Bach Cantata: He who believes and is baptized | Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir

Did you know that besides his Ascension Oratorio, Bach also wrote an Ascension Cantata? “Wer da gläubet und getauft wird" (He who believes and is baptized) is, however, not performed nearly as often as the oratorio and presents a real challenge. For one thing, there is no existing violin part in the cantata. Dutch conductor and organist Ton Koopman had to compose one himself to go along with it. With his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir, he performed the cantata (BWV 37) on June 11, 2023 in the St. Thomas Church of Leipzig during Bachfest Leipzig.

00:00 Tuning
00:08 Prelude
00:56 Chorus: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird
03:02 Aria (Tenor): Der Glaube ist das Pfand der Liebe
08:38 Choral (Soprano, Alto): Herr Gott Vater, mein starker Held!
11:24 Recitative (Bass): Ihr Sterblichen, verlanget ihr
12:26 Aria (Bass): Der Glaube schafft der Seele Flügel
15:00 Chorale: Den Glauben mir verleihe

Performers:
Elisabeth Breuer | SOPRANO
Maarten Engeltjes | ALTUS
Tilman Lichdi | TENOR
Klaus Mertens | BASS
Catherine Manson | SOLO VIOLIN
AMSTERDAM BAROQUE ORCHESTRA & CHOIR
Ton Koopman | CONDUCTOR & ORGANIST

Bach’s Ascension Cantata, “He who believes and is baptized,” from 1724, is based on the Gospel of Mark. The piece tells of how good deeds alone will not grant you eternal life, but that it takes faith in God. The cantata is not performed very often, as it is sometime overshadowed by Bach’s famous Ascension Oratorio.

Selected Bach specialists were asked to play their favorite cantatas to mark the anniversary of Bach’s time holding the position of Musical Director of the St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig. He assumed his duties there 300 years ago, in 1723. Ton Koopman is particularly enthused about the end of the Ascension Cantata, where Bach puts his full range of skills on display, and listeners are left in awe that anyone could compose like that.

For many of Bach’s scores, the originals have not been completely conserved. That is also the case for the aria after the opening chorus, “Faith is the seal of love.” There are only individual parts remaining, such as the vocals and the basso continuo. The first violin part is missing. However, it is assumed that the piece was written with a violin soloist in mind.

That is why Ton Koopman composed a violin melody himself for the aria. Koopman relied on his expertise as a Bach connoisseur and distinguished specialist in early music and kept meticulously polishing up this empathetic violin sound right up to the end – with the aim of approximating the missing part as closely as possible. Scottish violinist Catherine Manson, who is also a specialist in early music and a member of the orchestra, plays the violin solo. Together with Ton Koopman, she recorded the entire collection of chamber music by Baroque composer Dietrich Buxtehude.

In this cantata, “He who believes and is baptized,” Ton Koopman not only conducts – he also plays the basso continuo on the organ. The recording was streamed live by Deutsche Welle on June 11, 2023 from the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig during Bachfest. Here you can find the complete concert: https://youtube.com/live/BMyps1abvzQ

Ton Koopman, Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist and university lecturer, is one of the leading interpreters of early music, specializing in historically informed performances. He founded his ensemble, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, in 1979 and the choir in 1992. The ensemble consists of internationally renowned specialists in early music. The instruments played by the musicians are either originals or replicas, so that their interpretations of Baroque music sound as true to the period as possible.

© 2023 Deutsche Welle/Bachfest Leipzig

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