Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten (United discord of quivering strings), BWV 207, is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and first performed on 11 December 1726 in Leipzig.
Contents
History and text
Bach composed this cantata to celebrate the appointment of Gottlieb Kortte as professor of Roman Law at Leipzig University. The librettist of the work is unknown: it may have been Picander, who had been providing libretti for Bach from at least the previous year when they collaborated on another academic cantata Zerreißet, zersprenget, zertrümmert die Gruft, BWV 205.
Bach incorporated music from his first Brandenburg Concerto, which was composed years earlier. The third movement of the concerto is used for the opening chorus with trumpets replacing the concerto's horns and some of the instrumental music given to the choir.
There is a related work Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten, BWV 207a.
Scoring and structure
The cantata features four solo singers: Glück (soprano), Dankbarkeit (alto), Fleiß (tenor), and Ehre (bass). It is also scored for four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two flutes, two oboes d'amore, taille, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.
It has nine movements:
- Chorus: Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten
- Recitative (tenor): Wen treibt ein edler Trieb zu dem, was Ehre heißt
- Aria (tenor): Zieht euren Fuß nur nicht zurücke
- Duet recitative (bass and soprano): Dem nur allein
- Duet aria (bass and soprano) and ritornello: Den soll mein Lorbeer schützend decken
- Recitative (alto): Es ist kein leeres Wort, kein ohne Grund erregtes Hoffen
- Aria (alto): Ätzet dieses Angedenken
- Recitative (SATB): Ihr Schläfrigen, herbei
- Chorus: Kortte lebe, Kortte blühe