N.B. A new performance of this chorale with "real" vocals can be found here: [ Ссылка ]

Chorale No. 1212 of 1345
Music: Christoph Graupner (1683-1760)
First performance: 25/12/1748 (Christmas Day)
Verse text: Aller Trost und alle Freude
Text source: 6th verse of Warum willst du draußen stehen (Paul Gerhardt, 1653)
Chorale melody: Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele (Louis Bourgeois, 1551)
7th movement of cantata Es ist erschienen die heilsame Gnade Gottes (GWV 1105/48)
Scoring: SATB, 2 horns, 4 timpani, Strings and Continuo

N.B. This is a completely new version which replaces the original performance I posted on Christmas Day 2019 (that video now placed offline!)

The chorale is set to the following words which are verse 6 of the hymn “Warum willst du draußen stehen, du Gesegneter des Herrn?” by Paul Gerhardt:

Aller Trost und alle Freude
Ruht in dir, Herr Jesu Christ;
Dein Erfreuen ist die Weide,
Da man sich recht fröhlich ißt.
Leuchte mir, o Freudenlicht,
Ehe mir mein Herze bricht;
Laß mich, Herr, an dir erquicken,
Jesu, komm, laß dich erblicken!

Translation (Catherine Winkworth):
All delight, all consolation
Lies in Thee, Lord Jesus Christ,
Feed my soul with Thy salvation,
O Thou Bread of Life unpriced.
Blessèd Light, within me glow,
Ere my heart breaks in its woe;
Oh refresh me and uphold me,
Jesu, come, let me behold Thee.

The tune used to set these words is that known as “Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele”. It is credited to mid-16th century composers Louis Bourgeois and Claude Goudimel. The tune is also well known to anglo-saxon congregations as the tune FREU DICH SEHR or GENEVAN 42 and is sung to the words "Comfort, comfort ye my people" (here a very lively example which I am sure Graupner would have approved of: [ Ссылка ] ). It was also set a couple of times by Bach (see e.g. BWV 19 where he does it rather grandly but in a fairly typical late baroque sort of way - [ Ссылка ]). Graupner on the other hand demonstrates his incredible skill of orchestration. He accompanies the chorale with orchestral lines which have almost nothing (except sometimes harmony) to do with what the choir is singing. The violins play three different figurations: whooping calls, glissando-like scales and little sets of three semi quavers which emphasise the harmony. In the lower strings and horns Graupner calls for either falling arpeggios or a striding bass. The timpani has one of the toughest parts (I have included it as the video image so you can follow it along!) including frequent g-major semiquaver arpeggios on the GBD-tuned drums doubling the basses. Graupner uses a rather minimalist approach to assembling this accompaniment, treating the instrumental figures rather like samples to be played at the appropriate moment. He very successfully does this because while all the crazy stuff that is going on in the background does not distract from what the choir is singing but rather adds an incredible shine to it.

And then comes the short coda which sounds like it was written by a 19th century composer trying, rather unsuccessfully, to do an imitation of the end of a baroque work. There seems to be a chord progression and tonic-dominant repetition in the 3rd last bar which would be more at place in 1798, not 1748! The 65 year old Graupner was clearly embracing the emerging classical style and he sent his 1748 congregation in Darmstadt out on a bang!

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