Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is the most common English title of the 10th movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. A transcription by the English pianist Myra Hess (1890–1965) was published in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet. The British organist Peter Hurford made his organ transcription for the chorale movement as well. Today, it is often performed at wedding ceremonies slowly and reverently, in defiance of the effect suggested by Bach in his original scoring, for voices with trumpet, oboes, strings, and continuo. Written during his first year in Leipzig, Germany, this chorale movement is one of Bach's most enduring works.

Background

Much of the music of Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben comes from Bach's Weimar period. This earlier version (BWV 147a) lacked the recitatives, but included the opening chorus and the four arias incorporated into the later version. For Leipzig, Bach added three recitatives and the celebrated chorale movement which concludes each of the two parts.

Although it is the 32nd surviving cantata that Bach composed, it was assigned the number BWV 147 in the complete catalogue of his works. Bach wrote a total of 200 cantatas during his time in Leipzig, largely to meet the Leipzig Churches' demand for about 58 different cantatas each year.

Contrary to the common assumption, the violinist and composer Johann Schop, not Bach, composed the movement's underlying chorale melody, Werde munter, mein Gemüthe; Bach's contribution was to harmonize and orchestrate it. The frequent use of arrangements of the piece in modern weddings is in no way related to its scope or Bach's intent for it. Rather, it was one segment of an extended, approximately 20-minute treatment of a traditional Church hymn, as is typical of cantatas of the Baroque period.

Instrumental arrangements

Bach scored the chorale movements (6 and 10) from Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben for choir, trumpet, violin, optionally oboe, viola, and basso continuo. The music's wide popularity has led to numerous arrangements and transcriptions, such as for the classical guitar. And according to The New Oxford Companion to Music, the best-known for piano is by Dame Myra Hess.

Text

English text

The following is the most commonly heard English version of the piece. It was written by the poet laureate Robert Bridges. It is not a translation of the stanzas used within Bach's original version, but is inspired by the various the stanzas of the same hymn composed in 1642 by Johann Schop that Bach had drawn upon: Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne, the lyrics of which were written in 1661 by Martin Jahn (c. 1620–c. 1682).

 

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,

Holy wisdom, love most bright;

Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring

Soar to uncreated light.

 

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,

With the fire of life impassioned,

Striving still to truth unknown,

Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

 

Through the way where hope is guiding,

Hark, what peaceful music rings;

Where the flock, in Thee confiding,

Drink of joy from deathless springs.

 

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;

Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.

Thou dost ever lead Thine own

In the love of joys unknown.

—[2]

 

Original text in German

Jahn's verses express a close, friendly, and familiar friendship with Jesus, who gives life to the poet. It has been noted that the original German hymn was characteristically a lively hymn of praise, which is carried over somewhat into Bach's arrangement; whereas a slower, more stately tempo is traditionally used with the English version.

 

Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe,

o wie feste halt' ich ihn,

daß er mir mein Herze labe,

wenn ich krank und traurig bin.

 

Jesum hab' ich, der mich liebet

und sich mir zu eigen giebet,

ach drum laß' ich Jesum nicht,

wenn mir gleich mein Herze bricht.

—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 6

 

Jesus bleibet meine Freude,

meines Herzens Trost und Saft,

Jesus wehret allem Leide,

er ist meines Lebens Kraft,

 

meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,

meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;

darum laß' ich Jesum nicht

aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.

—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10

 

The original German text does not correspond to the most common English version. A close-to-literal translation of the original German:

Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how strong I hold to him
that he might refresh my heart,
when sick and sad am I.
Jesus have I, who loves me
and gives to me his own,
ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus,
when I feel my heart is breaking.

—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no 6

Jesus remains my joy,
my heart's comfort and essence,
Jesus resists all suffering,
He is my life's strength,
my eye's desire and sun,
my soul's love and joy;
so will I not leave Jesus
out of heart and face.

—from BWV 147, Chorale movement no. 10

 

Excerpted below are the opening stanzas of Jahn's Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne.

 

Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne,

Jesu, meine beste Lust,

Jesu, meine Freudensonne,

Jesu, dir ist ja bewußt,

wie ich dich so herzlich liebe

und mich ohne dich betrübe.

Drum o Jesu komm zu mir

und bleib bei mir für und für!

 

Jesu, mein Hort und Erretter,

Jesu, meine Zuversicht,

Jesu, starker Schlangentreter,

Jesu, meines Lebens Licht!

Wie verlanget meinem Herzen,

Jesulein, nach dir mit Schmerzen!

Komm, ach komm, ich warte dein,

komm, o liebstes Jesulein!

—[3]

 

Gloss:

Jesus, my refuge and deliverer,
Jesus, the ground of my confidence,
Jesus, mighty trampler on the serpent,
Jesus, light of my life!
How my heart longs for you,
dear Jesus, painfully!
Come, ah come, I wait for you,
come,O dearest Jesus!
 
Jesus, delight of my soul,
Jesus, my best pleasure,
Jesus,my sun of joy,
Jesus, it is well known to you
how I love you from my heart
and am distressed without you.
Therefore O Jesus come to me
and stay with me forever and ever.

—[4]

Cover versions

• George Winston, found on his album 'December'.
• Chloë Agnew (solo version on her Walking In The Air album), Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Órla Fallon and Máiréad Nesbitt from Celtic Woman.
• Renée Fleming, on her "Sacred Songs" album from 2005.
• Josh Groban, on the 2001 eponymous album Josh Groban.
• Leo Kottke, found on his 1969 album 6- and 12-String Guitar.
• Leon Fleisher, on his 2004 album "Two Hands".
• Gary Hoey, as "Desire" on the Bug Alley album.
• Rebecca St. James
• Sarah Brightman on her album, "A Winter Symphony"
• Isao Tomita on the album "Dawn Chorus" (performed on synthesizers).
• Sissel Kyrkjebø (on her Northern Lights album from 2007).
• Grover Washington, Jr. (on his Breath Of Heaven: A Holiday Collection album from 1997).
• Wendy Carlos, on her album, Switched-On Bach
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir, on their album "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: 20 Great Bach & Handel Choruses"
• TVXQ, on their 2004 album "Christmas Gift from TVXQ"
• Jigsaw, on their 1970 debut album Letherslade Farm
• Apollo 100, at high speed on electronic keyboards (1972). Featured in the film Boogie Nights (1997).
• The Beach Boys, as a basis for the song Lady Lynda, but without the words.
• The Brian Setzer Orchestra's song "Bach's Bounce" uses the melody.
• Claudio Baglioni's song "Per incanto e per amore" was inspired by this work.
• Frida Boccara's song "L'enfant Aux Cymbales" ("Dans les rues de Rio") uses the melody.

‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ As Played by a Wooden Staircase: The melody was used in a 2011 three-minute TV commercial for a Japanese cell phone, shot in the woods near Kyushu, Japan. According to the designer, no additional music was added — what you hear is just the sound of a ball, a long wooden xylophone, and gravity.

External links

• Free sheet music of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring from Cantorion.org
• Cantatas, BWV 141-150: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.