Bach: Cantata No. 63 “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag” / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
This cantata for Christmas was written in the Weimar period. The instrumentation is festive: four trumpets, timpani, three oboes, string ensemble and basso continuo. The first piece is “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag” a pure chorus piece without chorale melody. Following the alto recitative accompagnato, the soprano and bass sing the duet aria “Gott, du hast es wohl gefüget” with oboe obbligato. The melody of the oboe, which includes a false ending and the form of sigh, is filled with a deep melancholy. Following the tenor recitative, the duet aria “Ruft und fleht den Himmel an” is sung by an alto and tenor in a minuet rhythm accompanied by a string ensemble. The next bass recitative is accompanied by strings and three oboes. The final chorus movement, “Verdoppelt euch demnach” is sung by the full orchestra. The chorus is homophonic at first, then polyphonic, then homophonic again, slowing down to an adagio, followed by a descending chromatic imitation, and then da capo to the beginning. #baroque #bach #cantata #片山俊幸
