Bach: Cantata No. 3 “Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid” / Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Choral cantata based on a hymn by Martin Moller. The first chorale fantasy, “Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid,” is choral with strings and oboe d’amores, and the chorale melody (cantus firmus) is sung by a bass augmented by a trombone. The second piece, “Wie schwerlich lässt sich Fleisch und Blut,” takes the form of a T, A, S, B recitative interspersed with chorale phrases. The basso continuo simultaneously plays a rhythmic variant of the chorale melody by halving the note value of the chorale melody. In the following bass aria, “Empfind ich Höllenangst und Pein,” the basso ostentato with leaps represents the “horror and suffering of hell,” while the fine-valued bass phrase represents “joy. Following the tenor recitative, the soprano and alto duet aria “Wenn Sorgen auf mich dringen” is sung with great joy, accompanied by a jumping basso continuo. The obbligato is in unison by the violins and oboe d’amores. The cantata closes with the chorale “Erhalt mein Herz im Glauben rein”.　#baroque #bach #cantata #片山俊幸