Mark Audus, On BWV 106

参见: Rifkin’s Bach

Although most of the recent debate surrouding the performance of Bach's vocal works has concentrated on his period at Leipzig (1723-50), there are good reasons for thinking that the same practices apply also to cantatas he wrote before this. Earlist of these are Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, BWV 131, and Gottes Zeit, BWV 106 (known from a copy of the score made in 1768 as Actus tragicus). Both were composed during Bach's period as organist at the church of St Blasius in Mühlhausen (1707-08). Whilst the well-known Actus tragicus appears to have been written for a funeral service, it has been suggested that Aus der Tiefen was commissioned for a memorial service after a fire on 30 May 1707 that had destroyed a large part of the town. Both cantatas are written in the old ‘motet style’, with fluid construction and frequent changes of tempo and musical substance. They share the same basic formal plan, with three choral ‘pillars’ surrounding two solo sections, and the texts of both are based on a combination of biblical material and chorale verse. The chamber-like scoring, in particular the combination of recorders, violas da gamba and organ continuo in Actus tragicus, confirms the intimate scale of performing forces for these works.

　　尽管近来针对巴赫声乐作品演绎问题的讨论主要集中在巴赫莱比锡时期 (1723 至 1750 年) 的作品, 我们也有理由对他的早期作品进行同样的分析。 其中, 最早的有 Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, BWV 131 和 Gottes Zeit, BWV 106 (由 1768 年 Actus tragicus 乐谱的副本为人们所发现)。 它们都是巴赫在梅尔豪森的圣布莱士教堂作管风琴师期间 (1707 至 1708 年) 创作的。 著名的 Actus tragicus 显然是为一次葬礼所作, 而 Aus der Tiefen 则是在 1707 年 5 月 30 号吞噬了大半个城镇的火灾之后所举行的纪念活动所创作的。 这两个康塔塔都作成了古老的经文歌形式, 音乐结构流动性强, 节奏多变, 音乐素材丰富。 它们基于同一个严谨的设计, 以三个合唱为支撑, 辅之以两个独唱乐段, 唱词则将圣经题材和赞美诗文合而为一。 室内乐式的配器, 尤其是 Actus tragicus 中竖笛与维奥尔琴的组合, 愈加确立了作品在演绎中直指人心的力度。