
He [Satan] lies there in the darkness,
Tied up with chains,
And his place is
Found in the kingdom of heaven no more.
We stand secure and confident,
And even if his roaring frightens us,
Our body and soul will nevertheless be
Shrouded by angels.
3. Aria (Soprano)
God sends us “mahanaim” [legions of angels];
Whether we stand or go,
We can stand in secure rest
Before our enemies.
The angel of our Lord
Encamps around us, both near and far,
With fire, horse, and chariot.
4. Recitative (Tenor)
What is contemptible man, earth’s child?
A worm, a wretched sinner.
Behold how the Lord grows so fond of even him
That he [the Lord] does not reckon him too lowly
And sets him heaven’s children,
The army of seraphim,
As his guard and defense,
As his protection.
5. Aria (Tenor)
Abide, you angels, abide with me.
Guide me on both sides
So that my foot may not slip.
But teach me to sing also here [on earth]
Your great “Holy”
And to sing thanks to the Most High.
6. Recitative (Soprano)
Let us adore the constellation
Of stalwart angels
And not drive away or even aggrieve them
With our sins.
Then, when the Lord commands [us]
To say “farewell” to the world,
They [the angels] may, for our blessedness/salvation,
Be also our firmament-chariot.
7. Chorale
[God,] let your angel[s] travel with me [to heaven]
On Elijah’s red chariot;
And [God, there] well keep my soul,
Like [the soul of] Lazarus after his death.
Let it [my soul] rest in your bosom,
Fill it with joy and comfort,
Until the body comes out of the earth
And will have been united with it [the soul].
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 26 September 2024
-
- Recording date
- 6 October 2022
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- Location
- Concertzaal Tilburg
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- Conductor
- Shunske Sato
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- Soprano
- Rachel Redmond
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- Tenor
- Daniel Johannsen
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- Bass
- Matthew Baker
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- Ripieno soprano
- Lauren Armishaw, Marta Paklar, Amelia Berridge
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- Ripieno alto
- Sofia Gvirts, Georgia Burashko, Emilie Wijers, Gerben van der Werf
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- Ripieno tenor
- Adriaan de Koster, João Moreira, Emilio Aguilar
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- Ripieno bass
- Matthew Baker, Jaap van der Wel, Samuel Wong
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- Violin 1
- Sayuri Yamagata, Matthea de Muijnck, Annelies van der Vegt
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- Violin 2
- Anneke van Haaften, Iris Kengen, Kano Imada
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- Viola
- Femke Huizinga, Jasper Snow
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- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Anna Litvinenko
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- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg, Giuseppe Ciraso-Calì
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- Oboe, oboe d'amore
- Rodrigo Lopez Paz, Katharina Verhaar
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- Oboe da caccia
- Esther van der Ploeg
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- Bassoon and recorder
- Benny Aghassi, Hannah Voß
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- Trumpet
- Robert Vanryne, Mark Geelen, Amir Rabinovitz
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- Timpani
- Robert Kendell
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- Organ
- Pieter-Jan Belder
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- Harpsichord
- Siebe Henstra
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- Theatre concept and direction
- Caecilia Thunnissen
-
- Scenography
- Mahshad Safaei
-
- Film director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
-
- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Pim van der Lee, Lilita Dunska, Rob Strolenberg
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera
- Wesley Schipper, Jan-Rein Hettinga, Ruben Kuyl, Matthijs Notten
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- Camera assistant
- Tom Bakker
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- Lights
- Ernst-Jan Thieme
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- Lighting assistant
- Jason Mulder, Sam Broekman, Achmed Almoudi
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- Assistant director
- Marlies Bosmans, Marieke Donker Kaat
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- Set technique
- Ernst-Jan Thieme
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- Data handling
- Ruben Kuyl
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- 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
- Marieke de Blaay
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