Beglückter Stand getreuer Seelen
BWV 442 performed by Daniel Johannsen and Leo van Doeselaar
Walburgiskerk, Zutphen
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Disciples with discipline
A chorale with a favourite Baroque topic: Christians should refuse an earthen lifestyle
Many modern theologists have their sore thoughts about the refusal of an earthen lifestyle, promoted in this chorale Beglückter Stand getreuer Seelen. But this self-denial, which was so common for Bach and his contemporaries, is a very commandment of Christ (cf. Luke 9:23-24). The poet Ulrich Bogislaus von Bonin (1682 – 1752), deriving from a Pomeranian family of militaries but then turning towards faith and church, was truly convinced of this axiom of self-denial when he wrote the eight verses of this song, from which three were chosen for our recording.
The world, being in conflict with itself, can surely grant nothing worthwhile; God must be our ‘dwelling place’ (‘Gott muss allein die Wohnung sein’). And when we really aim for that, not even the angels have a superior situation compared to us: they will not have more wealth, honour, joy and satisfaction than ‘the friends of Christ’. This is the promised reward.
Bach (or the hymnal editor Georg Christian Schemelli) chose the earnest and quite meditative minor melody of another (contemporary) chorale: Entfernet euch, ihr matten Kräfte. The words of this chorale by Gottfried Arnold are dealing with exactly the same issue as in BWV 442: ‘Welt, geh aus, lass Jesum ein’, as we know from the last aria in Bach’s St Matthew Passion.
Musicalisches Gesang-Buch G.C. Schemelli
In the eighteenth century, sacred songbooks for private use were an important aid in simple, domestic devotion. For example, no fewer than 17 editions of Johann Freylinghausen’s Geistreiches Gesangbuch were published between 1704 and 1734. Two years later, pietist Georg Christian Schemmel, alias Schemelli, launched his own songbook, containing no fewer than 954 songs, 69 of which included melody, text incipit and figured bass. In order to outdo the competition, he involved probably the most famous music consultant of all time, who happened to be his son’s music teacher: Bach. Following intensive research, only three of the 21 original melodies in the collection (BWV 439-509) can be attributed with certainty to the cantor at the Thomasschule: BWV 452, 478 and 505. The others are accompaniments, revisions and improvements. Bach’s precise role in Schemelli’s Gesangbuch will probably always remain a mystery.
- BWV
- 442
- Title
- Beglückter Stand getreuer Seelen
- Instrument
- tenor
- Genre
- songs and arias
- Serie
- Schemelli's Musicalisches Gesang-Buch
- Year
- before April 1736
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Beglückter Stand getreuer Seelen,
die Gott allein zu ihrem Teil,
zu ihren Schatz und Zweck erwählen
und nur in Jesu suchen Heil,
die, Gott zulieb
aus reinem Trieb,
nach ihres treuen Meisters Rat
sich selbst verleugnen in der Tat.
Unmöglich kann was Gutes geben
die Welt, so selbst in Argen liegt.
Ihr’ Eitelkeiten, falsches Leben
macht wahrlich nie ein Herz vergnügt.
Gott muss allein
die Wohnung sein,
darin man wahre Ruh geneußt,
so uns erquickt an Seel und Geist.
O süße Lust, die man empfindet,
wenn man zu ihm das Herze lenkt
und sich im Glauben dem verbindet,
der sich uns selbst zu eigen schenkt.
Der Engel Heer
hat selbst nicht mehr
an Reichtum, Ehre, Freud und Lust,
als Christi Freunden wird bewusst.
Translation
O happy state of faithful people,
who God alone choose for their part,
seek for their treasure and their purpose
and Jesus love with all their heart,
who, for God’s love,
with pure drive,
always their faithful master heed
and so deny themselves indeed.
For nothing good could ever come from
the world, which deep in evil lies.
You vanities, you life of falsehood
the heart’s true joy cannot realize.
God must alone
Be our true home,
where with true peace we can be blessed,
where soul and spirit are refreshed.
O sweet desire that we discover
when we direct our hearts to him,
and join in faith to our dear Savior
who gives himself to us as gift,
The angels’ force
does not have more
in riches, honor, or in joy,
than Christ’s dear friends will come to know.
translation © Ruth van Baak Griffioen, 2025
Credits
-
- Release date
- 27 February 2025
-
- Recording date
- 28 May 2024
-
- Location
- Walburgiskerk, Zutphen
-
- Tenor
- Daniel Johannsen
-
- Organ
- Leo van Doeselaar
-
- Instrument
- Henrick Bader, 1639/1643
-
- Director and editor
- Gijs Besseling
-
- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Pim van der Lee
-
- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
-
- Camera
- Danny Noordanus, Manon Hoskens, Remco van Leest
-
- Grip
- Wouter Visser
-
- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
-
- Producer
- Lisanne Marlou de Kok
Discover
Help us to complete All of Bach
There are still many recordings to be made before the whole of Bach’s oeuvre is online. And we can’t complete the task without the financial support of our patrons. Please help us to complete the musical heritage of Bach, by supporting us with a donation!