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Cantata
BWV 106 "Gottes
Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" I hope, for the sake of those of you who have stopped to read here, that I do not go on too long on this wonderful cantata, but it may be my favorite of the Bach cantatas. Why? Well, I’m sure some of that comes from having performed it at least twice; but aside from that, I think it is an excellent example of Bach’s craftsmanship; of the variety of textures he can produce in a single work; of his facility with counterpoint. I used to use this work as an "unknown listening" piece on an exam in my music history classes, as an example of "classic" Bach chorale cantata writing. I hope my description of the work only makes you yearn to hear it performed, and to perhaps find an opportunity to sing it yourself someday. Cantata BWV 106 was an early work, likely written in 1707 or 1708, when Bach was in Mühlhausen. The earliest surviving manuscript, in the hand of an anonymous copyist, bears the marking "Leipzig, 1768." Often called the "Actus Tragicus," the cantata was among the first published after Bach’s death, though, as I said above, to the best of our knowledge, it was never performed in his lifetime. No one knows the circumstances for which the cantata was written; based on the text, most assume that it was written for a funeral, perhaps that of Bach’s uncle Tobias Lämmerhirt, who died in 1707. The fact that the text is so unified under the theme of death, both under the Law and the Gospel (Chafe), helps lend credence to the idea that this cantata was written for a funeral service. The use of text from both the Old and New Testaments reinforces the idea of man’s mortality at the same time that it reminds us of God’s presence throughout history; at the same time, we are reminded of God’s role in man’s salvation, whether that be the salvation of the Israelites, the arrival of Christ on earth, or the salvation of all believers at the Last Judgment. Early editions of Cantata BWV 106 are written in E-flat, with later editions appearing in F. The transposition to F "eliminates several unplayable notes for the recorders," and may have been the motivating factor for the key change; modern singers also appreciate the move F, since there are several low E-flats in the bass line, and a low F in the altos. (On the other hand, a move up a whole step means repeated high Fs for the solo bass.) Most performances, however, use the E-flat setting. Although movements are marked by tempo changes, occasionally key changes, meter changes, and double bar lines (not thick, bold bar lines, however, as at the end of a work), Cantata BWV 106 appears to be a continuous work. Bach helps create a more seamless effect by occasionally resolving the cadence of one section at the downbeat of another, thus blurring the beginnings and endings of traditional movements. The text comes from both the Bible and the chorales "Ich dich hab ich gehoffet, herr" (by Adam Resuner, 1533) and "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" (Luther). Let me summarize the sections (since these are not always self-contained, I prefer not to call them "movements") below, before discussing in more detail some of the more interesting moments. All vocal parts plus all orchestral parts together will be indicated as "tutti" below.
As in Cantata BWV 4, written about the same time, Cantata BWV 106 begins with a short instrumental prelude, marked "Sonatina." It has essentially a homophonic texture, with the continuo and violas da gamba playing constant eighth notes which provide the harmonic foundation for the movement, while the two flutes play virtually constant sixteenth notes above, often taking turns performing sets of the sixteenths, while sounding like a continuous, single melody. (Regrettably, the piano score used below does not allow us to see how the groups of sixteenths are exchanged between the flutes.) Dropping sighing motives dominate this gentle prelude; although sighing motives were common in Bach’s early works (Schulenberg), I cannot help but wonder whether this in some way represents the tears of those grieving on earth over the death of a loved one, or perhaps tears from heaven over the sacrifice God makes in giving His only Son for the salvation of mankind.
The third section introduces the first fugal passage of the cantata. It is a spirited movement with the text "In ihm leben" (for man lives), and the liveliness of the passage directly reflects the vibrancy of man’s life on earth. Bach also turns the descending sighing motive upside down here to add vigor to man’s existence.
As this section nears its end, the three upper voices come together in rhythmic unison while the bass states the fugue subject one last time; all four part cadence together, then the soprano sings an extended, unadorned "so long" (as long); the instrumental ensemble takes full charge of the musical activity here, demonstrating God working behind the scenes to determine how long we shall live. A short instrumental passage concludes this section, leading to a new text, tempo, texture, and meter. The liveliness of the previous fugal is contrasted by the slow, homophonic, chromatic music accompanying the words "in ihm sterben wir" (in Him we die). The mood changes dramatically as a result. Our "death" here is relatively short (only 7 measures) compared to the life of the preceding section; the section concludes on a half cadence (V), leaving it feeling unresolved. This serves two purposes, one musical and one symbolic: the half cadence brings some limited closure to this section while requiring it to move forward into the next movement, thus connecting one section to the next; at the same time, Christians recognize that death is not permanent, but rather a means to everlasting life with God the Father in heaven. In the tenor aria ("Ach, Herr!") which follows, Bach brings back the sighing motive, linking this section to others in the cantata while lending a slight air of sorrow to this funereal piece. The aria is through-composed, though there is a short orchestral ritornello that appears six times, serving as a unifying musical idea throughout this brief aria.
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