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Part 5                The Journey of the Magi

43. Chorus

The fifth is the most lightly scored of the sections of the Christmas Oratorio, and deals with the subject of the arrival of the Wise Men. The words now switch to the gospel of Matthew, the only Evangelist to make any reference to them. The chorus is in DC form and the joyous opening is characterised by antiphonal writing of voices in pairs, which shortly gives way to a fugal passage. The music is constantly changing in texture and driven forwards by semiquaver rhythmic patterns in the instrumental parts (particularly the violins) and frequent phrases in which the sopranos ascend to finish on high notes. Though an earlier form of the music has not been identified, it could have been parodied from a work which is now lost to us.

Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen,
Dir sei Lob und Dank bereit'.
Dich erhebet alle Welt,
Weil dir unser Wohl gefällt,
Weil anheut unser aller Wunsch gelungen,
Weil uns dein Segen so herrlich erfreut.

Let honour be sung to you, O God,
Praise and thanks be prepared for you.
All the world exalts you,
Since our well-being was your pleasure,
Since today all our wishes have come to pass,
Since your blessing so gloriously delights us.

44. Evangelist     Text: St Matthew 2: v 1

Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem im jüdischen Lande zur Zeit des Königes Herodis, siehe, da kamen die Weisen vom Morgenlande gen Jerusalem und sprachen:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.

45. Chorus     Text: St St Matthew 2: v2 with interpolations

This sequence is extremely reminiscent of numerous passages from the existing St John and St Matthew Passions, and is parodied from the chorus ‘Pfui dich, wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel’ from the (now lost) St Mark Passion of 1731. The chorus, somewhat urgently, take on the role of the Wise Men, in so far that Bach gives to it the words attributed to the Wise Men in Matthew’s gospel. The arioso passages, which comment on and answer this narrative (italics), are given to the alto, accompanied by strings and wind in a quasi-recitative style. This is similar to the way in which Bach sets the words of Christ in the St Matthew Passion. The fact that these words, although non-biblical, are addressed directly to Christ, may be considered significant in Bach's choice of word setting. He uses a minor key for this movement.

Wo ist der neugeborne König der Jüden?
Sucht ihn in meiner Brust,
Hier wohnt er, mir und ihm zur Lust!

Wir haben seinen Stern gesehen im Morgenlande
und sind kommen, ihn anzubeten
Wohl euch, die ihr dies Licht gesehen,
Es ist zu eurem Heil geschehen!
Mein Heiland, du, du bist das Licht,
Das auch den Heiden scheinen sollen,
Und sie, sie kennen dich noch nicht,
Als sie dich schon verehren wollen.
Wie hell, wie klar muß nicht dein Schein,
Geliebter Jesu, sein!

Say where is he that is born King of the Jews?
Seek him within my breast,
he lives here, to his and my delight!

For we have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship him.
Happy are you, who have seen this light,
it has appeared for your salvation!
My Saviour, you, you are the light,
that shall shine also for the heathens,
and they, they do not yet know you,
yet they already wish to honour you.
How bright, how clear must your radiance be,
beloved Jesus!

46. Chorale     

The words of this chorale are by Georg Weissel (1590-1635). They are the fifth stanza of the hymn ‘Nun, liebe Seel, nun ist es Zeit’ (‘Now Dear Soul, Now it is Time’). The music is characterised by chromatic harmonic progressions and syncopation in the inner parts. Bach illustrates the words ‘Die trübe Nacht’ with a particularly ‘troubled’ harmonic progression based on a chromatically rising bass line.

Dein Glanz all Finsternis verzehrt,
Die trübe Nacht in Licht verkehrt.
Leit uns auf deinen Wegen,
Daß dein Gesicht
Und herrlichs Licht
Wir ewig schauen mögen!

Your radiance destroys all darkness,
the troubled night is transfigured with light.
Lead us on your paths,
so that your face
and glorious light
might always be visible to us!

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Dec 2017

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