O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210
Cantata for a wedding
First performance: Leipzig, 1740s
For soprano, flute, oboe d'amore, strings and continuo.
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Recitative
Aria: Moderato (ensemble)
Recitative
Aria (oboe d'amore, violin, continuo)
Recitative
Aria (flute, continuo)
Recitative
Aria (oboe d'amore with violins and continuo)
Accompanied recitative: A tempo giusto
Aria: Vivace (ensemble)
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
The cantata O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit (Oh blessed day, time that is longed for) was presented at a wedding during the last decade of Bach's life, but the exact date and the names of the couple are unknown. The anonymous text addresses the couple as "great patrons" (Großer Gönner) who honor us with their favor and addresses the bridegroom as a "most esteemed man" (hochtheurer Mann), which suggests that the work was commissioned by a wealthy Leipzig family. The manuscript is copied out in a beautiful hand and bound in silk, perhaps as a gift to the newly married couple.
The cantata is scored for a soprano soloist with flute, oboe d'amore, strings and continuo. The soprano part was clearly written for an accomplished singer. Not only does it require endurance and technical agility, but it goes up to a high C# in the first aria, as well as in a later recitative. The second aria, with an oboe d'amore and violin accompanying the singer, is a lullaby that asks for the languid sounds of the music to pause ("Ruhet hie, matte Töne"), because they are not what a happy marriage needs, but the following recitative responds with praises for the power of music. The aria that follows begins with the words, "Be silent, ye flutes," and the flute that has begun the aria momentarily stops before continuing with its elaborate solo. That challenge to music too is answered in a recitative, and the aria and recitative that follow that one praise the bride and bridgegroom as patrons of the art and offer music as a wedding gift. The cantata ends with a bright aria wishing happiness to the noble couple.
The music of this cantata is, for the most part, an adaptation of an earlier cantata, O angenehme Melodie, BWV 210a, which had been written in 1729 as an homage to a visiting nobleman. It was later repeated to honor other visitors, and here with minimal alterations it was adapted for a wedding. Only the vocal line has survived from the earlier versions. It is only this wedding cantata that shows us the complete piece.
Boston Baroque Performances
O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210
October 9, 1992
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor
Soloist:
Nancy Armstrong, soprano