Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32

Bach composed the cantata in his third year as Thomaskantor (director of church music) in Leipzig for the First Sunday after Epiphany. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were taken from the Epistle to the Romans, speaking of the duties of a Christian ({{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Romans|chapter=12|verse=1|range=–6}}), and from the Gospel of Luke, the finding in the Temple ({{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Luke|chapter=2|verse=41|range=–52}}). Bach composed a text written by Georg Christian Lehms, court poet in Darmstadt, who published it in 1711. Bach had set texts by Lehms already when he composed cantatas for the Weimar court from 1714 to 1717. He had set a similar work by Lehms a few weeks earlier, {{lang|de|Selig ist der Mann, BWV 57|italic=unset}} for the second day of Christmas.

Lehms treated the Gospel to an allegorical dialogue of Jesus and the Soul. In the {{lang|de|Concerto in Dialogo}} (Concerto in dialogue), Bach assigned the Soul to the soprano voice and gave the words of Jesus to the bass as the {{lang|la|vox Christi}}, the voice of Christ, disregarding that the Jesus in the Gospel is still a boy. Lehms imagines not a parent searching for a missing son, but more generally the Christian Soul "with whom we are expected to identify", as John Eliot Gardiner notes. The Bach scholar Klaus Hofmann comments that the poet "takes up the general motifs of the story: the loss, the search for Jesus and his rediscovery, and places them in the context of the believer’s relationship with Jesus". The dialogue also refers to medieval mysticism and to imagery of the Song of Songs. Lehms did not provide a closing chorale; Bach added the twelfth and final stanza of Paul Gerhardt's hymn "{{lang|de|Weg, mein Herz, mit den Gedanken|italic=no}}" (1647). It is sung to the melody of "{{lang|de|Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele|italic=no}}", which was codified by Louis Bourgeois when setting the Geneva Psalm 42 in his collection of Pseaumes octante trios de David (Geneva, 1551). Bourgeois seems to have been influenced by the secular song Ne l'oseray je dire contained in the Manuscrit de Bayeux published around 1510.

Bach led the first performance of the cantata on 13 January 1726 as part of his third cantata cycle.

Bach structured the cantata in six movements, four movements of alternating arias and recitatives, then the voices united in a duet and finally a closing chorale. He scored the intimate dialogue for soprano and bass soloist, a four-part choir only in the chorale, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of oboe (Ob), two violins (Vl), viola (Va) and basso continuo. The duration is given as 22 minutes.

In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe. The keys and time signatures are taken from the book on all cantatas by the Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, using the symbols for common time (4/4) and alla breve (2/2). The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.

{{Classical movement header | show_text_source = yes | work = Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen | instruments1 = Winds | instruments2 = Strings }}

{{Classical movement row

| id = m1

| number = 1

| title = {{lang|de|Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen}}

| text_source = Lehms

| type = Aria

| vocal = S

| instruments1 = Ob

| instruments2 = 2Vl Va

| key = {{nowrap|E minor}}

| time =

}}

{{Classical movement row

| id = m2

| number = 2

| title = {{lang|de|Was ist's, daß du mich gesuchet}}

| text_source = Lehms

| type = Recitative

| vocal = B

| instruments1 =

| instruments2 =

| key = B minor

| time = {{music|common-time}}

}}

{{Classical movement row

| id = m3

| number = 3

| title = {{lang|de|Hier, in meines Vaters Stätte}}

| text_source = Lehms

| type = Aria

| vocal = B

| instruments1 =

| instruments2 = Vl solo

| key = G major

| time =

}}

{{Classical movement row

| id = m4

| number = 4

| title = {{lang|de|Ach! heiliger und großer Gott}}

| text_source = Lehms

| type = Recitative

| vocal = S B

| instruments1 =

| instruments2 = 2Vl Va

| key =

| time =

}}

{{Classical movement row

| id = m5

| number = 5

| title = {{lang|de|Nun verschwinden alle Plagen}}

| text_source = Lehms

| type = Aria (Duet)

| vocal = S B

| instruments1 = Ob

| instruments2 = 2Vl Va

| key = D major

| time =

}}

{{Classical movement row

| id = m6

| number = 6

| title = {{lang|de|Mein Gott, öffne mir die Pforten}}

| text_source = Lehms

| type = Chorale

| vocal = SATB

| instruments1 = Ob

| instruments2 = 2Vl Va

| key = G major

| time = {{music|common-time}}

}}

{{End}}

The dialogue, set in arias and recitatives for a solo voice and in duets, shows that Bach was familiar with Italian contemporary opera.

The dialogue is opened by the soprano as the Soul in an aria in E minor, marked lento, "{{lang|de|Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen|italic=no}}" (Dearest Jesus, my desire), The voice is complemented by an obbligato oboe, described by John Eliot Gardiner as "a solo oboe as her accomplice in spinning the most ravishing cantilena in the manner of one of Bach’s concerto slow movements". Julian Mincham distinguishes in the oboe line two different "ideas", in the first five measures a "sense of striving, effort and stretching upwards", then "garlands" of content in achieving a union, as the last lines of the text say "{{lang|de|Ach! mein Hort, erfreue mich, laß dich höchst vergnügt umfangen|italic=no}}" (Ah! My treasure, bring me joy, let me embrace You with greatest delight).

The bass answers in a short recitative, "{{lang|de|Was ists, daß du mich gesuchet?|italic=no}}" (How is it, that you sought Me?), a paraphrase of Jesus saying in the gospel that he has to be in his Father's place.

He expands the reasoning in a da capo aria in B minor, "{{lang|de|Hier, in meines Vaters Stätte}}" (Here, in My Father's place). embellished by a solo violin, which "encircles the voice with triplets and trills". The words "{{lang|de|betrübter Geist}} (troubled spirit) appear whenever mentioned in "minor-mode colourings in the melody and harmony".

In the following dialogue recitative, "{{lang|de|Ach! heiliger und großer Gott}}" (Ah! Holy and great God), the soul answers with a paraphrase of the opening line of Psalm 84, "{{lang|de|Wie lieblich ist doch deine Wohnung}}" (How amiable is Thy dwelling), which both Heinrich Schütz and Johannes Brahms set to music, Brahms as the central movement of {{lang|de|Ein deutsches Requiem}}. Bach sets the text as an "evocative arioso with a pulsating string accompaniment". The two voices never sing at the same time.

A duet, "{{lang|de|Nun verschwinden alle Plagen|italic=no}}" (Now all trouble disappears), finally unites both voices and also their "associated obbligato instruments (oboe and violin), so far heard only separately". Gardiner writes: "It is one of those duets … in which he seems to throw caution to the winds, rivalling the lieto fine conclusions to the operas of his day, but with far more skill, substance and even panache".

A four-part setting of Paul Gerhardt's hymn, "{{lang|de|Mein Gott, öffne mir die Pforten|italic=no}}" (My God, open the gates), "returns the cantata – also in terms of style – to the sphere of reverence appropriate for a church service".

The entries are taken from the listing on the Bach Cantatas Website. Instrumental groups playing period instruments in historically informed performances are marked green under the header {{abbr|Instr.|Type of instruments}}.

{{Cantata discography header | work=Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 | instruments={{abbr|Instr.|Type of instruments}} }}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Scherchen

| title = J. S. Bach: Cantatas No. 140, No. 32

| conductor = {{sortname|Hermann|Scherchen}}

| choir = Wiener Akademie Kammerchor

| orchestra = Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Magda László
• Alfred Poell

}}

| label = Westminster / Archipel

| year = {{Start date|1952}}

| orchestra_type =

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Werner

| title = Les Grandes Cantates de J. S. Bach Vol. 13

| conductor = {{sortname|Fritz|Werner}}

| choir = Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn

| orchestra = {{nowrap|Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra}}

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Agnes Giebel
• Barry McDaniel

}}

| label = Erato

| year = {{Start date|1963}}

| orchestra_type =

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Gönnenwein

| title = J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 32 & BWV 39

| conductor = {{sortname|Wolfgang|Gönnenwein}}

| choir = Süddeutscher Madrigalchor

| orchestra = Consortium Musicum

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Edith Mathis
• Franz Crass

}}

| label = EMI

| year = {{Start date|1965}}

| orchestra_type =

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Winschermann

| title = Bach: 13 Sacred Cantatas & 13 Sinfonias

| conductor = {{hs|Winschermann, Helmut}} Helmut Winschermann

| choir =

| orchestra = Deutsche Bachsolisten and choir

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Ileana Cotrubaș
• Hermann Prey

}}

| label = Philips

| year = {{Start date|1970}}

| orchestra_type =

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Leonhardt

| title = J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk • Complete Cantatas • Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 9 – BWV 31–34

| conductor = {{sortname|Gustav|Leonhardt}}

| choir = Knabenchor Hannover

| orchestra = Leonhardt-Consort

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Soloist of the Knabenchor Hannover
• Max van Egmond

}}

| label = Teldec

| year = {{Start date|1974}}

| orchestra_type = Period

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Rilling

| title = {{lang|de|Die Bach Kantate}} Vol. 22

| conductor = {{sortname|Helmuth|Rilling}}

| choir = Gächinger Kantorei

| orchestra = Bach-Collegium Stuttgart

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Arleen Augér
• Walter Heldwein

}}

| label = Hänssler

| year = {{Start date|1981}}

| orchestra_type =

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Gardiner

| title = Bach Cantatas Vol. 18: Weimar/Leipzig/Hamburg / For Christmas Day & for Epiphany / For the 1st Sunday after Epiphany

| conductor = {{sortname|John Eliot|Gardiner}}

| choir = Monteverdi Choir

| orchestra = English Baroque Soloists

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Claron McFadden
• Peter Harvey

}}

| label = Soli Deo Gloria

| year = {{Start date|2000}}

| orchestra_type = Period

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Leusink

| title = Bach Edition Vol. 18 – Cantatas Vol. 9

| conductor = {{sortname|Pieter Jan|Leusink}}

| choir = Holland Boys Choir

| orchestra = Netherlands Bach Collegium

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Ruth Holton
• Bas Ramselaar

}}

| label = Brilliant Classics

| year = {{Start date|2000}}

| orchestra_type = Period

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Koopman

| title = J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 17

| conductor = {{sortname|Ton|Koopman}}

| orchestra = Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• {{nowrap|Johannette Zomer}}
• Klaus Mertens

}}

| label = Antoine Marchand

| year = {{Start date|2002}}

| orchestra_type = Period

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Suzuki

| title = J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 42 – BWV 13, 16, 32, 72

| conductor = {{sortname|Masaaki|Suzuki}}

| orchestra = Bach Collegium Japan

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Rachel Nicholls
• Peter Kooy

}}

| label = BIS

| year = {{Start date|2008}}

| orchestra_type = Period

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Forck

| title = J. S. Bach Kantaten

| conductor = {{hs|Forck, Bernhard}} {{ill|Bernhard Forck|de|3=Bernhard Forck (Geiger)}}

| orchestra = Members of Berliner Philharmoniker

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Christine Schäfer
• Peter Kooy

}}

| label = IPPNW-Concerts

| year = {{Start date|2004}}

| orchestra_type =

}}

{{Cantata discography row

| id = Bernardini

| title = J. S. Bach: Dialog-Cantatas – BWV 32, 57, 58

| conductor = {{sortname|Alfredo|Bernardini}}

| orchestra = Kirchheimer BachConsort

| soloists = {{plainlist|

• Hana Blažíková
• Dominik Wörner

}}

| label = cpo

| year = {{Start date|2016}}

| orchestra_type = Period

}}

{{End}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist | 30em

| refs =

{{cite web

| last = Bischof

| first = Walter F.

| url = http://webdocs.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/cantatas/32.html

| title = BWV 32 Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen

| publisher = University of Alberta

| access-date = 14 October 2015

}}

{{cite web

| last = Dellal

| first = Pamela

| author-link = Pamela Dellal

| url = https://www.emmanuelmusic.org/bach-translations/bwv-32

| title = BWV 32 – Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen

| publisher = Emmanuel Music

| access-date = 20 August 2022

}}

{{cite book

| last = Dürr

| first = Alfred

| author-link = Alfred Dürr

| title = Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach

| year = 1981

| publisher = Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag

| isbn = 3-423-04080-7

| volume = 1

| edition = 4

| pages = [https://archive.org/details/diekantatenvonjo0002durr/page/176 176–178]

| language = de

| url = https://archive.org/details/diekantatenvonjo0002durr/page/176

}}

{{Cite AV media notes

| last = Gardiner

| first = John Eliot

| author-link = John Eliot Gardiner

| url = https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_SDG174

| title = Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Cantatas Nos 32, 63, 65, 123, 124 & 154

| publisher = Soli Deo Gloria (at Hyperion Records website)

| year = 2010

| access-date = 31 December 2018

}}

{{cite web

| last = Hofmann

| first = Klaus

| author-link = Klaus Hofmann

| url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Pic-Rec-BIG/Suzuki-C42c%5BBIS-SACD1711%5D.pdf

| title = Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 / Dearest Jesus, my desire

| publisher = Bach Cantatas Website

| page = 4

| year = 2008

| access-date = 8 January 2013

}}

{{cite web

| last = Leonard

| first = James

| url = http://www.allmusic.com/composition/cantata-no-32-liebster-jesu-mein-verlangen-bwv-32-bc-a31-mc0002356306

| title = Johann Sebastian Bach / Cantata No. 32, "Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen," BWV 32 (BC A31)

| publisher = Allmusic

| access-date = 2 January 2016

}}

{{cite web

| last = Mincham

| first = Julian

| url = http://www.jsbachcantatas.com/documents/chapter-11-bwv-32

| title = Chapter 11 Bwv 32 – The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach

| publisher = jsbachcantatas.com

| year = 2010

| access-date = 18 August 2022

}}

{{cite web

| last = Oron

| first = Aryeh

| url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV32.htm

| title = Cantata BWV 32 Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen

| publisher = Bach Cantatas Website

| access-date = 2 January 2016

}}

{{cite book

| last = Wolff

| first = Christoph

| author-link = Christoph Wolff

| url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Pic-Rec-BIG/Koopman-C17c%5BAM-3CD%5D.pdf

| title = Bach's Third Yearly Cycle of Cantatas from Leipzig (1725–1727), II

| publisher = Bach Cantatas Website

| page = 7

| year = 2002

| access-date = 8 January 2013

}}

{{cite web

| url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale034-Eng3.htm

| title = Weg, mein Herz, mit den Gedanken / Text and Translation of Chorale

| publisher = Bach Cantatas Website

| year = 2009

| access-date = 7 January 2013

}}

{{cite web

| url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Freu-dich-sehr.htm

| title = Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele

| publisher = Bach Cantatas Website

| year = 2011

| access-date = 7 January 2013

}}

}}

• [http://allofbach.com/en/bwv/bwv-32/ Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32]: performance by the Netherlands Bach Society (video and background information)
• {{IMSLP|work=Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 (Bach, Johann Sebastian)}}
• [http://www.bach-digital.de/receive/BachDigitalWork_work_00000042?lang=en Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen (Concerto in dialogo) BWV 32; BC A 31 / Sacred cantata (1st Sunday of Epiphany)] Bach Digital
• [http://www.bach-chorales.com/BWV0032_6.htm BWV 32.6] bach-chorales.com

{{Good article}}

{{Bach's third cantata cycle and later}}

{{Bach cantatas|state=expanded}}

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Category:Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach

Category:1726 compositions

Category:Psalm-related compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach