Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120


Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120.1, is a sacred cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the occasion of Ratswechsel, the inauguration of a new town council in a church service, probably before 1730, or, alternatively, in 1742. Parts of the cantata appeared in a wedding cantata and a cantata commemorating the Augsburg Confession in 1730. Bach reworked the choral second movement for the Symbolum Nicenum of his Mass in B minor.

History

Bach composed the cantata in Leipzig for the inauguration of the newly elected town council, which took place in a festive service at the Nikolaikirche on the Monday following St. Bartholomew's Day. A first performance in 1728 or 1729 is regarded as likely, or according to other sources, such as Klaus Hofmann, 1742. The autographed score of that performance is preserved, with the heading "J. J. Concerto à 4 Voci. due Hautb. due Violini, Viola, 3 Trombe, Tamburi è | Continuo". Parts of the cantata appear in the wedding cantata Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120.2, and the cantata Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120.3, for the 200th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 1730. The latter work's music is lost, only parts of the former cantata are extant.
Bach reworked the first part of the second movement Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen for the Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum in the Symbolum Nicenum of his Mass in B minor.

Scoring, text and structure

The instrumentation reflects the festive occasion for which it was written: four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and basso, a four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
The cantata is in six movements:
  1. Alto solo: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille
  2. Chorus: Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen
  3. Recitative : Auf, du geliebte Lindenstadt
  4. Aria : Heil und Segen
  5. Recitative : Nun, Herr, so weihe selbst das Regiment
  6. Chorale: Nun hilf uns, Herr, den Dienern dein
The first movement is based on Psalm 65:2. It is unusual for Bach to open a festive cantata with a solo voice, but the words "aus der Stille" may have prompted him to write it for alto and two oboe d'amore. The first part of the jubilant second movement, a chorus dominated by the full orchestra, was adapted for the Mass in B minor. The soprano aria with solo violin is probably based on an earlier work from Bach's time in Köthen that served as a model also for a movement of a violin sonata BWV 1019a. The tenor recitative is accompanied by strings to underline its character as a prayer for justice and future blessings. The words for the final chorale are taken from the German Te Deum, "Herr Gott, dich loben wir", by Martin Luther.

Recordings