• A Drama in Music

    Irene (T), Bellona (S), Pallas (A), Fama (B)(1)

    1. Chorus (S, A, T, B)

    Sound, all ye drums now! Resound, all ye trumpets!
    Resonant viols, make swell now the air!
    Sing now your anthems, ye lively poets,
    Vivat regina! How happy the shout!

    Vivat regina! the hope of the Saxons:
    Long live the Queen, may she flourish and prosper!

    2. Recit. (T) Irene

    This is the day
    When ev'ryone may find delight.
    This is the shining hour
    To celebrate the Queen's glad birthday,
    Which Poles and Saxons, all of us,
    In greatest joy and bliss revealeth.
    Mine olive
    Tree with sap and richness runs.
    It showeth yet no leaves of yellow;
    I fear no storm, flash,(2) clouds of sadness,
    dreary weather.

    3. Aria (S) Bellona
    Blow the well-tuned, well-played flutes now,
    Leave foe and moon and lilies blushing,
    Ring triumphantly with song!
    Let your weapons clearly sound!
    Such a feast demandeth gladness
    That will mind and spirit nurture.

    4. Recit. (S) Bellona

    My clanging metal’s sound
    As in the air the charges burst with thunder,
    The joyful peal;
    The spectacle’s enchantment;
    The joy that Saxons now perceive
    Doth touch the hearts of many.
    My flashing piece of arms,
    Next these my sons in order marching,
    And their heroic sense of honor
    Increase each moment more and more
    The present day’s delightful pleasure.

    5. Aria (A) Pallas

    Faithful Muses! My companions!
    Sing not long outmoded anthems!
    May this day bring you delight!
    Fill with gladness now your breast!
    Cast aside both quill and tablets
    And rejoice with thrice the pleasure!

    6. Recit. (A) Pallas

    This our Queen o'er all the nation,
    Who to us was sent by heaven,
    Is the Muses' hope and shield.
    My Pierians(3) can do it:
    They, who kiss her very hem in reverence,
    For her constant happiness
    Thanks and due and sound alway shall raise.
    Yea, their hope is that her lifetime
    May afford us lasting pleasure.

    7. Aria (B) Fama

    Crown and star of crownéd ladies,
    O great Queen! With thy name's praises
    I will fill the orb of earth.

    All that virtue prizes e'er,
    Only to heroic women,
    These to thee are inborn given.

    8. Recit. (B) Fama

    Let press forth now throughout the earthly ball
    My mouth, which with the queen’s repute is full!
    Her fame shall to the axis
    Of yon fair starry heav'n be waxing,
    The Queen of all the Saxons and of Poland
    Be e’er to heaven’s care commended.
    Through her will heaven' pole(4)
    Make firm her many subjects’ long awaited goal.
    And may the noble Queen yet long here among us be reigning
    And late, ah, late to heaven hast'ning.

    9. Chorus (S, A, T, B) Bellona, Pallas, Irene, Tutti

    (Irene)
    Flourish, ye lindens(5) like cedars in Sax'ny!

    (Bellona)
    Echo with weapons and wagons and axles!

    (Pallas)
    Sing now, ye Muses, make full now the sound!

    (Tutti)
    O joyful hours, o ye joyous ages!
    Grant us more often these golden occasions:
    Life to the Queen, yea, may she yet live long!

    1. The names of the characters are found only in the PT (and in this order). Irene (trisyllabic) is Greek for "Peace," Bellona is the Roman goddess of War, Pallas is another name for Athena (the Roman Minerva), and Fama is the Roman god of fame or rumor.

    2. Literally, "lightning."

    3. Pieria is a region of Macedonia considered to be the seat of the Muses.

    4. There seems to be a play between pole and Poland.

    5. An allusion to the etymology of Leipzig from Slavic lipa 'linden tree.'

    © Copyright Z. Philip Ambrose
 BWV 214; BC G 19 GND

Saxe-Poland
Other catalogues
  • NV 1790, S. 72 [6]
Genre
  • Secular cantata
Scoring
  • S* (Belloa), A* (Pallas), T* (Irene), B* (Fama), Tr I–III, Timp, Fl trav I/II, Ob I/II, Ob d’am,
    Vl I/II, Va, Vne, Bc
Date of origin, Work history
  • vor dem 08. Dezember 1733

  • First performance on December 8, 1733 (likely in the Zimmermann Coffee House) for the birthday of the Saxon Electress Maria Josepha (Queen of Poland). Movement 1, 5, 7 and 9 serve as parody models for BWV 248.2, Movement 1, 15, 8 and 24
Early performances
, Leipzig, Kaffeehaus Gottfried Zimmermanns (Collegium Musicum) (Premiere) (Link to event)
Introduction to the work
Link to videos:
Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten, BWV 214 (Amsterdam Baroque, T. Koopman)
Libretto
  • Author unknown. Original text print: Leipzig 1733

Link to lyrics
Original lyrics
D-Dl 1.C.574, angeb.18 [Textdruck]
Original lyrics
D-Dl Hist.Sax.C.296,27.m [Textdruck]
Original lyrics
D-Mbs 2 P.o.germ. 1 s [Textdruck]
Original sources
D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 41, Faszikel 2 [Score, Sketch]
D-B Mus.ms. Bach St 91 [Part(s)]
D-Dl 1.C.574, angeb.18 [Textdruck] [Libretto]
D-Dl Hist.Sax.C.296,27.m [Textdruck] [Libretto]
D-Mbs 2 P.o.germ. 1 s [Textdruck] [Libretto]
Edition
NBA I/36, S. 89 (Werner Neumann, 1963) – Critical report (1962), S. 81;
BG 34, S.177 (P. Graf Waldersee, 1887)
persistent ID
BachDigitalWork_work_00000270
Static URL
https://www.bach-digital.de/receive/BachDigitalWork_work_00000270
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Last changed
2024-05-14 04:35:37
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