Widerstehe doch der Sünde
BWV 54 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Lars Ulrik Mortensen
Geertekerk, Utrecht
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Compact and illustrative
Bach probably stood an excellent chance with this cantata during his first official Sunday as concert master in Weimar
For a long time, this cantata was thought to be incomplete. There are only three parts: two arias with a recitative in the middle. And yet it forms a beautiful whole. In 1970, it became apparent that nothing was missing at all, when a volume of libretti by Christian Lehms from 1711 came to light, containing the text used by Bach for this cantata. It also clarified the occasion of the piece. Lehms indicates that the text was intended for Oculi, the fourth Sunday before Easter, rather than the fourth Sunday after Trinity, as had been presumed up to then. Oculi occurs in Lent, a period when although no cantatas were sung in Leipzig, they were sung in Weimar. So the first performance of Widerstehe doch der Sünde probably took place as early as 4 March 1714 in Weimar. Two days before that, Bach had been officially appointed concert master, and he thus proved straight away that he was fully capable of meeting his new obligations – delivering a new piece of church music every month.
Lehms’ words – ‘Widerstehe doch der Sünde’, ‘Die Art verrüchter Sünden’ and ‘Wer Sünde tut, der ist vom Teufel’ – leave us in no doubt that this is about casting out the devil. In order to enter the next world, man must resist earthly temptations. This is not easy, as Bach shows us through many musical illustrations of the text. The driving rhythmic pattern in the first aria, combined with tense harmonies and a sustained rising melodic line, anyway points to a great deal of toil and trouble. The recitative explains what awaits us if we do not succeed: the grave, accompanied by very low droning notes, and the sharp sword, with which Bach gives us a talking to. The second aria, on the other hand, sketches a rosy picture of the future if we resist evil. The devil swiftly takes to his heels, hotly pursued by only fast notes. Bach must have stood an excellent chance with this work.
- BWV
- 54
- Title
- Widerstehe doch der Sünde
- Instrument
- alto
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- 1714
- City
- Weimar
- Lyricist
- Georg Christian Lehms
- Occasion
- Oculi (the fourth Sunday before Easter), seventh Sunday after Trinity
- First performance
- 4 March 1714
- Special notes
- Bach used the first aria in the St Mark Passion, BWV 247, as Falsche Welt, dein schmeichelnd Küssen
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Arie (Alt)
Widerstehe doch der Sünde,
sonst ergreifet dich ihr Gift.
Lass dich nicht den Satan blenden;
denn die Gottes Ehre schänden,
trifft ein Fluch, der tödlich ist.
2. Rezitativ (Alt)
Die Art verruchter Sünden
ist zwar von aussen wunderschön;
allein man muss
hernach mit Kummer und Verdruss
viel Ungemach empfinden.
Von aussen ist sie Gold;
doch, will man weiter gehn,
so zeigt sich nur ein leerer Schatten
und übertünchtes Grab.
Sie ist den Sodomsäpfeln gleich,
und die sich mit derselben gatten,
gelangen nicht in Gottes Reich.
Sie ist als wie ein scharfes Schwert,
das uns durch Leib und Seele fährt.
3. Arie (Alt)
Wer Sünde tut, der ist vom Teufel,
denn dieser hat sie aufgebracht.
Doch wenn man ihren schnöden Banden
mit rechter Andacht widerstanden,
hat sie sich gleich davon gemacht.
Translation
1. Aria (Alto)
Stand firm against all sinning,
or its poison will possess you.
Be not blinded by Satan;
for those who violate God’s majesty
shall be felled by a deadly curse.
2. Recitative (Alto)
Vile sinning seems,
in truth, outwardly wonderful;
but one must
thereafter, with sorrow and dismay,
experience much misery.
Outwardly sin is golden;
but if one looks more closely,
we see it is but an empty shadow,
a whited sepulchre.
It resembles Sodom’s apples,
and those who wed themselves to sin
shall never dwell in God’s realm.
Sin is like a sharpened sword,
that pierces us through body and soul.
3. Aria (Alto)
Those who commit sin are of the devil,
for he has invented sin,
but if one resists his vile shackles
with true devotion,
sin will straightaway take flight.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 4 July 2014
-
- Recording date
- 1 February 2014
-
- Location
- Geertekerk, Utrecht
-
- Harpsichord and direction
- Lars Ulrik Mortensen
-
- Alto
- Maarten Engeltjes
-
- Violin 1
- Shunske Sato, Sayuri Yamagata, Anneke van Haaften
-
- Violin 2
- Pieter Affourtit, Paulien Kostense, Annelies van der Vegt
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- Viola
- Staas Swierstra, Femke Huizinga
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- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Richte van der Meer
-
- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
-
- Positive organ
- Siebe Henstra
-
- Concert production
- Marco Meijdam, Imke Deters
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- Producer
- Frank van der Weij
-
- Film director
- Lucas van Woerkum
-
- Director of photography
- Sal Kroonenberg
-
- Camera
- Sal Kroonenberg, Jorrit Garretsen, Robert Berger, Benjamin Sparschuh
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- Film editors
- Lucas van Woerkum, Frank van der Weij
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- Music recording producer
- Leo de Klerk
-
- Gaffer
- Roel Ypma
-
- Best boy
- Chris Uitenwijk
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- Production assistent
- Zoë de Wilde
-
- Score reader
- Jan Van den Bossche
-
- Make up
- Marloes Bovenlander, Jamila el Bouch
-
- Trainees camera
- Izak de Dreu, Indy Hamid
-
- Music producer's assistant
- Mieneke van der Velden
-
- Music recording assistants
- Jaap van Stenis, Gilius Kreiken, Jaap van Firet
-
- Data handler
- Joep Bannenberg
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- Music edit and mix
- Leo de Klerk, Frank van der Weij
-
- Music edit and mix asssistant
- Martijn Snoeren
-
- Colorist
- Petro van Leeuwen
-
- Interviews
- Onno van Ameijde
-
- Acknowledgements
- Rob van Stek
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