Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206
Schleicht, spielende Wellen (Glide, O sparkling waves and murmur softly), BWV 206,[a] is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig and first performed on 7 October 1736.
History and text
Bach composed this cantata for the birthday of Augustus III of Poland and Elector of Saxony. It was first performed in Leipzig, Saxony, on 7 October 1736. A second performance took place on 3 August 1740.[1]
The librettist of the work is unknown, but was likely Picander.[1] The cantata is counted among the works Bach wrote for celebrations of Leipzig University, Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern.[2]
Scoring and structure
The cantata features four solo vocal parts, representing rivers: Pleiße (soprano), Donau (alto), Elbe (tenor), and Weichsel (bass).[b] The cantata is also scored for four-part choir, three flutes, two oboes, two oboes d'amore, three trumpets, timpani, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, and basso continuo.[3]
It has eleven movements:
- Chorus: Schleicht, spielende Wellen, und murmelt gelinde
- Recitative (bass): O glückliche Veränderung
- Aria (bass): Schleuß des Janustempels Türen
- Recitative (tenor): So recht! beglückter Weichselstrom
- Aria (tenor): Jede Woge meiner Wellen
- Recitative (alto): Ich nehm zugleich an deiner Freude teil
- Aria (alto): Reis von Habsburgs hohem Stamme
- Recitative (soprano): Verzeiht, Bemooste Häupter starker Ströme
- Aria (soprano): Hört doch! der sanften Flöten Chor
- Recitative (SATB): Ich muss, ich will gehorsam sein
- Chorus: Die himmlische Vorsicht der ewigen Güte
Recordings
- Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Ton Koopman. J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 5. Erato, 1996.
- Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling. Edition Bachakademie Vol. 64. Hänssler, 1994.
- Kammerchor Stuttgart / Concerto Köln, Frieder Bernius. J.S. Bach Secular Cantatas BWV 206 & 207a. Sony Classical, 1990.
- Ex Tempore Choir, Florian Heyerick / Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel BWV 36c, 201, 206, 207, Quodlibet BWV 524. Archiv Produktion 457 348-2, 1996 & 1997.
Notes
- ^ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
- ^ The Pleiße flows through Leipzig into the Elbe, the Vistula (German: Weichsel) is the longest and largest river in Poland, and the Danube (Donau), flows through Austria, which Augustus later supported against Prussia in the War of the Austrian Succession.
References
- ^ a b "Cantata BWV 206 Schleicht, spielende Wellen". Bach Cantatas. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ Timm, David (2009). Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern (in German). Leipziger Universitätschor. pp. 8f. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
- ^ "BWV 206". University of Alberta. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
External links
- Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)
- Schleicht, spielende Wellen: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- BWV 206 – "Schleicht, spielende Wellen" English translation, Emmanuel Music
- Schleicht, spielende Wellen history, scoring, Bach website (in German)
- BWV 206 Schleicht, spielende Wellen English translation, University of Vermont
- v
- t
- e
- 1[d]
- 2
- 3
- 4[d]
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11 (oratorio)
- 12
- 13
- 14
15**- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 30a
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 34a
- 35
- 36
- 36a
- 36b
- 36c
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- (53)*
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 66a
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 69a
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 80a
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- 97
- 98
- 99
- 100
- 101
- 102
- 103
- 104
- 105
- 106
- 107
- 108
- 109
- 110
- 111
- 112
- 113
- 114
- 115
- 116
- 117
- 118 (motet)
- 119
- 120
- 120a
- 120b
- 121
- 122
- 123
- 124
- 125
- 126
- 127
- 128
- 129
- 130
- 131
- (131a)*
- 132
- 133
- 134
- 134a
- 135
- 136
- 137
- 138
- 139
- 140
141**- (142)*
- 143
- 144
- 145
- 146
- 147
- 147a
- 148
- 149
- 150
- 151
- 152
- 153
- 154
- 155
- 156
- 157
- 158
- 159
160**- 161
- 162
- 163
- 164
- 165
- 166
- 167
- 168
- 169
- 170
- 171
- 172
- 173
- 173a
- 174
- 175
- 176
- 177
- 178
- 179
- 180
- 181
- 182
- 183
- 184
- 185
- 186
- 187
- 188
- (189)*
- 190
- 190a
- 191
- 192
- 193
- 193a
- 194
- 195
- 196
- 197
- 197a
- 198
- 199
- 200
- 201
- 202
- 203
- 204
- 205
- 205a
- 206
- 207
- 207a
- 208
- 208a
- 209
- 210
- 210a
- 211
- 212
- 213
- 214
- 215
- 216
- 216a
- (217)*
218**219**- (220)*
- (221)*
222**- 223
- 224
- 244a
- 248 I
- 248 II
- 248 III
- 248 IV
- 248 V
- 248 VI
- 249a
- 249b
- 1040
- 1045
- 1083
- 1127
- 1138.1–1139.1
- 1140–1141
- Anh. 5
- Anh. 9
- Anh. 11
- Anh. 18 — [d]discography; *(doubtful); **
spurious
- Lists: Compositions
- Cantatas ; Church cantatas: Chorale cantatas
- Early
- Weimar
- 1st cycle
- 2nd cycle
- 3rd cycle
- Picander cycle
- Late ; Secular cantatas