Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit 'Actus tragicus'
BWV 106 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Jos van Veldhoven
Oostkerk, Middelburg
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Musical and theological tour de force
Unusual instrumentation produces unearthly sounds
The combination of instruments Bach uses here can be described in many ways – famous, idiosyncratic, exceptionally beautiful and meaningful. In any case, the instrumentation is an unusual one. The violins are conspicuous by their absence, but there are two recorders and two viola da gambas, which provide a soft, comforting and sometimes almost heavenly sound. The recorders seem to symbolise earthly suffering with their sharp seconds and unisons, which recorder player Heiko ter Schegget says should not be ‘too beautiful’. He explains why in the interview.
Eternal life lies at the heart of the ingenious construction of this cantata. Bach makes a stark contrast between the earthly death of the Old Testament (everyone must die) and the redemption of the New Testament. The text cites various books of the Bible, in accordance with the Lutheran view that God’s plan for our salvation covers the whole Bible. The chorus ‘Es ist der alte Bund’ functions as a dramatic climax and axis of symmetry, in which Bach spectacularly combines the familiar memento mori warning (remember that you have to die) with the soprano’s proclamation of the coming of Jesus. This discussion grows into a musical and theological tour de force when at the end of the movement Bach no longer juxtaposes the two ideas, but sets them above and below one another.
This is one of Bach’s earliest cantatas and the music was undoubtedly intended for a funeral. So of course historians have searched for a fitting occasion for it, such as the funeral of the brother of Bach’s mother, Tobias Lämmerhirt, who died in Erfurt on 10 August 1707. The funeral was four days later. As Erfurt is about 60 kilometres away from Mühlhausen, this hypothesis should be taken with a pinch of salt, unless of course Bach could have started on the composition earlier. Incidentally, it is not clear who thought up the epithet ‘Actus Tragicus’, which first appeared in a manuscript dating from after Bach’s death.
- BWV
- 106
- Title
- Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit
- Epithet
- Actus Tragicus
- Instrument
- alto, bass, viola da gamba, soprano, tenor, recorder
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- 1707?
- City
- Mühlhausen
- Lyricist
- unknown
- Occasion
- funeral music
- First performance
- unknown
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Sonatina
2. Chor
Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit.
In ihm leben, weben und sind wir,
solange er will.
In ihm sterben wir zur rechten Zeit,
wenn er will.
3. Arioso (Tenor)
Ach, Herr, lehre uns bedenken,
dass wir sterben müssen,
auf dass wir klug werden.
4. Arie (Bass)
Bestelle dein Haus;
denn du wirst sterben
und nicht lebendig bleiben!
5. Chor und Arioso (Sopran)
Es ist der alte Bund:
Mensch, du musst sterben!
Ja, komm, Herr Jesu!
6. Arie (Alt)
In deine Hände
befehl ich meinen Geist;
du hast mich erlöset,
Herr, du getreuer Gott.
7. Arioso (Bass) und Choral (Alt)
Heute wirst du mit mir
im Paradies sein.
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
in Gottes Willen,
getrost ist mir mein Herz und Sinn,
sanft und stille.
Wie Gott mir verheissen hat:
der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden.
8. Chor
Glorie, Lob, Ehr und Herrlichkeit
sei dir, Gott Vater und Sohn bereit’,
dem Heilgen Geist mit Namen!
Die göttlich Kraft
mach uns sieghaft
durch Jesum Christum, amen.
Translation
1. Sonatina
2. Chorus
God’s time is the very best time.
In him we live, move, and are,
as long as he wills.
In him we die at the proper time,
when he wills.
3. Arioso (Tenor)
Ah, Lord, so that we may become wise,
teach us to ponder
that we must die.
4. Aria (Bass)
Put your house in order;
for you will die
and not remain living.
5. Chorus and Arioso (Soprano)
It is the old covenant:
Humankind, you must die.
Yes, come, Lord Jesus, come.
6. Aria (Alto)
Into your hands
I commend my spirit;
you have redeemed me,
Lord, you faithful God.
7. Arioso (Bass) and Chorale (Alto)
Today you will be with me
in paradise.
With peace and joy I go there [to heaven],
According to God’s will;
I am consoled, my heart and mind;
Gentle and quiet.
As God has promised me:
Death has become my sleep.
8. Chorus
Radiance, praise, honor, and glory
Be bestowed upon you, by name God Father, and Son, [And] Holy Spirit.
The divine power
Makes us victorious
Through Jesus Christ. Amen.
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 4 March 2016
-
- Recording date
- 16 May 2015
-
- Location
- Oostkerk, Middelburg
-
- Conductor
- Jos van Veldhoven
-
- Soprano
- Dorothee Mields
-
- Alto
- Alex Potter
-
- Tenor
- Charles Daniels
-
- Bass
- Tobias Berndt
-
- Ripieno soprano
- Marjon Strijk
-
- Ripieno alto
- Barnabás Hegyi
-
- Ripieno tenor
- Immo Schröder
-
- Ripieno bass
- Jelle Draijer
-
- Recorder
- Heiko ter Schegget, Benny Aghassi
-
- Viola da gamba
- Mieneke van der Velden, Ricardo Rodriguez Miranda
-
- Cello
- Lucia Swarts
-
- Double bass
- James Munro
-
- Organ
- Siebe Henstra
-
- Theorbo
- Mike Fentross
-
- Film directors and editors
- Jasper Verkaart, Manoj Kamps
-
- Music recording producers
- Guido Tichelman, Bastiaan Kuijt, Micha de Kanter
-
- Camera
- Maarten van Rossem, Paul Caspers, Jorrit Garretsen, Rieks Soepenberg
-
- Gaffer
- Daan de Boer, Denny Schoute
-
- Make-up
- Erica Stuyfzand
-
- Colorist
- Daphne Maierna
-
- Interview
- Jasper Verkaart, Manoj Kamps
-
- Producer concert
- Erik van Lith, Marco Meijdam
-
- Producer film
- Jessie Verbrugh
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