J.S. Bach: Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49 - The Church Cantatas, Vol. 152

BWV49 (3 November 1726) is an exciting dialogue between Jesus and the soul in which Song of Solomon imagery abounds. The superb opening sinfonia, part of an earlier keyboard concerto, probably serves to make up for the lack of a chorus. The first bass aria at once puts the central idea of the cantata before us: the Bridegroom Jesus seeking his bride the church. It is Him seeking her (not the other way round), wandering left and right as illustrated by the wandering organ part. In the soprano/bass recitative the bride is invited to the feast; the opening words of the cantata are sung once again, to the same music, and then a delightful love duet is sung in which the voices sing words which mirror each other. The next aria is for soprano, the words `ich bin herrlich, ich bin schön’ set to just as `herrlich’ and `schön’ music. It is as if the bride is watching herself in a mirror, turning and turning and being pleased by what she sees. Another recitative for the two voices ends with an upward figure on