{{Short description|Church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach}} {{Infobox Bach composition | title = {{lang|de|Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange?}} | bwv = 155 | image = Schlosskirche Weimar 1660.jpg | caption = The ''Schlosskirche'' in Weimar | type = Church cantata | occasion = {{nowrap|Second Sunday after Epiphany}} | performed = {{Timeline-event|date={{Start date|1716|01|19|df=y}}|location=Weimar}} | movements = 5 | text_poet = Salomon Franck | chorale = "Es ist das Heil uns kommen her" | vocal = {{abbr|SATB|soprano, alto, tenor and bass}} soloists and choir | instrumental = {{hlist | bassoon | 2 violins | viola | continuo}} }} '''''{{lang|de|Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange?}}''''' (My God, how long, ah, how long),<ref name="Dellal" /> '''{{abbr|BWV|Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (catalogue of Bach's works)}}{{nbsp}}155''', is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He first performed it in Weimar on the second Sunday after Epiphany, on 19 January 1716.
== History and words == On 2 March 1714 Bach was appointed concertmaster of the Weimar court capelle of the co-reigning dukes Wilhelm Ernst and Ernst August of Saxe-Weimar. As concertmaster, he assumed the principal responsibility for composing new works, specifically cantatas for the ''Schlosskirche'' (palace church or ducal chapel), on a monthly schedule.<ref name="Koster" /> He wrote this cantata for the Second Sunday after Epiphany.<ref name="Dürr" />
The prescribed readings for the Sunday were taken from the Epistle to the Romans, "We have several gifts" ({{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Romans|chapter=12|verse=6|range=–16}}), and from the Gospel of John, the Marriage at Cana ({{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=John|chapter=2|verse=1|range=–11}}). The cantata text was written by the court poet Salomon Franck and published in 1715 in ''{{lang|de|Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer}}''. He expanded one thought from the gospel: Jesus is still hidden, but the "soul" may trust that he will appear at the right time. The poet uses images of wine to allude to the miracle at the marriage, such as "{{lang|de|Der Tränen Maß wird stets voll eingeschenket, der Freuden Wein gebricht|italic=no}}" (that the measure of tears is always fully granted, the wine of joy is lacking).<ref name="Dellal" /> The closing chorale is stanza 12 of "Es ist das Heil uns kommen her" by Speratus.<ref name="Dürr" />
Bach first performed the cantata on 19 January 1716 in the ducal chapel.<ref name="Dürr" /> He performed it again in a revised version in his first year in Leipzig on 16 January 1724.<ref name="Gardiner" />
== Scoring and structure ==
Similar to other Weimar cantatas, the work is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, a four-part choir for the chorale only if at all, an obbligato bassoon, two violins, viola, and basso continuo. It is structured in five movements.<ref name="Dürr" />
# Recitative (soprano): ''{{lang|de|Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange?|italic=no}}'' # Aria (alto, tenor): ''{{lang|de|Du mußt glauben, du mußt hoffen|italic=no}}'' # Recitative (bass): ''{{lang|de|So sei, o Seele, sei zufrieden|italic=no}}'' # Aria (soprano): ''{{lang|de|Wirf, mein Herze, wirf dich noch|italic=no}}'' # Chorale: ''{{lang|de|Ob sich's anließ, als wollt er nicht|italic=no}}''
== Music ==
The opening recitative, speaking of longing and waiting, expands expressively on a throbbing pedal point of 11 measures, moving only on the words "{{lang|de|der Freuden Wein gebricht|italic=no}}" mentioning "joy" (the lack of joy, though), only to sink back for the final "{{lang|de|Mir sinkt fast alle Zuversicht|italic=no}}" (almost all my confidence has drained away). In the following duet, an unusual obbligato bassoon plays virtuoso figurations in a wide range of two and one half octaves (including a truly remarkable G<small>0</small>), whereas the voices sing together, for most of the time in homophony.<ref name="Mincham" /> Movement 3 speaks words of consolation. Bach chose the bass as the {{lang|la|vox Christi}} (voice of Christ) to deliver them, almost as an arioso on the words "{{lang|de|Damit sein Gnadenlicht dir desto lieblicher erscheine|italic=no}}" (so that the light of His grace might shine on you all the more brightly).<ref name="Dellal" /> In the final aria, lively dotted rhythms in the strings and later in the voice illustrate "{{lang|de|Wirf, mein Herze, wirf dich noch in des Höchsten Liebesarme|italic=no}}" (Throw yourself, my heart, only throw yourself into the loving arms of the Highest),<ref name="Dellal" /> the rhythms even appear in the continuo several times, while the strings rest on long chords. The tune of an Easter chorale from the 15th century closes the cantata in a four-part setting.<ref name="Dürr" />
== Recordings ==
* ''Die Bach Kantate Vol. 22'', Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Ingeborg Reichelt, Norma Lerer, Friedrich Melzer, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz, Hänssler 1971 * ''J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk – Sacred Cantatas Vol. 8'', Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Tölzer Knabenchor, Concentus Musicus Wien, soprano soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson, Teldec 1985 * ''J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 3'', Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Caroline Stam, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 1995 * ''J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 5'', Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Midori Suzuki, Yoshikazu Mera, Makoto Sakurada, Peter Kooy, BIS 1997 * ''Bach Cantatas Vol. 19: New York'', John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Joanne Lunn, Richard Wyn Roberts, Julian Podger, Gerald Finley, Soli Deo Gloria 2000
== References ==
{{reflist | 30em | refs =
<ref name="Dellal">{{cite web | last = Dellal | first = Pamela | author-link = Pamela Dellal | url = https://www.emmanuelmusic.org/bach-translations/bwv-155 | title = BWV 155 – Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange | publisher = Emmanuel Music | access-date = 4 September 2022 }}</ref>
<ref name="Dürr">{{cite book | last = Dürr | first = Alfred | author-link = Alfred Dürr | title = Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach | year = 1981 | publisher = Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag | isbn = 3-423-04080-7 | volume = 1 | edition = 4 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/diekantatenvonjo0002durr/page/180 180–181] | language = de | url = https://archive.org/details/diekantatenvonjo0002durr/page/180 }}</ref>
<ref name="Koster">{{cite web | last = Koster | first = Jan | url = http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/weimar2.html | title = Weimar 1708–1717 | publisher = let.rug.nl | access-date = 16 December 2011 | archive-date = 28 March 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140328175204/http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/weimar2.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Gardiner">{{Cite AV media notes | last = Gardiner | first = John Eliot | author-link = John Eliot Gardiner | url = https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_SDG115 | title = Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 3, 13, 14, 26, 81 & 155 | publisher = Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website) | year = 2006 | access-date = 19 January 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Mincham">{{cite web | last = Mincham | first = Julian | url = https://www.jsbachcantatas.com/documents/chapter-37-bwv-155 | title = Chapter 37 BWV 155 Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange | publisher = jsbachcantatas.com | year = 2010 | access-date = 4 September 2022 }}</ref>
}}
== Sources == * [https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/bwv/bwv-155/ Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155]: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information) * {{IMSLP2|work=Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange, BWV 155 (Bach, Johann Sebastian)|cname=Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange, BWV 155}} * [https://www.bach-digital.de/receive/BachDigitalWork_work_00000189?lang=en Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange BWV 155; BC A 32 / Sacred cantata (2nd Sunday of Epiphany)] Bach Digital * [https://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV155.htm Cantata BWV 155 Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange] history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, Bach Cantatas Website * [https://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach/BWV155.html BWV 155 Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange] English translation, University of Vermont * [https://webdocs.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/cantatas/155.html BWV 155 Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange] text, scoring, University of Alberta * Luke Dahn: [https://www.bach-chorales.com/BWV0155_5.htm BWV 155.5] bach-chorales.com
{{Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach}} {{Bach cantatas}} {{authority control}}
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Category:Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach Category:1716 compositions