Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

BWV 436 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
Grote Kerk, Naarden

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Full of imagery

Bach allowed Nicolai’s text to speak for itself

The text of this chorale is teeming with partly concealed imagery. The opening line gets straight to it, with a cosmic metaphor. In Europe, the planet Venus can be seen only in the early evening and in the morning just before dawn as a bright ‘star’ on the horizon. As the morning star, it thus heralds the light of day. Both Christ and Mary (and sometimes John the Baptist as well) were therefore compared to the morning star.

The chorale Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern was written by the poet and song composer Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608). He wrote both the seven-verse text and the melody, which he published in 1599. The poem is a kind of acrostic. The first letters of each strophe (WEGUHZW) refer to Wilhelm Ernst Graf Und Herr Zu Waldeck, a noble pupil of Nicolai, who had died in 1598 at the age of fifteen.

The poetic form was also conceived by Nicolai himself. The unusual structure of the number of syllables in each line (8, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 8) means that every strophe ends with a sort of rhetorical crescendo, from 2 to 4 to 8 syllables. Furthermore, if you centre the text, each strophe forms the shape of the chalice that held the blood of Christ.

Bach decided not to add any more musical metaphors to the wealth of images already in the poem itself. This harmonious setting reserves the starring role for Nicolai himself.

BWV: 436
Title: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
Genre: chorales
Lyricist: Philipp Nicolai (1599)

With support from

Rev Nancy and Dr William Raabe

Extra videos

Vocal texts

Original

Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
voll Gnad und Wahrheit von dem Herrn,
du süße Wurzel Jesse.
Du Sohn Davids aus Jakobs Stamm,
mein König und mein Bräutigam,
hast mir mein Herz besessen;
lieblich, freundlich,
schön und herrlich,
groß und ehrlich,
reich an Gaben,
hoch und sehr prächtig erhaben.

Zwingt die Saiten in Cythara,
und lasst die süße Musica
ganz freudenreich erschallen.
Dass ich möge mit Jesulein,
dem wunderschönen Bräut’gam mein,
in steter Liebe wallen.
Singet, springet,
jubilieret,triumphieret,
dankt dem Herren,
groẞ ist der König der Ehren.

Translation

O Morning Star, in beauty bright
Ablaze with God’s grace, truth, and light,
The promised root of Jesse.
You, David’s son from Jacob’s tribe
My king and bridegroom; as a bride,
Take my heart in possession.
Loving, caring,
Lord of wonders,
great and honored,
Rich and generous,
Beautifully sublime and reverenced.

Then touch the chords of harp and lute,
Let no sweet music now be mute,
But joyously resounding.
Tell of the marriage feast, the Bride,
The heavenly Bridegroom at her side,
Mid love and joy abounding.
Shout for triumph,
Loudly singing, praises bringing,
Fall before him.
King of kings, let all adore him!

translation Stanza 1 © Ruth van Baak Griffioen (2021); Stanza 6 © Catherine Winkworth (1869, modernized)

Credits

Release date

7 December 2023
Recording date

7 March 2020
Location

Grote Kerk, Naarden
Soprano

Marta Paklar
Alto

Sofia Gvirts
Tenor

João Moreira
Bass

Matthew Baker
Theorbo

Mike Fentross
Director

Onno van Ameijde
Music recording

Guido Tichelman, Bastiaan Kuijt, Pim van der Lee
Music edit and mix

Guido Tichelman
Camera

Jesper Blok
Lights

Zen Bloot, Patrick Galvin
Set technique

Justin Mutsaers
Projectmanager team

Ron Vermeulen
Video editing

Bas Wielenga
Assistent music recording

Marloes Biermans
Producer

Jessie Verbrugh
With support from

Rev Nancy and Dr William Raabe of Philadelphia USA, to celebrate their marriage of 35 years. The chorale was part of the couple’s wedding liturgy, and that of their daughter Margaret Van Horn.

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