Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206

Schleicht, spielende Wellen (Glide, O sparkling waves and murmur softly), BWV 206,^[a] is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig and first performed on 7 October 1736.

History and text

Bach composed this cantata for the birthday of Augustus III of Poland and Elector of Saxony. It was first performed in Leipzig, Saxony, on 7 October 1736. A second performance took place on 3 August 1740.^[1]

The librettist of the work is unknown, but was likely Picander.^[1] The cantata is counted among the works Bach wrote for celebrations of Leipzig University, Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern.^[2]

Scoring and structure

The cantata features four solo vocal parts, representing rivers: Pleiße (soprano), Donau (alto), Elbe (tenor), and Weichsel (bass).^[b] The cantata is also scored for four-part choir, three flutes, two oboes, two oboes d'amore, three trumpets, timpani, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, and basso continuo.^[3]

It has eleven movements:

Chorus: Schleicht, spielende Wellen, und murmelt gelinde
Recitative (bass): O glückliche Veränderung
Aria (bass): Schleuß des Janustempels Türen
Recitative (tenor): So recht! beglückter Weichselstrom
Aria (tenor): Jede Woge meiner Wellen
Recitative (alto): Ich nehm zugleich an deiner Freude teil
Aria (alto): Reis von Habsburgs hohem Stamme
Recitative (soprano): Verzeiht, Bemooste Häupter starker Ströme
Aria (soprano): Hört doch! der sanften Flöten Chor
Recitative (SATB): Ich muss, ich will gehorsam sein
Chorus: Die himmlische Vorsicht der ewigen Güte

Recordings

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Ton Koopman. J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 5. Erato, 1996.
Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Helmuth Rilling. Edition Bachakademie Vol. 64. Hänssler, 1994.
Kammerchor Stuttgart / Concerto Köln, Frieder Bernius. J.S. Bach Secular Cantatas BWV 206 & 207a. Sony Classical, 1990.
Ex Tempore Choir, Florian Heyerick / Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel BWV 36c, 201, 206, 207, Quodlibet BWV 524. Archiv Produktion 457 348-2, 1996 & 1997.

Notes

^ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
^ The Pleiße flows through Leipzig into the Elbe, the Vistula (German: Weichsel) is the longest and largest river in Poland, and the Danube (Donau), flows through Austria, which Augustus later supported against Prussia in the War of the Austrian Succession.

References

^ ^a ^b "Cantata BWV 206 Schleicht, spielende Wellen". Bach Cantatas. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
^ Timm, David (2009). Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern (in German). Leipziger Universitätschor. pp. 8f. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
^ "BWV 206". University of Alberta. Retrieved 6 June 2013.

External links

Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)
Schleicht, spielende Wellen: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
BWV 206 – "Schleicht, spielende Wellen" English translation, Emmanuel Music
Schleicht, spielende Wellen history, scoring, Bach website (in German)
BWV 206 Schleicht, spielende Wellen English translation, University of Vermont

[1] "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.

[4] The Pleiße flows through Leipzig into the Elbe, the Vistula (German: Weichsel) is the longest and largest river in Poland, and the Danube (Donau), flows through Austria, which Augustus later supported against Prussia in the War of the Austrian Succession.

[bc-2] "Cantata BWV 206 Schleicht, spielende Wellen". Bach Cantatas. Retrieved 14 December 2012.

[timm-3] Timm, David (2009). Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern (in German). Leipziger Universitätschor. pp. 8f. Retrieved 2 December 2012.

[5] "BWV 206". University of Alberta. Retrieved 6 June 2013.

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