(Let honour be sung to You, O God), BWV 248V (also written as BWV 248 V), is a church cantata for the second Sunday after Christmas, which Johann Sebastian Bach composed as the fifth part of his Christmas Oratorio, written for the Christmas season of 1734–35 in Leipzig.Bach Digital Work The Christmas cantata was first performed on . Bach was then Thomaskantor, responsible for music at four churches in Leipzig, a position he had assumed in 1723.
History
Bach had been presenting church cantatas for the Christmas season in the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas) and Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas) since his appointment as director musices in Leipzig in 1723, including these cantatas for the Sunday after New Year's Day: As part of his first cantata cycle: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153, first performed on .Bach Digital Work As part of his third cantata cycle: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58 (early version), first performed on , and in its later version, first performed on or , added to the chorale cantata cycle.Bach Digital Works and
Christmas season 1734–35
Bach composed his Christmas Oratorio for the Christmas season from Christmas Day on 25 December 1734 to Epiphany on 6 January 1735. , , for the Sunday after New Year's Day, is the fifth of six cantatas (or parts) constituting this oratorio.
Text The readings for the Sunday were as the epistle , the suffering of Christians, and as the Gospel , the Flight into Egypt. The text of Part V, deviating from these readings, deals with the voyage of the Magi, following the Gospel of Matthew, 1–6, with interspersed reflecting recitatives, arias and chorales.
The identity of the librettist of the Christmas Oratorio cantatas is unknown, with Picander, who had collaborated with Bach earlier, a likely candidate. The oratorio's libretto was published in 1734. The quotations from the Bible are rendered in Martin Luther's translation.
Music and content is scored for 2 oboes d'amore, 2 violin parts, 1 viola part and continuo.
+Christmas Oratorio Part V: For the First Sunday in the New YearPart V is meant to be performed on the Sunday between New Year's Day and Epiphany on 6 January; in some years there is no such day, e.g in 2017, 2018 & 2019.No. KeyTimeIncipitScoringModel43ChorusA maj/Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungenOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo44Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)Da Jesus geboren war zu BethlehemContinuo45ChorusRecitative (alto)ChorusD majorOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuo; BWV 247/43: "Pfui dich, wie fein zerbrichst du den Tempel" (conjectured).Werner Breig, sleeve notes to John Eliot Gardiner's recording of the Christmas Oratorio (Deutsche Grammophon Archiv, 4232322, 1987)46ChoraleA majorDein Glanz all' Finsternis verzehrtOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuoNun liebe Seel, nun ist es Zeit (Weissel 1642), v. 5; Zahn 2461c (1581)47Aria (bass)F minorErleucht' auch meine finstre SinnenOboe d'amore I solo, organ senza continuoBWV 215/7: "Durch die von Eifer entflammeten Waffen"48Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)Da das der König Herodes hörteContinuo49Recitative (alto)Warum wollt ihr erschreckenStrings, continuo 50Recitative (Evangelist, tenor)Und ließ versammeln alle HohenpriesterContinuo51Trio (sopr., alto, ten.)B minorAch! wann wird die Zeit erscheinen?Violin I solo, continuounknown52Recitative (alto)Mein Liebster herrschet schonContinuo 53ChoraleA majorZwar ist solche HerzensstubeOboe d'amore I, II, strings, continuoIhr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lüfte (Franck 1655), v. 9; Zahn 3614b (1687)
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