Bach: Cantata No. 123 “Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen” / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
This is a chorale cantata with hymns by Ahasverus Fritsch. The first chorale fantasy, “Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen,” is a sad melody derived from the chorale theme and developed in canonical style. The orchestra consists of strings, two traverso and two oboes d’amore. The second movement alto recitative is sung by Stefan Ramph of the “Tölzer Knabenchor”. The tenor aria “Auch die harte Kreuzesreise” follows with a beautiful obbligato by two oboes d’amore. The chromatic melody is typical of Bach’s music, and the four sixteenth notes (“harte”) just before “Kreuzesreise” are all marked with #, which may represent a cross. Next comes the bass recitative, followed by the bass aria “Laß, o Welt, mich aus Verachtung” in flauto-traverso obbligato. The piece concludes with the chorale “Drum fahrt nur immer hin, ihr Eitelkeiten”. #baroque #bach #cantata #片山俊幸
