Text No. 2, 4–6, 8
Salomo Franck (?)

Text No. 3
Psalm 40:8–9

Text No. 7
Paul Stockmann, 1633
(33rd verse from “Jesu Leiden,
Pein and Tod”)

First performance
25 March 1714, Weimar

Aside from adjustments in thematic issues, the changes to the instrumentation of the opening Sinfonia testify to Bach’s sensitivity to the setting of his performances. While a dialogue of solo recorder and violin over pizzicato strings sufficed for the small, but lofty “Himmelsburg” church of Weimar castle (the version featured in this recording), Bach added another violin and an oboe to achieve a fuller sound for the larger churches in Leipzig. The delicate and transparent compositional style of the Sinfonia sets an introspective tone for the whole cantata: the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem – precipitating his denunciation and crucifixion – is not presented as the grand entrance of a worldly prince, but rather as the king of heaven’s homecoming in the hearts of his followers. This humility is underscored by the naively direct timbre of the recorder which also characterises the opening chorus. Taking the form of a da capo choral aria with a contrasting middle section, this movement features a permutation fugue of extraordinary mastery in which each voice successively repeats a sequence comprising a theme and three counter-themes. The subsequent recitative melds after just a few bars into an arioso. In the former, the bass voice takes on the role of Christ himself, declaring his submission – through his crucifixion – to the will of God the Father. In the ensuing aria, the bass then becomes an empathetic commentator on this suffering. Accompanied by a shimmering string section with an intricate first violin solo, the singer repeatedly stresses the “strong compassion” that enabled Jesus to make his supreme sacrifice. This movement is followed by an aria with recorder obbligato that poignantly manifests why baroque still life paintings depict this instrument as a symbol of sorrow and transience. The mood of the aria echoes the essence of a “natura mortis”, creating a music that is virtually detached from time. Over halting bass notes, the recorder and alto voice intone a plaintive dialogue of descending lines that shifts the theme of submission to God’s will over to the believers and their relationship to Christ, to whom they must dedicate “life and possessions”. At this point in the composition, hierarchal concepts are illustrated by mirroring class divides in baroque society – from the ruling lord down to the lowliest subject – an approach that was undoubtedly received with favour at a princely court. In the tenor aria, a florid continuo ritornello, the listener experiences the “weal and woe” that Christ must undergo on his arduous journey. In the harsh “Crucify!” phrase that ensues, there is more than a mere suggestion of the impending Passion. Here, the identification of each simple believer with Christ’s sacrifice materialises as the leitmotif of the cantata. The following chorale setting of “Jesus, this thy passion, brings me purest pleasure” skilfully echoes and intensifies the theme; upon hearing this exacting movement, the Weimar court officials must have sensed that they had appointed a master organist as church composer. Composer and librettist, however, chose not to end their work on an all too sombre note – a buoyant three-section final chorus follows, with the light-hearted recorder melody conjuring up a dance-like variation of the opening movement. A more apt medium to convey inner, spiritual joy – despite the undertones of sorrow – is difficult to conceive of. At the same time, the compositional finesse of the movement also indicates that Bach was well on the path to the mature ensemble writing of his Brandenburg concertos.