BWV 20

O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort

Overview

OpeningChorus

ScoringCoro (SATB), Soprano solo, Alto solo, Tenor solo, Bass solo, Fl picc, Fl, Fl dolce, Ob, Ob d'am, Ob da c, Fg, Cor, Cor da c, Cor da tir, Tr, Tr da tir, Ctt, Trb, Timp, Vl solo, Vl picc, Vla d'am, Vlta, Vdg, Vc picc, Vc, Vlne, Org, Cemb

StructurePart 1. 7 movements: C · R · A · R · A · A · CPart 2. 4 movements: A · R · A · C

Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20, in Leipzig for the first Sunday after Trinity, which fell on 11 June in 1724. Bach composed it when beginning his second year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig. It is the first cantata he composed for his second annual cycle which was planned to contain chorale cantatas, each based on a Lutheran hymn. The cantata is focused on Johann Rist's 1642 hymn "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort", with a chorale melody by Johann Schop. The topic of death and eternity matches the Gospel for the Sunday, the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus.

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Libretto

PRIMA PARTE

1. Chorus

Coro (SATB), Oboe, Tromba da tirarsi

O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, O Schwert, das durch die Seele bohrt, O Anfang sonder Ende! O Ewigkeit, Zeit ohne Zeit, Ich weiß vor großer Traurigkeit Nicht, wo ich mich hinwende. Mein ganz erschrocken Herz erbebt, Dass mir die Zung am Gaumen klebt.

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