Christen, ätzet diesen Tag
BWV 63 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Marcus Creed
Grote Kerk, Naarden
Behind the music
Story
Story
Extra videos
Extra videos
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Song of praise to the birth of Christ
Bach pulls out all the stops in this festive cantata for a large cast of musicians
Bach’s large-scale cantata Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63, includes four trumpets, three oboes and timpani. It was performed on Christmas Day 1723, in Leipzig, where Bach had been working for less than six months. So it was his first Christmas there. The cantata he performed was not new, but one he had brought with him from Weimar, where Bach had performed it around 1714/1715 for Advent.
Christen, ätzet diesen Tag exudes strength and confidence right from the festive opening, with trumpets heralding the mercy of the coming of Jesus, and rapid entrances that imitate one another, as if the choir and orchestra cannot wait for the big event.
The word ‘Gnade’ (clemency, mercy) is central to the whole piece. It appears four times: in the opening chorus, in the first aria (which is actually a duet, like the second aria), in the second recitative and in the final chorus. That second recitative (So kehret sich nun heut) forms the heart of the cantata, as it is the precise centre of the symmetrically constructed seven-part work. Through metaphorical references to the Old Testament, the tenor expresses the key messages here: redemption and deliverance from death, fear and sin. With the return of the trumpets in the final chorus, Bach’s song of praise to the fulfilled promise of the long-awaited birth of Christ is rounded off in style.
- BWV
- 63
- Title
- Christen, ätzet diesen Tag
- Instrument
- alto, bass, soprano, tenor
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- before 1716
- City
- Weimar
- Lyricist
- unknown, perhaps Johann Michael Heineccius
- Occasion
- Boxing Day
- First performance
- in Weimar, re-performance in Leipzig on 25 December 1723
With support from
Stichting Zabawas
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Chor
Christen, ätzet diesen Tag
in Metall und Marmorsteine!
Kommt und eilt mit mir zur Krippen
und erweist mit frohen Lippen
euren Dank und eure Pflicht;
denn der Strahl, so da einbricht,
zeigt sich euch zum Gnadenscheine.
2. Rezitativ (Alt)
O selger Tag! o ungemeines Heute,
an dem das Heil der Welt,
der Schilo, den Gott schon im Paradies
dem menschlichen Geschlecht verhieß,
nunmehro sich vollkommen dargestellt
und suchet Israel von der Gefangenschaft
und Sklavenketten
des Satans zu erretten.
Du liebster Gott,
was sind wir Arme doch?
Ein abgefallnes Volk, so dich verlassen;
und dennoch willst du uns nicht hassen;
denn eh wir sollen noch
nach dem Verdienst zu Boden liegen,
eh muß die Gottheit sich bequemen,
die menschliche Natur an sich zu
nehmen und auf der Erden
im Hirtenstall zu einem Kinde werden.
O unbegreifliches, doch seliges Verfügen!
3. Duett (Sopran, Bass)
Gott, du hast es wohl gefüget,
was uns itzo widerfährt.
Drum laßt uns auf ihn stets trauen
und auf seine Gnade bauen,
denn er hat uns dies beschert,
was uns ewig nun vergnüget.
4. Rezitativ (Tenor)
So kehret sich nun heut
das bange Leid,
mit welchem Israel geangstet
und beladen,
in lauter Heil und Gnaden.
Der Low aus Davids Stamme ist
erschienen,
sein Bogen ist gespannt,
das Schwert ist schon gewetzt,
womit er uns in vor’ge Freiheit setzt.
5. Duett (Alt, tenor)
Ruft und fleht den Himmel an,
kommt, ihr Christen, kommt
zum Reihen,
ihr sollt euch ob dem erfreuen,
was Gott hat anheut getan!
Da uns seine Huld verpfleget
und mit so viel Heil beleget,
das man nicht g’nug danken kann.
6. Rezitativ (Bass)
Verdoppelt euch demnach,
ihr heisen Andachtsflammen,
und schlagt in Demut brunstiglich
zusammen!
Steigt frohlich himmelan,
und danket Gott vor dies, was er getan!
7. Chor
Höchster, schau in Gnaden an
Diese Glut gebuckter Seelen!
Las den Dank, den wir dir bringen,
angenehme vor dir klingen,
las uns stets in Segen gehn,
aber niemals nicht geschehn,
das uns Satan moge qualen.
Translation
1. Chorus
Christians, etch this day
in metal and marble!
Come and hasten with me to the manger
and show with joyous song
your gratitude and duty;
for the dawning radiance reveals itself
to you as the light of grace.
2. Recitative (Alto)
O blessed day! O wondrous day
on which the Saviour of the world,
the Shiloh promised by God in paradise
to the human race,
reveals himself completely
and seeks to save Israel
from being imprisoned and fettered
by Satan’s slavish chains.
O most loving God!
What are we, poor creatures?
A fallen race that has forsaken Thee.
And even then Thou dost not hate us;
for rather than let us, as we deserve,
writhe on the ground,
the Godhead itself deigns
to take on human shape,
and on earth
be born in a stable.
O incomprehensible, yet blessed dispensation!
3. Duet (Soprano, Bass)
God, Thou hast well ordained
what for us now comes to pass.
Let us then ever trust in Him
and build upon His grace;
for He has bestowed on us this gift,
which causes us eternal joy.
4. Recitative (Tenor)
And so today,
the anguish and the pain
which beset
and troubled Israel,
gives way to pure salvation and mercy.
The lion from David’s line
has appeared,
His bow is drawn tight,
His sword sharpened,
with these He shall bring us our former freedom.
5. Duet (Alto, Tenor)
Call and implore heaven,
come, ye Christians,
come to the dance,
you should rejoice
at God’s deeds today!
For He has accorded us such grace,
bestowed on us such salvation,
more than we can thank him for.
6. Recitative (Bass)
May then your ardent flames of devotion
be redoubled,
fall to your knees fervently
in homage!
Rise joyously up to Heaven
and thank God for what He has done!
7. Chorus
Almighty God, gaze graciously on
the fervour of these humble souls!
May the thanks that we offer
be pleasing unto Thee;
may we ever walk in grace,
let it never come to pass
that Satan should torment us.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 26 December 2019
-
- Recording date
- 13 December 2018
-
- Location
- Grote Kerk, Naarden
-
- Conductor
- Marcus Creed
-
- Soprano
- Griet De Geyter
-
- Alto
- Alex Potter
-
- Tenor
- Guy Cutting
-
- Bass
- Matthias Winckhler
-
- Ripieno soprano
- Hilde Van Ruymbeke, Lauren Armishaw
-
- Ripieno alto
- Carla Nahadi Babelegoto, Barnabás Hegyi
-
- Ripieno tenor
- Immo Schröder, Hitoshi Tamada
-
- Ripieno bass
- Matthew Baker, Joep van Geffen
-
- Violin 1
- Shunske Sato, Annelies van der Vegt, Sayuri Yamagata
-
- Violin 2
- Anneke van Haaften, Paulien Kostense, Pieter Affourtit
-
- Viola
- Staas Swierstra, Deirdre Dowling
-
- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Anne-Linde Visser
-
- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
-
- Oboe
- Emma Black, Rodrigo Lopez Paz, Esther van der Ploeg
-
- Bassoon
- Benny Aghassi
-
- Trumpet
- Robert Vanryne, Fruzsina Hara, Mark Geelen, Nicholas Emmerson
-
- Timpani
- Robert Kendell
-
- Organ
- Siebe Henstra
-
- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
-
- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman
-
- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman, Bastiaan Kuijt, Pim van der Lee
-
- Camera
- Jochem Timmerman, Martin Struijf, Wesley Schipper, Bjorn Tiebout
-
- Lights
- Zen Bloot, Patrick Galvin
-
- Assistant director
- Marieke Donker Kaat
-
- Set technique
- Justin Mutsaers
-
- Data handling
- Jesper Blok
-
- Project manager team
- Ron Vermeulen
-
- Producer concert
- Imke Deters
-
- Producer film
- Jessie Verbrugh
-
- With support from
- Stichting Zabawas
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