Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147a

Schlosskirche Weimar 1660

Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147a is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was composed in Weimar in 1716 for the fourth Sunday of Advent. The cantata is an early version of the later, more well-known cantata, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, which Bach revised in Leipzig in 1723.

Composition and Structure

The cantata was composed during Bach's tenure as concertmaster at the Weimar court. The text for the cantata was written by Salomon Franck, who was a frequent collaborator with Bach during his Weimar period. The cantata is structured in several movements, including recitatives, arias, and chorales.

Movements

The original version, BWV 147a, consists of the following movements:

1. Chorus: "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben"
2. Recitative: "Gebenedeiter Mund!"
3. Aria: "Schäme dich, o Seele nicht"
4. Recitative: "Verstockung kann Gewaltige verblenden"
5. Aria: "Bereite dir, Jesu, noch itzo die Bahn"
6. Chorale: "Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe"

Performance History

The cantata was first performed on December 20, 1716, in Weimar. The later version, BWV 147, was performed in Leipzig on July 2, 1723, for the Feast of the Visitation.

Legacy

The cantata is notable for its final chorale, "Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe," which is better known in its later form as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." This chorale has become one of Bach's most famous and frequently performed works.

See Also

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• Cantata
• Weimar
• Leipzig
• Salomon Franck
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring