Es erhub sich ein Streit, BWV 19

Es erhub sich ein Streit (There arose a war), BWV 19, is a sacred cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.

It was composed in Leipzig in 1726 for the for the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels (known in the Lutheran calendar as Michaelmas Day), which occurs yearly on 29 September, date of the work's first performance.

The prescribed readings for the day are Revelations 12: 7-12 and Matthew 18: 1-11. The text of the cantata was written by Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander), with the exception of verse 7, whose author is Christoph Demantius.

The chorale theme is Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, which was codified by Louis Bourgeois when setting the Geneva Psalm 42 in his collection of Pseaumes octante trios de David (Geneva, 1551). Bourgeois seems to have been influenced by the secular song Ne l’oseray je dire contained in the Manuscrit de Bayeux published around 1510.

Scoring and structure

The piece is scored for trombe I/II/III, timpani, oboes I//II, oboe da caccia, oboes d'amore I/II, violins I/II , viola, and basso continuo, three vocal soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass) and four-part choir. It is in seven movements:

1. (Coro): "Es erhub sich ein Streit" for choir, trombe I-III, tamburi, violin I & oboe I in unison, violin II & oboe II in unison, viola, and continuo.
2. Recitativo: "Gottlob! der Drache liegt" for bass and continuo.
3. Aria: "Gott schickt uns Mahanaim zu" for soprano, oboes d'amore, and continuo
4. Recitativo: "Was ist der schnöde Mensch, das Erdenkind?" for tenor, strings and continuo.
5. Aria & Chorale: "Bleibt, ihr Engel, bleibt bei mir!" for tenor, tromba, strings, and continuo.
6. Recitativo: "Laßt uns das Angesicht" for bass and continuo.
7. Chorale: "Laß dein' Engel mit mir fahren" for choir, trombe I-III, tamburi, violin I & oboe I col Soprano, violin II & oboe II coll'Alto, viola col Tenore, and continuo.

Recordings

• J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 1 - Unnamed boy soprano soloist of the Wiener Sängerknaben; Ten.: Kurt Equiluz; Bass: Max van Egmond; Wiener Sängerknaben & Chorus Viennensis (Chorus Master: Hans Gillesberger) / Concentus Musicus Wien; Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor. Label: Teldec
• J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 17 - Sopr.: Sandrine Piau; Ten.: Jörg Dürmüller; Bass: Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir; Ton Koopman, conductor. Label: Antoine Marchand
• J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 6 & BWV 19 [A-5] - Sopr.: Agnes Giebel; Ten.: Klaus Stemann; Bass: Bruno Müller; Stuttgart Choral Society / Bach-Orchester Stuttgart; Hans Grischkat, conductor. Label: Renaissance
• J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 1 & BWV 19 - Sopr.: Gunthild Weber; Ten.: Helmut Krebs; Bass: Hermann Schey; Berliner Motettenchor / Berliner Philharmoniker; Fritz Lehmann, conductor. Label: American Decca / Deutsche Grammophon - Archiv
• J.S. Bach Kantaten - Sopr.: Edith Mathis; Ten.: Hans Peter Blochwitz; Bass: Thomas Quasthoff; Windsbacher Knabenchor / Münchner Bachsolisten; Karl-Friedrich Beringer, conductor. Label: Bayer Records
• Die Bach Kantate Vol. 18 - Sopr.: Barbara Rondelli; Ten.: Adalbert Kraus; Bass: Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächinger Kantorei / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; Helmuth Rilling, conductor. Label: Hänssler
• Bach Edition Vol. 21 - Cantatas Vol. 12 - Sopr.: Ruth Holton; Ten.: Nico van der Meel; Bass: Bas Ramselaar; Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium; Pieter Jan Leusink, conductor. Label: Brilliant Classics
• Bach Cantates Saint-Michel - Sopr.: Monika Mauch; Alt.: David DQ Lee; Ten.: Jan Kobow; Bass: Stephan MacLeod; Montréal Baroque; Eric J. Milnes, conductor. Label: ATMA Classique
• Bach Cantatas: Volume 2 - Sopr.: Edith Selig; Ten.: Georg Jelden; Bass: Jakob Stämpfli; Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn / Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; Fritz Werner, conductor. Label: Erato/MHS
• Bach Cantatas Vol. 7: Ambronay/Bremen - Sopr.: Malin Hartelius; Ten.: James Gilchrist; Bass: Peter Harvey; Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor. Label: Soli Deo Gloria

Sources

• Craig Smith, Programme notes - BWV 19, Emmanuel Music.
• Walter F. Bischof, Text and orchestration for BWV 19, Bach Cantatas, University of Alberta.

External links

• Piano & vocal score of BWV 19 on bach-cantatas.com
• Discussion of the work on bach-cantatas.com