Bach - Wachet Auf

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme ('Awake, calls the voice to us'),[1] BWV 140, also known as Sleepers Wake, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, regarded as one of his most mature and popular sacred cantatas. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the 27th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 25 November 1731.

Bach composed this cantata to complete his second annual cycle of chorale cantatas, begun in 1724. The cantata is based on the hymn in three stanzas "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" (1599) by Philipp Nicolai, which covers the prescribed reading for the Sunday, the parable of the Ten Virgins. The text and tune of the three stanzas of the hymn appears unchanged in three of seven movements (1, 4 and 7). An unknown author supplied additional poetry for the inner movements as sequences of recitative and duet, based on the love poetry of the Song of Songs. Bach structured the cantata in seven movements, setting the first stanza as a chorale fantasia, the second stanza in the central movement in the style of a chorale prelude, and the third stanza as a four-part chorale. He set the new texts as dramatic recitatives and love-duets, similar to contemporary opera. Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor´and bass), a four-part choir and a Baroque instrumental ensemble consisting of a horn (to reinforce the soprano), two oboes, taille, violino piccolo, strings and basso continuo including bassoon.

Bach used the central movement of the cantata as the basis for the first of his Schübler Chorales, BWV 645. Bach scholar Alfred Dürr notes that the cantata is an expression of Christian mysticism in art, while William G. Whittaker calls it "a cantata without weakness, without a dull bar, technically, emotionally and spiritually of the highest order".

Johann Sebastian Bach

Wachet Auf

For more:

#MusicHistory
#ClassicalMusic
#Bach

[davidstuart]

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is the closest thing you are going to get to heaven. So listen, and wacht auf because it doesn't get better than this.

[irenemwrench]

I chose this for my beloved father’s funeral in 1985. Until we meet again my darling Dad 😢

[k.b.]

Wundervoll und herzlichen Dank, die Kompositionen vom Maestro J.S. Bach sind zeitlos "göttlich"...👏

[HickoryJ]

We played this as the intro song at my sister's wedding, March 5th 2016. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since

[jean-danielhelmlinger]

Bach m'accompagne depuis mon enfance et je suis toujours en adoration devant Celui qui inspira J-S Bach durant toute sa vie.

[howsoontheyforget]

Play this at my Funeral - or I wont attend!

[mediacenterman]

This is timeless. What a beautiful piece of music.

[szymongorczynski]

The best thing about Bach's music is that it's simple, but still is beautiful

[huniebeee]

I drop it to this in the club like every night

[santtiagoforttes]

Bach is such an enormous talent. Speechless.

[bobdonovan]

I love this piece to death. I love to listen to it played many different ways!

[ronaldjones]

I can hear in the background, a harpsichord, is Wonderful

[pmadamson]

One of the best pieces of Music ever written. J.S. Bach was a true genius without reservation. Thanks for posting. Just for the record though. It is not Classical, Music but it is a Classic. I wish people would learn the difference.

[MeisterSegarra]

I always come back, this is too emotional...

[crave]

Ow I broke my leg!

Don’t worry you’ll wachet auf

[schonber]

Thanks for posting ! Playing by orchestra is the best performance on this piece by Bach.

[clarestubbs]

I remember at school as we left assembly, our music teacher would play a piece of 2:4 music on the piano. This was one of the pieces she played.

[TiticatFollies]

I like to start the day. . . no, I need to start the day with Bach. Thank you.
Wish you would have the courtesy to give the performers' names. They are exceptionally fine.

[parisbranker]

Loved this as long as when I first discovered it

[DariusBaileyATL]

Been looking for this since 2002. Studied this in undergrad while in the Marine Corps.