Immanuel, o süßes Wort! |
Immanuel, o sweet name! |
S |
Jesu, du mein liebstes Leben, |
Jesus, you, my dearest life, |
B |
Komm! Ich will dich mit Lust umfassen, |
Come! I will embrace you with delight, |
S |
meiner Seelen Bräutigam, |
bridegroom of my soul, |
B |
mein Herze soll dich nimmer lassen, |
my heart shall never leave you, |
S |
der du dich vor mich gegeben |
who gave yourself for me |
B |
Ach! So nimm mich zu dir! |
Ah! Then take me to you! |
S |
an des bittern Kreuzes Stamm! |
on the tree of the bitter cross! |
Auch in dem Sterben |
Even in death |
39. Aria - Soprano
This beautiful and deeply moving aria, with its gentle pizzicato bass line, is taken directly from Cantata 213, where it appears with different words under the title 'Treues Echo dieser Orten' – 'True Echo of These Places'. Known as the “Echo Aria”, the movement is for soprano with obbligato oboe. The voice of humankind is represented by a second soprano, who provides the echo from an off-stage location. The relationship between the parts is complicated and sophisticated, the oboe also being included in the echo passages. Being true chamber music it is also a masterclass in compositional skill. Across just three parts Bach distributes the most beautiful melody, the bass line and implies all the harmony which is necessary. Every note of this aria is essential and not one is superfluous. (There is a moving scene in Peter Shaffer’s screenplay for the film Amadeus in which Antonio Salieri says, with both envy and admiration, of Mozart’s music, “Displace one note and there would be diminishment, displace one phrase and the structure would fall.” Such a statement is absolutely applicable to this wonderful aria.)
Flößt, mein Heiland, flößt dein Namen |
My saviour, does your name instil |
