Bach Cantata

July of 1724, Bach developed a cantata format after his arrival in Leipzig, and cantats became an important part of life for the people of 17th century. Meine Seel erhebt den Herren is part of a second annual cycle of 40 church cantatas composed for the choristers of the Thomaskirche. Meine Seele erhebt den Herren was a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, which were sung by professional musicians accompanied by choir. Cantatas were religious text messages, language, and final blessings that were sung during worship of Virgin Mary on a visit to Elizabeth. The cantata contained a variety set of keys such as major and minor to demonstrate different moods and symbolism. This cantata is scored for
The third movement sets a dark mood of the recitative for tenor soloist; in the phrasings, “Auf seine Hilfe schaun Und ihm in wahrer Furcht vertraun” the cello supports the tenor by playing slowly with long bowings and crescendos and decrescendo with the tenor together, almost as if a rise and fall motion of emphasizing heaven and death. Translating the text, the crescendo is emphasized on “salvation and hold him” and the decrescendo begins on “in honest awe.” The tenor crescendos with the cello towards the word on “salvation” of the recitative; the cellist is playing with long legato bowing while the tenor sustains his deep voice. Both continues the force of the crescendo until the phrase “hold him” almost as if literally holding onto to God, creating an emphasis the magnification of the Lord and not letting go of him. The harmonization between the tenor and cello sets the melancholy mood of the phrasing in this passage, Bach hardly pushes the instruments of the cello to their limits, and tones down the melodic structure to accommodate the tenor. This is the purity of Bach because he never overpowers the melodies and harmonization in the strings, so the vocalist can have freedom to sing musically the