Cantata 33: Allein zu dir

Bach’s legacy to all genres of musical composition, excepting opera, are profound. And depending on who you ask, opinions differ about whether the 224 extant cantatas or 48 Preludes and Fugues or the numerous suites for solo violin and cello might not be his greatest gift to posterity. Did I forget to mention the B-minor Mass and the Passions? Well, you can see how difficult it would be to find a consensus. One thing that is certain is that Bach was known during his lifetime primarily for his church music, both organ and vocal, and that he spent more waking hours writing cantatas than anything else. He was charged to write cantatas weekly during his period in Leipzig, but examples also exist from as far back as his time in Arnstadt (1703-07).
BWV 33, “Allein zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ,” was first performed on September 3, 1724 in Leipzig. We will hear the third movement da capo aria “Wie furchtsam wankten meine Schritte,” (How fearful wavered then my paces). Those familiar with Bach’s interest in musical depiction might expect the steady, pizzicato “walking” bass line that grounds the aria, but it is wonderfully complemented by a galant melodic line of leaps and chromatic neighbor-note motion presented first in the strings and later in the voice. Further evocation of the “wavering” comes out of the disparate upper and lower melodic lines; skipping back and forth between registers yields a feeling of uncertainty, as if the melody itself is uncertain which path to follow.

(c) Jason Stell