The cantata O Ewigkeit, o Donnerwort (Eternity, thou thundrous word), BWV 20, for the 1st Sunday after Trinity in 1724, marks the beginning of Bach’s second annual Leipzig cycle, an epoch-making series of works that are generally considered the artistic pinnacle of Protestant cantata-writing. The launch of a new cycle is underscored by the bipartite form and considerable length of the 11-movement cantata. The piece begins with great pomp: The opening chorus in three sections takes the form of a French overture (with chorale chorus). This extended opening chorus with its wealth of text to be mastered is followed by a varied sequence of comparatively short movements, including several highlights of Bach’s œuvre – a musical cornucopia of ideas!
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text (without music) for download, html file, Singing text, english translationhtml file, Singing text, english translation (Sample)Part I 1 CoroEternity, thou thundrous word!
2 Recitativo (Tenore)
Thou sword to pierce my very soul,
begun, but never ending.
Eternity, thou timeless time,
I know not in my bitter grief
where I may now betake me,
with dread and fright my heart is wrung
and terror halts my palsied tongue.Missfortune here on earth is ne’er so grievous
3 Aria (Tenore)
that ever it must last,
for finally there comes a day when it will leave us.
Yet, woe is me! eternal torment no abatement knows;
for day by day its desperation grows.
Yea, Christ has warned us well:
“How can ye escape the pains of Hell?”Evermore! with dread I quiver,
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text (without music) for download, html file, Singing text, originalhtml file, Singing text, original (Sample)Teil I 1 Coro
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort,
2 Recitativo (Tenore)
o Schwert, das durch die Seele bohrt,
o Anfang sonder Ende!
O Ewigkeit, Zeit ohne Zeit,
ich weiß von großer Traurigkeit
nicht, wo ich mich hinwende.
Mein ganz erschrocken Herz erbebt,
dass meine Zung am Gaumen klebt.Kein Unglück ist in aller Welt zu finden,
3 Aria (Tenore)
das ewig dauernd sei:
Es muss doch endlich mit der Zeit einmal verschwinden.
Ach! aber ach! die Pein der Ewigkeit hat nur kein Ziel;
Sie treibet fort und fort ihr Marterspiel,
ja, wie selbst Jesus spricht,
aus ihr ist kein Erlösung nicht.Ewigkeit, du machst mir bange,
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text (without music) for download, html file, Introductory text, Englishhtml file, Introductory text, English (Sample)Foreword of the Edition Carus 31.020/03
Ulrich Leisinger
Tranlation: John CoombsThe cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV 20 (Eternity, thou thundrous word), marked the beginning of what was probably the most ambitious compositional project ever undertaken by Johann Sebastian Bach: this cantata opens the annual cycle of so-called chorale cantatas, which the Thomaskantor began to compose as his second annual cycle of church cantatas with a work for the 1st Sunday after Trinity in 1724.
This cantata is based on the hymn of the same name by Johann Rist, published in 1642, which was familiar in Leipzig through its inclusion in a hymn book assembled by Gottfried Vopelius (1682 with later reprints), in a version reduced from the original 16 verses to 12. With the exception of a recitative (No. 4) which combines two verses of the hymn, and two lines of verse 9 which are transferred to No. 9, each of the cantata movements is based on a verse of the hymn. The first, eighth and concluding verses are used unaltered. The other verses, set as recitatives and arias, follow the wording of the hymn closely; only in No. 10 has the librettist added a reference to the Gospel for the 1st Sunday after Trinity, the parable of the rich man
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text (without music) for download, html file, Introductory text, Germanhtml file, Introductory text, German (Sample)Vorwort der Ausgabe Carus 31.020/03
Ulrich Leisinger
Die Kantate O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV 20 bildet den Auftakt für das wohl ehrgeizigste kompositorische Projekt, das Johann Sebastian Bach auf sich genommen hat: Die Kantate eröffnet den sogenannten Choralkantatenjahrgang, den der Thomaskantor als zweiten Jahrgang von Kirchenkantaten mit dem 1. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 1724 in Angriff nahm.
Der Kantate liegt das gleichnamige Lied von Johann Rist aus dem Jahre 1642 zugrunde, das in Leipzig durch das Gesangbuch von Gottfried Vopelius (1682 und öfter) in einer auf 12 (von ursprünglich 16) Strophen verkürzten Fassung bekannt war. Mit Ausnahme eines Rezitativs (Satz 4), das zwei Strophen der Lieddichtung zusammenfasst, und zwei Zeilen aus Strophe 9, die Satz 9 zugeschlagen wurden, liegt jedem Kantatensatz eine Strophe des Liedes zugrunde. Dabei wurden die erste, die achte und die letzte Strophe unverändert übernommen. Die übrigen Strophen, die als Rezitative und Arien vertont werden sollten, halten sich eng an die Liedvorlage; nur in Satz 10 hat der Textdichter zudem eine Anspielung auf das Evangelium zum 1. Sonntag nach Trinitatis, das Gleichnis vom reichen Mann und dem armen Lazarus aus Luk. 16, 19–31,
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Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
| 1685-1750Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most important composers of Western music history. He came from a widely ramified musical dynasty, which produced numerous musicians and organists in the Thuringian-Saxon area.
Bach vocal
Ever since Carus-Verlag was founded in 1972, publishing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach has been a special focus for us. In the 2017 Reformation anniversary year we completed the Bach vocal project. Bach's complete sacred vocal works are now available in modern Urtext editions, together with performance material. A complete edition of all the full scores is also available in a high quality box set. Personal details
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Editor
Ulrich Leisinger
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Songwriter / Librettist
Johann Rist
| 1607-1667seit 1653 Johann von Rist Personal details
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Translator
Henry Drinker
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