Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind (See, dear God, how
my enemies), BWV 153, is a church cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the
Sunday after New Year's Day and first performed it on 2
January 1724.
Bach wrote the cantata in his first year in Leipzig for
the Sunday after New Year's Day and first performed it
on 2 January 1724. The prescribed readings for the day
are from the First Epistle of Peter, the suffering of
Christians (1 Peter 4:12–19), and from th...(+)
Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind (See, dear God, how
my enemies), BWV 153, is a church cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the
Sunday after New Year's Day and first performed it on 2
January 1724.
Bach wrote the cantata in his first year in Leipzig for
the Sunday after New Year's Day and first performed it
on 2 January 1724. The prescribed readings for the day
are from the First Epistle of Peter, the suffering of
Christians (1 Peter 4:12–19), and from the Gospel of
Matthew, the Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:12–23). The
unknown poet took Herod's Massacre of the Innocents and
the Flight into Egypt as a starting point to reflect in
general the situation of the Christians confronted with
enemies. The poet is possibly the same person as the
author of the two Christmas cantatas Darzu ist
erschienen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40, and Sehet, welch
eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64,
performed shortly before, because three hymn stanzas
are featured in all three works. The cantata opens with
a chorale, the first stanza of David Denicke's "Schau,
lieber Gott, wie meine Feind" (1646). Movement 5 is
stanza 5 of Paul Gerhardt's "Befiehl du deine Wege"
(1656), known as movement 44 of the St Matthew Passion.
The words speak of the utmost enemies: "Und ob gleich
alle Teufel" (And even if all devils). The cantata ends
with stanzas 16 to 18 of the chorale "Ach Gott, wie
manches Herzeleid" (1587), attributed to Martin Moller.
Bach would later write a chorale cantata Ach Gott, wie
manches Herzeleid, BWV 3 on this chorale, and use its
first stanza in Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV
58.
This cantata opens with a four-part chorale, which is
unusual for Bach's cantatas. It was the fifth cantata
(and the fourth new one) of the 1723 Christmas season
after BWV 63, BWV 40, BWV 64, and BWV 190, while one
more for Epiphany, BWV 65, was still to come; Bach may
have wanted to ease the workload for the Thomanerchor.
All recitatives are secco, accompanied by the continuo,
but movements 4 and 7 open with an arioso. Movement 3
is marked Arioso by Bach, but is almost an aria. The
Bible word from Isaiah 41:10, "Fürchte dich nicht, ich
bin mit dir" ("Fear not, I am with you"), is given to
the bass as the vox Christi. The opening ritornell of
eight measures is present for most of the movement,
transposed to different keys.
Only two of the nine movements are arias. The first
aria, movement 6, illustrates the enemies in fast
violin passages, sharp dotted rhythms played in unison,
and bold harmonic development. Gardiner compares its
intensity to Peter’s aria Ach, mein Sinn from the St
John Passion.
The second aria, movement 8, is a Menuett, which Bach
probably derived from his secular music, depicting
eternal joy. Twice the instruments play a section and
then repeat it with the voice woven into it. In the
second vocal section, the words "Daselbsten verwechselt
mein Jesus das Leiden mit seliger Wonne, mit ewigen
Freuden" (and there my Jesus exchanges sorrow for
blessed delight, for eternal joy) are presented on a
new theme, marked allegro, then the instruments repeat
their second section as a postlude.
Although the cantata is scored for a chamber ensemble
of alto, tenor and bass soloists, a four-part choir,
two violins, viola, and basso continuo. I created this
arrangement for French Horn & String Quartet (2
Violins, Viola & Cello).
PARTITION