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,
|
Let honour be sung to you, O God, |
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?
|
Say where is he that is born King of the Jews? |
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, |
Your radiance destroys all darkness, |
