Key B-flat major Bible text Romans 8:26–27 | Movements 3 | |
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Occasion Funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti Performed 21 October 1729 (1729-10-21): Paulinerkirche, Leipzig Chorale Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott | ||
Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (The Spirit gives aid to our weakness), BWV 226, is a motet by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed in Leipzig in 1729 for the funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti.
Contents
History
For Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf , the autograph score survives. Bach himself noted on its title: "J. J. Motetta à doi Cori bey Beerdigung des seel. Hrn. Prof. und Rectoris Ernesti di J. S. Bach." (Jesu Juva – Motet for two choirs for the funeral for the blessed Rector, Professor Ernesti, by J. S. Bach). Ernesti was professor of poetry at Leipzig University and director of the Thomasschule. Scholars debate if the date of the first performance (which took place in the Paulinerkirche, the university church), was 24 October, or rather 21 October, as indicated by the title page of the sermon.
As well as being one of Bach's funeral motets, the work can be classified as part of another series, being one of twelve surviving pieces (which are mainly festive in character) for Leipzig University, Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern.
Text
The text is taken from the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 8:26–27) and Martin Luther's third stanza to the hymn "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott" (1524). Ernesti himself had chosen the text from the epistle for the funeral sermon.
Scoring and structure
The motet is structured in three movements and scored for two four-part choirs. They sing together in movements 2 and 3. The orchestral parts are extant, indicating that choir I was doubled by strings, choir II by reeds (two oboes, taille and bassoon). For the basso continuo, separate violone and organ parts are provided.
- Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf
- Der aber die Herzen forschet
- Du heilige Brunst, süßer Trost
Music
Bach composed the text according to its meaning, not as music for mourning. The opening contrasts two choirs in imitation. In lively 3/8 time, the word "Geist" (Spirit) is illustrated by a lively melismatic figure. The following idea, "Sondern der Geist selbst vertritt uns" (but the Spirit itself intercedes for), is given as a fugue, first with independent entrances of all eight parts, but concentrated to four parts in the end, "mit unaussprechlichem Seufzen" (with unutterable sighs). The sighs are audible in the broken melodic lines of all voices. The thought "Der aber die Herzen forschet" (He, however, who examines hearts) appears as a double fugue in four parts in stile antico. Here the word "Heiligen" (saints) is illustrated in extended melismatic writing. The closing Pentecostal chorale is set for four parts.