Cantata BWV 140: “Sleepers Awake, the Voice is Calling”

Composer: BACH, Johann Sebastian
  • This was originally a tenor aria from the chorale cantata BWV 140 (1731), movement 4, “Zion hört die Wächter singen” (“Zion Hears the Watchmen Singing”)1
  • The cantata is based on a chorale melody by Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608). The chorale melody appears in each movement of the cantata.2
  • Text: in this movement, the watchmen sing to announce the arrival of the wedding procession, and the people wake at night to receive the bridegroom.3
  • Bach arranged this movement for organ, as his chorale prelude BWV 645 “Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme” (from Schübler Chorales).4

Sources

  1. Walther F. Bischof, “BWV 140 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” Bach Cantata Page, accessed July 15, 2019, https://webdocs.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/cantatas/140.html.
  2. Walter Blankenburg and Friedhelm Brusniak, “Nicolai, Philipp,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed July 15, 2019, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000019886.
  3. “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 (Bach, Johann Sebastian), International Music Score Library Project, accessed July 15, 2019, https://imslp.org/wiki/Wachet_auf,_ruft_uns_die_Stimme,_BWV_140_(Bach,_Johann_Sebastian).
  4. Christoph Wolff and Walter Emery, “Bach, Johann Sebastian,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed July 15, 2019, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-6002278195.

Cut IDs

10575 12195 14171 15237 17168 19026 21565 21633 22243 43870 45998 49277