Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229, by Johann Sebastian Bach

Quire of Cheahs presents one of the celebrated motets by Johann Sebastian Bach, "Komm, Jesu, komm", for double choir in eight parts. The text, a paraphrase of John 14, verse 6 ("I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me") was written by the Leipzig poet Paul Thymich (1656-1694), and was originally set by Johann Schelle, a predecessor of Bach at St Thomas’, for the funeral of Rector Jakob Thomasius on 14 September 1684; the occasion for which Bach set the text is not known. Schelle’s work, a simple aria, was later published, and it was probably from this source that Bach took the text, though the settings are unrelated. Bach uses the first and last verses of Thymich’s poem: the first is set in the traditional polychoral motet style, with several changes of time and pace; the second is not a traditional chorale as one would have expected but rather an "Aria" that is harmonized like a four-part chorale.
"Komm, Jesu, komm" is perhaps the most intimate and touching of Bach’s motets for double choir. Bach’s exploration of the dialectical possibilities of eight voices deployed in two antiphonal choirs goes far beyond the manipulation of spatially separated blocks of sound pioneered by the Venetian polychoralists; instead, it builds on the rhetorically conceived dialogue procedures of Gabrieli’s star pupil, Heinrich Schütz. Here above all one can appreciate Bach as a way-station between Schütz and Brahms. Having learned the expressive force of word repetitions and exchanges from his older cousin Johann Christoph (who had studied with Jonas de Fletin, himself a pupil of Schütz), Bach finds new ways of weaving all eight lines into a rich contrapuntal tapestry with extended cadences and dragging appoggiaturas on the words "müde" (weary), "sehne" (yearn) and "Friede" (peace) that anticipate the world-weariness and nostalgia one finds in the double-choir motets of Brahms a century and a half later.
--
Komm, Jesu, komm, mein Leib ist müde,
die Kraft verschwind’t je mehr und mehr,
ich sehne mich nach deinem Friede;
der saure Weg wird mir zu schwer!
Komm, komm, ich will mich dir ergeben;
du bist der rechte Weg, die Wahrheit und das Leben.
Drum schließ ich mich in deine Hände
und sage, Welt, zu guter Nacht!
Eilt gleich mein Lebenslauf zu Ende,
ist doch der Geist wohl angebracht.
Er soll bei seinem Schöpfer schweben,
weil Jesus ist und bleibt der wahre Weg zum Leben.
Come, Jesus, come, my body is weary,
My strength fails me more and more,
I am longing for your peace;
The bitter way is becoming too difficult for me!
Come, I shall give myself to you;
You are the right way, the truth and the life.
Therefore I put myself in your hands
And bid goodnight to the world!
If my life’s course hastens onto the end,
My soul is then well prepared.
It will rise up to be with its creator,
For Jesus is and remains the true way to life.

[@mmmoroi]

Uniquely resourceful and entertaining, he certainly deserves 100 times bigger audience.

[@QuireofCheahs]

Thanks, @mmmoroi Moroi, but Bach already has a pretty large audience, universally so.

[@TheOrganizedSoprano]

The fact that every part sounds beautiful…my mind is blown. How have more people not seen this?!

[@21stCenturyTrouvere]

This is fantastic, Phillip, and so impressive!

[@QuireofCheahs]

😘😘😘😘😘

[@marthahess3316]

Maestro Phillip, ever magical

[@MichaelCWBell]

Better than my soprano. He’s a good bass. Amazing range and commitment to this. Wonderful motet. Thank you.

[@HelenaRicci]

this is stunning! intonation, togetherness, emotions, everything is top notch, bravo

[@shelvaldes]

New here. This is astounding.

[@bettyanngerman31]

You gave me 8.35 minutes of pure bliss to start my day.

[@TI-mk1vs]

Exceptional!

[@liampitcher]

“Harmony is next to Godliness” ― Johann Sebastian Bach

[@Sunflowers159]

Just ... just ... WOW!!!

[@markpoindexter7721]

Sublime. Bravo!!

[@AndrewSheranian]

The Quire should record all the motets!

[@QuireofCheahs]

Oof. Perhaps. This was very challenging and I don’t know if I have the stamina (and ability) to do the others. *Maybe* “Jesu, meine Freude” or “Der Geist hilft”. Maybe...

[@AndrewSheranian]

Quire of Cheahs please do Der Geist hilft. The spirit will help you and intercede for you with unaussprechlichem etc etc

[@neuroyoganyc4209]

@@QuireofCheahs I vote Jesu, meine Freude!

[@jharringto]

WHAT CAN I SAY! THIS IS SUBLIME! THANK YOU PHILLIP

[@nancytooney1024]

Bravo/Bravi !!

[@AndrewSheranian]

This is truly fabulous.

[@LaurenFlahive]

Incredible! ❤️

[@Ivan_1791]

That's godlike.