Bach: Cantata No. 73 “Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir” / Gustav Leonhardt

The first movement is the chorus “Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir” by string orchestra, two oboes, basso continuo, and organ obbligato. Following the instrumental introduction, the chorus sings the chorale divided in three phrases. Each chorale phrase is followed by a recitative interspersed with tenor, bass, and soprano, in that order. The four eighth notes in the string and organ right-hand melody, heard over and over again from the beginning to the end of the piece, come from the melody of the lyric “Herr, wie du willt” (As God wills). And finally, it ends with the repetition of the lyrics of the first line of the chorale. Next the tenor aria “Ach senke doch den Geist der Freuden” is sung with oboe obbligato. The tenor follows the oboe melody, and in the middle section, the bass continuo also imitates the melody. Following the bass recitative, the bass aria “Herr, so du willt” is sung with string accompaniment. The aria begins in attacca from the recitative. In the middle section, the strings play pizzicato. The cantata ends with the chorale “Das ist des Vaters Wille”. The melody of this chorale is the French Noël melody, which is also used in Charpentier’s “Messe de minuit pour Noël (Midnight Mass)”. #baroque #bach #cantata #片山俊幸 https://excelkobo.net/bachwerke/archive/BWV0073.pdf