A concise Baroque church cantata exploring themes of contentment and divine will, featuring a fugal opening chorus and a rare arioso conclusion.
Bach's cantata BWV 144, composed for the Sunday Septuagesimae, features a fugal opening chorus emphasizing the biblical command "Take what is yours and go away." The work is notable for its stark musical symbolism, such as the rapid repetition of "gehe hin" (go away) as a countersubject, reflecting theological themes of submission to divine will.
The opening chorus features an extraordinary fugal treatment of Matthew 20:14, where Bach intensifies the command "gehe hin" (go away) through rhythmic compression - transforming the motif from slow quarter notes to rapid sixteenth-note countersubjects. This compositional ingenuity was notably admired by 18th-century theorist Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg for its splendid declamation.
This chorale is part of Bach's cantata BWV 144, composed in Leipzig for the Septuagesima Sunday. It sets a hymn by Samuel Rodigast (1675) affirming unconditional trust in God's will. Bach's harmonization transforms the simple melody into a profound expression of Baroque spirituality, where intricate counterpoint underscores the text's reassurance that "whatever God does is well done". The cantata explores themes of divine justice and humility, reflecting Lutheran theology of the era.
"Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" (What my God wills, may it always happen) is a Lutheran hymn with text written by Albert, Duke of Prussia. Johann Sebastian Bach used this chorale in several of his works, most notably as the closing movement of his cantata BWV 144, "Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin". The melody is stately and resolute, reflecting the text's theme of submission to God's will. Bach's four-part harmonization, from which this string quartet arrangement is derived, is a masterful example of his chorale setting technique.
