During 1726, Bach had performed several cantatas by his cousin Johann Ludwig Bach who worked in Meiningen, from 2 February (Purification) to 30 May (Ascension).[3] The texts for these cantatas came from a 1704 anonymous libretto cycle published in Meiningen. They follow a symmetrical pattern: structured in seven movements, they begin with a chorus on a quotation from the Old Testament, turn in the central movement to a quotation from the New Testament, and end with a closing chorale, while a librettist added text for the inner movements as recitatives and arias.
Bach began to compose cantatas on texts in this format on the first Sunday after Trinity in 1726, with Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39. The text for Es wartet alles auf dich follows the same pattern.[3] The opening chorus is based on Psalms 104:27–28, directly related to the reading. A possible parallel source is Psalm 145:15-16.
Bach first performed the cantata on 4 August 1726.[2] He used the music of four movements, the opening chorus and the arias, for four movements of the Gloria of his Missa in G minor, BWV 235.[5][6]
Music
Structure and scoring
Bach structured the cantata in seven movements in two parts, the first three movements to be performed before the sermon, the others after the sermon. The first movement is a choral setting of psalm verses, followed by recitative and aria, the fourth movement is a bass solo on a quotation of Jesus, followed by aria and recitative, and closed by a chorale. Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists (soprano (S), alto (A) and bass (B)), a four-part choir, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble: two oboes (Ob), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo (Bc).[2][7] The duration of the cantata is around 25 minutes.[8]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe. The keys and time signatures are taken from the Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, using the symbol for common time (4/4).[7] The instruments are shown separately for winds and strings, while the continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.
The opening chorus is a setting of psalm verses, "Es wartet alles auf dich, daß du ihnen Speise gebest zu seiner Zeit." (These wait all upon You, that you may give them nourishment in due saeson).[8] Grammatically this is a passive form where the subject (God) comes after the verb. This underlines the faith of the writer, who knows (s)he can totally rely on God for his/her daily needs. The following subjunctive (conditional form) underlines that God does this by grace, totally undeserved by the recipient. This is central to Bach's Lutheran faith.
These verses are often used as a prayer before a meal. Bach achieves a unity of form, but at the same time an individual handling of the four ideas of the text, as in a motet. The motifs of the instrumental sinfonia of 28 measures are continued through most of the movement, creating unity. "Es wartet alles auf dich" (a) is expressed in free polyphony embedded in the instrumental music, then repeated together with "daß du ihnen Speise gibest" (b) in free polyphony with canonic imitation on two themes, with the instruments playing mostly colla parte, then a and b are repeated within a part of the sinfonia, which is continued instrumentally. In the following second section, "Wenn du ihnen gibest …" (c) is the theme of a choral fugue, "Wenn du deine Hand auftust …" (d) is the countersubject. The instruments play colla parte first, then add motifs from the sinfonia. In the third concluding section the complete text is repeated within a part of the sinfonia.[4]
2
In the first recitative, "Was Kreaturen hält das große Rund der Welt!" (What creatures are contained by the great sphere of the world!),[1] the librettist paraphases ideas from verses 17 to 25 of the same psalm,[3] which praises God as the Creator of the universe.[4]
3
The first aria addresses God as the sustainer of life: "Du Herr, du krönst allein das Jahr mit deinem Gut." (You Lord, You alone crown the year with Your good.),[1] in a close paraphrase of Psalms 65:12.[3] The alto voice is accompanied by the full orchestra in a dance-rhythm with irregular grouping of measures in the ritornellos.[3]
4
The fourth and central movement sets the biblical words "Darum sollt ihr nicht sorgen noch sagen: Was werden wir essen, was werden wir trinken" (Therefore, do not be anxious, saying: "What will we eat, what will we drink),[1] from the Sermon on the Mount. Bach gives them to the bass as the vox Christi (voice of Christ), accompanied by the violins in unison and the continuo, which also takes part in their motifs.[9]
5
The soprano aria, "Gott versorget alles Leben" (God takes care of every life),[1] is in two contrasting parts. The first section is accompanied by festive dotted rhythms and a broad melody of the solo oboe,[10] the second section, marked un poco allegro, is again like a dance. Only the instruments repeat afterwards the dotted rhythm of the beginning.
The dance seems to have an unusual confidence, almost a cheeky or upstart like confidence. It sounds more like a bassoon than an oboe. So God's grace allows the believer this confidence. It reminds me a little of Luther's instruction to his newborn son, who wouldn't be dissuaded from crying endlessly. Finally in desperation, Luther asked him, "Is the devil bothering you again? Why not do what I do and pull your pants down and fire a blast in his face." John Osborne used this scene in his "Luther" play. The incident may well be apocryphal, and my 'quotation' is based on my memory. Were he based in England, Luther may well have been nicknamed "fartin' Martin" (as I like to be). The bassoon/oboe certainly mimics the methanous outburst well. I can't help wondering if Bach had this Lutheran outburst in mind as he wrote.... I guess it should be added, this is about as irreverent as Bach got in his music.
6
In the recitative "Halt ich nur fest an ihm mit kindlichem Vertrauen" (If I can only hold onto Him with childlike trust),[1] the last words of the soprano are enriched by the strings, like the vox Christi in Bach's St Matthew Passion.[9]
7
The final chorale is a four-part setting for the choir and all instruments.[9][11] It features two stanzas of the hymn. The fourth stanza, "Gott hat die Erde zugericht'" (God has provided for the earth) relates to the beginning, God as the Creator, while the sixth stanza, "Wir danken sehr und bitten ihn, daß er uns geb des Geistes Sinn, daß wir solches recht verstehn" (We thank profoundly and pray to Him that He give us the will of His Spirit, that we understand it rightly), expresses thanksgiving,[3] ending on the Latin word "Gratias".[1]
Publication
The cantata was published in the first edition of Bach's works by the Bach-Gesellschaft in volume 37, edited by Alfred Dörffel in 1891. In the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, it appeared in volume I/18 in 1966, edited by Leo Treitler, followed by a critical report in 1967.[3]
Recordings
A list of recordings is provided on the Bach Cantatas Website. Ensembles playing period instruments in historically informed performance are shown with green background.
Cantata BWV 187 Es wartet alles auf dich history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, Bach Cantatas Website
