Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200

Arrangement by Johann Sebastian Bach of an aria from Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel

Bekennen will ich seinen Namen (I shall acknowledge His name), BWV 200, is an arrangement by Johann Sebastian Bach of an aria from Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel's passion-oratorio Die leidende und am Creuz sterbende Liebe Jesu. He scored it for alto, two violins and continuo, possibly as part of a cantata for the feast of Purification. He probably led the first performance around 1742.

History and text

Bach arranged in Bekennen will ich seinen Namen an aria, "Dein Kreuz, o Bräutgam meiner Seelen" (Your cross, o bridegroom of my soul" from Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel's passion-oratorio Die leidende und am Creuz sterbende Liebe Jesu.^[1]^[2] Bach's arrangement, dated around 1742–43,^[3] was possibly part of a cantata for the Marian feast of Purification.^[4]^[5] The prescribed readings for the day were Malachi 3:1–4, and Luke 2:22–32.^[6]

Bach likely performed his arrangement in 1742 in Leipzig.^[6]

Music

The aria is scored for solo alto voice, two violins, and basso continuo.^[7] As with many of Bach's latest cantatas, the aria has a "quality of mellow assurance". It is in adapted ternary form but includes no clear reprise of the opening section. The vocal line includes melismas but no other word painting.^[8]

Recordings

Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Kenneth Sillito. J.S. Bach: Cantatas Nos. 53 · 82 · 170 · 200. Capriccio, 1993.
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Ton Koopman. J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 21. Antoine Marchand, 2002.
Bach-Orchester Mainz, Diethard Hellmann. J.S. Bach: Psalm 51 BWV 1083 & Cantata BWV 200. Da Camera, 1966.
English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner. J.S. Bach: Cantatas for the Feast of Purification of Mary. Archiv Produktkion, 2000.
Netherlands Bach Collegium, Pieter Jan Leusink. Bach Edition Vol. 17. Brilliant Classics, 2000.
Philomusica of London, Thurston Dart. J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 53, BWV 54, BWV 200, BWV 244. L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1958.
Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel. BWV 200: Aria for contralto, 2 violins and basso continuo Magdalena Kozena Archiv Production 2003

References

^ Bach Digital Work 00250 at www.bachdigital.de
^ Wollny 2008.
^ D-B N. Mus. ms. 307 at www.bachdigital.de
^ BWV^2a 1998, p. 202
^ Booklet notes to Hänssler CD 98.858.
^ ^a ^b "Cantata BWV 200 Bekennen will ich seinen Namen". Bach Cantatas. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
^ "BWV 200". University of Alberta. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
^ Mincham, Julian. "Chapter 55 BWV 50, BWV 200, BWV 1045". jsbachcantatas. Retrieved 9 September 2022.

Sources

Wollny, Peter (2008). "Bekennen will ich seinen Namen: Authentizität, Bestimmung und Kontext der Arie BWV 200. Anmerkungen zu Johann Sebastian Bachs Rezeption von Werken Gottfried Heinrich Stölzels" [Bekennen will ich seinen Namen: authenticity, purpose and context of the aria BWV 200. Annotations regarding Johann Sebastian Bach's reception of Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel's works]. Bach-Jahrbuch 2008 [Bach Yearbook 2008]. Bach-Jahrbuch (in German). Vol. 94. Neue Bachgesellschaft. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. pp. 123–158. doi:10.13141/bjb.v2008. ISBN 978-3-374-02668-5. ISSN 0084-7682.

External links

Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Bach Cantata Translations / BWV 200 - "Bekennen will ich seinen Namen" Emmanuel Music 2020

Compositions spuriously attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach

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Easter cantata Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen, JLB 21 (BWV 15)

by Melchior Hoffmann

Magnificat in A minor (Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, BWV Anh. 21)
Cantata Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde (BWV 53)
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by Christian Petzold

Minuets in G major and G minor, BWV Anh. III 114–115
BWV Anh. 114 melody in "A Lover's Concerto"

by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel

Aria "Bist du bei mir" (BWV 508)
Aria "Dein Kreuz, o Bräutgam meiner Seelen", from Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld, model for Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200

by Georg Philipp Telemann

Cantata Das ist je gewißlich wahr, TWV 1:183 (BWV 141)
Cantata Gott der Hoffnung erfülle euch, TWV 1:634 (BWV 218)
Cantata Ich weiß, daß mein Erlöser lebt, TWV 1:877 (BWV 160)
Cantata Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe, TWV 1:1328 (BWV 219)

by Pietro Torri

Magnificat in C major, BWV Anh. 30

by Daniel Vetter

Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben, BWV 8/6, closing chorale of Cantata Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben? BWV 8

by unknown composer

Kyrie–Gloria Mass for double choir, BWV Anh. 167
Cantata Uns ist ein Kind geboren (BWV 142)

v t e Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach
Before Leipzig	Early: BWV 4 131 71 1138.1 & .2 106 196 150 143 Weimar: BWV 61 70a 186a 132 147a 63 152 155 18 54 80a 182 31 12 172 165 21 185 199 161 162 163 Köthen: BWV Anh. 5
First cycle (1723–24)	Between Trinity and Advent: BWV 75 76 24 167 147 186 136 105 46 179 69a 77 25 138 95 148 48 109 89 60 90 70 From Advent to Trinity: BWV 40 64 190 153 65 154 73 81 83 144 181 22 23 66 134 67 104 166 86 37 44 59 184
Second cycle (and chorale cantatas)	Chorale cantatas between Trinity and Easter: BWV 20 2 7 135 10 93 107 178 94 101 113 33 78 99 8 130 114 96 5 180 38 115 139 26 116 62 91 121 133 122 41 123 124 3 111 92 125 126 127 1 Continuation of the second cycle: BWV 6 42 85 103 108 87 128 183 74 68 175 176 Later additions to the chorale cantata cycle: BWV 80 137 129 58 112 140 177 9 14 Other late chorale cantatas: BWV 117 192 100 97
Third cycle	After Trinity 1725: BWV 168 164 79 Liturgical year 1725–26: BWV 110 57 151 28 16 32 13 72 146 43 39 88 170 187 45 102 35 17 19 27 47 169 56 49 98 55 52 1727: BWV 82 84 34 173
Later and other	Picander cycle: BWV 149 188 197a 171 156 159 145 174 Late parodies: BWV 36 30 191 200 248 (I, II, III, IV, V, VI) 1083 Council election (Leipzig): BWV 119 193 29 120 69 (lost: 1139.1, 1140–1141) Wedding: BWV 34a 195 120a 197 Funeral: 157 244a Other: 194 190a 120b 51 158 50 Doubtful: 53 142 189 217 220 221 223 224
Bach cantata List of Bach cantatas Discography: Monteverdi Choir/Koopman/Teldec