Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and mouth and
deed and life), BWV 147, is a church cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach. It was written originally in Weimar in
1716 (BWV 147a) for Advent and expanded in 1723 for the
feast of the Visitation in Leipzig, where it was first
performed on 2 July 1723.
Bach composed the cantata in his first year as
Thomaskantor in Leipzig for the Marian feast "Mariae
Heimsuchung" (Visitation). The prescribed readings for
the feast day were Isaiah 11:1–5, ...(+)
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and mouth and
deed and life), BWV 147, is a church cantata by Johann
Sebastian Bach. It was written originally in Weimar in
1716 (BWV 147a) for Advent and expanded in 1723 for the
feast of the Visitation in Leipzig, where it was first
performed on 2 July 1723.
Bach composed the cantata in his first year as
Thomaskantor in Leipzig for the Marian feast "Mariae
Heimsuchung" (Visitation). The prescribed readings for
the feast day were Isaiah 11:1–5, the prophecy of the
Messiah, and from the Gospel of Luke, Luke 1:39–56,
Mary's visit to Elizabeth, including her song of
praise, the "Magnificat". He used as a base a cantata
in six movements composed in Weimar for the fourth
Sunday in Advent. As Leipzig observed tempus clausum
(time of silence) from Advent II to Advent IV, Bach
could not perform the cantata for that occasion and
rewrote it for the feast of the Visitation. The
original words were suitable for a feast celebrating
Mary in general; more specific recitatives were added,
the order of the arias changed, and the closing chorale
was replaced and repeated on a different verse to
expand the cantata to two parts. The words are verses 6
and 16 of the hymn "Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne" (1661)
by Martin Jahn (de).
The opening chorus renders the complete words in three
section, the third one a reprise of the first one and
even the middle section not different in character. An
instrumental ritornello is heard in the beginning and
in the end as well as, slightly changed, in all three
sections with the choir woven into it. In great
contrast all three sections conclude with a part
accompanied only by basso continuo. Sections one and
three begin with a fugue with colla parte instruments.
The fugue subject stresses the word Leben (life) by a
melisma extended over three measures. The soprano
starts the theme, the alto enters just one measure
later, tenor after two more measures, bass one measure
later, the fast succession resulting in a lively music
as a good image of life. In section three the pattern
of entrances is the same, but building from the lowest
voice to the highest.
The three recitatives are scored differently, the first
accompanied by chords of the strings, the second by
continuo, the third as an accompagnato of two oboes da
caccia which add a continuous expressive motive,
interrupted only when the child's leaping in the womb
(in German: Hüpfen) is mentioned which they
illustrate.
The three arias of the original cantata are scored for
voice and solo instruments (3., 5.) or only continuo,
whereas the last aria, speaking of the miracles of
Jesus, is accompanied by the full orchestra.
The chorale movements 6 and 10, ending the two parts of
the cantata, are the same music based on a melody by
Johann Schop, "Werde munter, mein Gemüthe", a melody
which Bach also used in his St Matthew Passion on the
words "Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen" (movement 40).
The simple four-part choral part is embedded in a
setting of the full orchestra dominated by a motive in
pastoral triplets derived from the first line of the
chorale melody.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is the most common English
title of this movement of the cantata and is one of
Bach's most enduring works.
Although the cantata was scored for four soloists and a
four-part choir, a festive trumpet, two oboes (oboe
d'amore, oboe da caccia), two violins, viola and basso
continuo including bassoon, I created this arrangement
for Viola & Cello.
PARTITION