The Cantatas of Bach

So I started to explore the music of Bach. You see, my background is in what is called death metal and grind core; All my life I have listened to bands like early Metallica, Napalm Death, Death, Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Edge of Sanity, Gorguts, early Slayer, Arch Enemy, At the Gates, Brutal Truth, Dark Tranquillity, Deed of Flesh, The Faceless, Immortal and many other bands like that, but I have come to the conclusion that I cannot listen to such extreme music that is mostly about rebellion, darkness and violence. In a way I still enjoy listening to such music, but something has changed. It is not that I have started to hate it, but I do not enjoy it as much as I used to, which is a great relief for me. In a way, I thought that not being able to listen to this music would be the biggest obstacle in my Christian walk. I was wrong. I have always enjoyed listening to classical music and it is not hard to hear influences in metal music from Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven and even Bach. Today I listen almost exclusively to classical music, mostly Bach and Mozart, but I also enjoy Albinoni, Handel, Vivaldi and Beethoven. But since I listen to most music with vocals, it is usually Bach and Mozart's operas and masses, or Beethoven's 9th symphony, or a piano concerto. There is so much music out there that you can discover new music every day if you want to and have the time. 

When I was younger I listened to a lot of opera, mostly because it spoke to my sensitive soul, but even that God was able to cure me of. But before God healed me of that sensitive soul, I could not listen to opera for many years because of the pain it caused (you know the usual story of a love that was never meant but still hurt more than anything else). But I have started to listen to opera again, but it is the same with opera as with metal music, many of them contain immorality and idolatry, and you can be sure that if you watch an opera today, too many directors love to fill it with the depravity of our times. I am quite sure that even an opera like Don Giovanni was not as sexualised as they have made it today. When I listen to an opera, I always try to find some theological meaning in it, because that helps me to enjoy it; it is not always easy, and in fact I usually listen to six operas, and I am quite happy with them. They will last a lifetime. 

In order, I listen to La Traviata, which is about a sinful life that ends in forgiveness and a peaceful death, a rather heartbreaking story (I have written about it and it is easy to find on the site). The second I listen to is Don Giovanni, which in my eyes is about reprobation, it is like Romans 1. Don Giovanni is on his way to destruction, recognising no authority but himself, and he is given over, time and time again until his time finally is up, and he is even given a last chance to repent, which he refuses, the statue says: "Repent, change your way of life! This is your last chance," and Don Giovanni replies, "No, no, I refuse to repent! Begone, away from me!" So he ends up in hell, and with the conclusion of Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death". I have written a lot about Don Giovanni, as it is a fascinating story and perhaps the greatest opera ever written, I would rank it between La Traviata and Don Giovanni as my favourite. The third is Così fan tutte, which I think is about Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?". These four, two couples, follow their hearts, and nothing is more dangerous than following an unrepentant heart and listening to deceitful counsellors, which is what they learn. The fourth is Le nozze di Figaro, which is in some ways a funny opera and in some ways a very sad opera with the Count as a serial adulterer who at the end understands the pain he has caused his wife and asks for true forgiveness. Then I listen to Die Zauberflöte and La Bohème, but I have not found any theological insight in them, but they are very beautiful. Of course we have other beautiful operas like Tosca, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, and funny operas like Don Pasquale and L'elisir d'amore. But I try to listen to those four operas where I can find some theological insight. And since I discovered that I really like music with singing, I am grateful for the music of Bach, especially his cantatas, motets and masses.

They are exceeding beautiful both in music and singing, and if we then add the lyrics to the mix, what do we find? Let us view the lyrics of his fourth and very early Cantata, BWV 4, Christ lag in Todes Bandenı. You will find the music of 4. Aria down below. 

1. SINFONIA
2. CHORUS
Christ lay in the bonds of death, 
Sacrificed for our sins,  
He has risen again  
And brought us life;
For this we should rejoice, 
Praise the Lord and give thanks 
And sing alleluia,
Alleluia!

3. DUET
No one could overcome Death 
Amongst all mankind,  
This was all caused by our sins,  
No innocence could be found.  
Thus it was that Death came so soon 
And seized power over us,
Held us captive

4. ARIA
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 
Has come to our abode  
And cast all sin aside, 
Thereby depriving Death
Of all his rights and strength,  
Naught but Death’s mere form remained, 
He had lost his sting.  
Alleluia!

5. CHORUS
It was a strange war;  
When Death and Life did fight,  
Life won the victory  
And devoured Death.  
The scriptures foretold it so,  
How one death consumed the other 
And made a mockery of Death. Alleluia!

6. ARIA
Here is the true Baster Lamb,  
That God has offered,  
High on the tree of the cross  
It was burned in ardent love,  
His blood marks our door,  
Faith holds it up in the face of death, 
The strangler can no longer harm us. Alleluia!

7. ARIA (DUET)
So we celebrate with heartfelt joy and pleasure 
The High Feast  
That the Lord for us makes manifest;  
He is Himself the sun,
Who through the splendour of His grace 
Fills our hearts with light,  
The night of sin has disappeared. Alleluia!

8. CHORALE
We eat and fare well  
On the true unleavened Baster bread, 
The ancient leaven shall not  
Be with us at this time of Mercy, 
Christ shall our food now be,  
He alone shall feed the soul,  
Faith would live on nothing else. Alleluia!

The text of this cantata is by Martin Luther, so of course it is doctrinally correct. I am so grateful and happy for the music of Bach, which speaks to every part of my being. You have the most beautiful music and singing, as beautiful as the most beautiful aria, with lyrics that are theologically correct. This is a great blessing for a music lover. 

I have bought most of the releases of Bach's collected works, trying to see which I like best, I have bought the limited edition of Bach 333, J.S. Bach: The New Complete Edition with cantatas by Eliot Gardiner, Masaaki Suzuki, Tom Koopman and others, Die Kompletten Werke von Johann Sebastian Bach by Helmuth Rilling which I am listening to and enjoying, J.S. Bach Complete Edition by Brilliant and finally J.S. Bach: The Vocal Works by Masaaki Suzuki which have now arrived. I am very much looking forward to the Cantatas of the Bach Collegium in Japan under the direction of Masaaki Suzuki, for he serves the same Lord that Bach himself served and that I, by the grace of God, serve.

After a long day I enjoy listening to his Cantatas. Or a record as Heavenly Bach: Arias & Cantatas of J.S. Bach sung by Amanda Forsythe, who sings like an angel.

It is strange how God can transform a man, even the music he loves and wants to listen to. Perhaps it will help anyone to understand that God can transform anyone. To be a Christian, to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, is to be transformed, to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, to be changed from glory to glory. Glory be to God.