Bach: Cantata No. 124 “Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht” / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Chorale cantata based on a hymn by Christian Keymann. “Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht” is a chorale fantasy which the chorale melody converted into three beats, with a string ensemble and oboe d’amore concertante. It is a homophonic piece, with horns over the soprano’s chorale melody. The tenor recitative is followed by the tenor aria “Und wenn der harte Todesschlag”. The oboe d’amore’s melody, which includes anxious modulated chords, and the stringed instruments’ continuous sound shapes represent “der harte Todesschlag” (a violent death blow). The bass recitative is followed by the soprano and alto duet aria “Entziehe dich eilends, mein Herze, der Welt”. The song begins with a joyful basso continuo, and the boy soprano and boy alto of the “Tölzer Knabenchor” sing it with great lightness. The piece closes with the chorale “Jesum laß ich nicht von mir”. #baroque #bach #cantata #片山俊幸
