During Lent this year, I have decided to post once a week about a piece of music that reflects this Lenten season.
Lent 1: Adam's Fall
In the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Lent 1-Year A (today), Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 is the old testament reading. This reading talks about the "fall" of Adam and Eve: eating the forbidden fruit:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, `You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, `You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Lent/ALent1_RCL.html
Here are two recordings of two interpretations of a choral tune inspired by this reading:
Buxtehude:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2A73vq0JDo
Bach:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezxzd8iCY6c
Both of these recordings are chorale preludes for organ. The choral theme (melody from a SATB hymn) is stated in long-tones while other textures go around. The Buxtehude states the choral theme in the top voice in long-tones (sometimes ornamented) while the other voices are creating harmonic and supportive contrapuntal textures. The theme become more ornamented as the piece progresses. Bach also states the choral theme in the top voice but it is harder to distinguish because the tones are not as long and there is a plethora of chromaticism. The interesting thing to notice in this example is the "falling" of the texture especially in the pedal line.
The following is the text to the choral for which these preludes were composed from:
Through
Adam’s fall human nature
and character is completely corrupted,
the same poison has been inherited by us,
so that we would not be able to recover health
without comfort from God, who has redeemed us
from the great harm
that was done when the serpent overcame Eve
and led her to bring God’s wrath upon herself.
Since
the time when the serpent brought Eve
to abandon God's word, which she despised,
through her death
was brought on all of us,
so that there was necessity
that God should give to us his dear son,
the throne of grace,
in whom we might live.
Just
as another's guilt has brought us
shame in Adam,
so another's grace in Christ has brought us
all reconciliation;
and just as for me through Adams fall
everything perished eternally in death,
so God through Christ's death
has renewed what was ruined.
He
therefore gave his son to us,
while we were still his enemies.
For our sake he hung on the cross,
was put to death and went to heaven.
By this means we have been redeemed from death
and suffering.
If we place our trust in this stronghold,
the Father's word,
why should anyone have any horror of death?
He
is the way, the light, the gate,
the truth and the life,
the father's counsel and eternal Word,
that he has given to us as protection,
so that with bold confidence
we may believe firmly in him
and for this reason no force nor might
will snatch us from his hand.
Mankind
is godless and cursed,
his salvation is still distant,
he looks for comfort from men
and not from God the Lord;
for if anyone who sets a different goal
without this comforter,
the Devil’s might and cunning
can very soon terrify him.
Who
hopes in God and places his trust in him
will never be put to shame.
For if anyone who builds on this rock,
even if something occurs here
that seems like misfortune,
I have never seen anyone fall
who relies on God's comfort,
he helps all those who believe.
I
pray, o Lord, from the depths of my heart
that you may not take from me
your holy word from out of my mouth;
so
will I not be put to shame by
my sin and guilt, since in your grace
I
place all my trust.
Whoever
relies firmly on this alone
will
never look on death.
For
my feet your holy word
is a blazing lantern,
a light that shows me the way forward;
as this morning Star
rises upon us we understand
the great gifts
that God's spirit has certainly promised to
us,
and in these we have our hope.
English
Translation by Francis Browne (November 2005)
Contributed
by Francis Browne (November 2005)
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale045-Eng3.htm
As
you listen to the two pieces I suggest you read the texts in order to realize
the composers' intentions.
