Jesu, Meines Lebens Leben, Buxwv 62
by Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Vox Luminis - Lionel Meunier, direction
Ensemble Masques - Olivier Fortin, direction
Julien Martin, recorder
Sophie Gent & Tuomo Suni, violin
Kathleen Kajioka, viola
Mélisande Corriveau, viola da gamba
Benoît Vanden Bemden, violone
Olivier Fortin, organ & harpsichord
Jesu, Meines Lebens Leben, Buxwv 62
[0:00] Sinfonia
[0:48] Ciaconna
[0:48] Jesu, Meines Lebens Leben (Caroline Weynants, soprano)
[1:38] Du, ach, du hast ausgestanden
(Jan Kullmann, alto; Philippe Froeliger, tenor & Lionel Meunier, bass)
[2:28] Du hast laßen Wunden schlagen (Robert Buckland, tenor)
[3:16] Man hat dich sehr hart verhöhnet
(Stefanie True, soprano; Daniel Elgersma, alto & Sebastian Myrus, bass)
[4:08] Ich, ich danke dir von Herzen(tutti)
In 1668, Buxtehude was appointed organist of the Marienkirche (St Mary’s church) in Lübeck, which was regarded as one of the most important jobs in north German church music. Here he soon attracted attention by organizing an annual series of church concerts, independent of the liturgy, which were held in the late afternoon on the five Sundays before Christmas. Although these so-called Abendmusiken (Evening concerts) occasionally featured large-scale oratorio-type works, there was more often a mixture of instrumental pieces, hymns, psalm settings and cantata-like works. The concert series had already become such a central cultural event in the city by around 1700 that they were even mentioned in travel guides of the time - which expressly added that nothing of the kind ‘occurs anywhere else’. [from the liner notes by Peter Wollny]
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben,
Jesu, meines Todes Tod,
Der du dich für mich gegeben
In die tiefste Seelennot,
In das äusserste Verderben,
Nur daß ich nicht möchte sterben:
Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
Liebster Jesu, Dank dafür!
Du, ach, du hast ausgestanden
Lästerreden, Spott und Hohn,
Speichel, Schläge, Strick’ und Bande
Du gerechter Gottessohn,
Mich Elenden zu erretten
Von des Teufels Sündenketten!
Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
Liebster Jesu, Dank dafür!
Du hast laßen Wunden schlagen,
Dich erbärmlich richten zu,
Um zu heilen meine Plagen
Und zu setzen mich in Ruh!
Ach, du hast zu meinem Segen
Laßen dich mit Fluch belegen!
Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
Liebster Jesu, Dank dafür!
Man hat dich sehr hart verhöhnet,
Dich mit großem Schimpf belegt
Und mit Dornen gar gekrönet:
Was hat dich dazu bewegt?
Daß du möchtest mich ergötzen,
Mir die Ehrenkron’ aufsetzen.
Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
Liebster Jesu, Dank dafür!
Ich, ich danke dir von Herzen,
Jesu, vor gesamte Not,
Vor die Wunden, vor die Schmerzen,
Vor den herben, bittern Tod,
Vor dein Zittern, vor dein Zagen,
Vor dein tausendfaches Plagen,
Tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
Liebster Jesu, Dank dafür!
Amen.
Jesus, life of my life,
Jesus, death of my death,
Thou who for me didst abandon thyself
To the deepest affliction of the soul,
To the utmost perdition,
Solely that I might not die:
A thousand thousand times to thee
Dearest Jesus, may thanks be given!
Thou, alas, thou hast endured
Blasphemies, derision and mockery,
Spittle, blows, ropes and bonds,
Thou righteous Son of God,
To rescue my wretched soul
From the Devil’s sinful shackles!
A thousand thousand times to thee
Dearest Jesus, may thanks be given!
Thou didst let thyself be struck and wounded,
Most grievously injured,
In order to heal my stripes
And bring me peace!
Ah, that I might be blessed
Thou didst let thyself be cursed!
A thousand thousand times to thee
Dearest Jesus, may thanks be given!
They derided thee most harshly,
Offered thee great affronts
And even crowned thee with thorns:
What moved thee to accept that?
Thou didst wish to gladden me,
To set the crown of honor upon me.
A thousand thousand times to thee
Dearest Jesus, may thanks be given!
I offer thee my heartfelt thanks,
Jesus, for all thine affliction,
For thy wounds, for thy sufferings,
For thy harsh and bitter death,
For thy trembling, for thy fear,
For thy thousandfold stripes,
A thousand thousand times to thee
Dearest Jesus, may thanks be given!
Amen.
[translation by Charles Johnston]
CD available from Alpha Classics:
www.amazon.com/Buxtehude-Ense...
Art in the video:
[0:52] Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890)
[1:26] Guido Reni (1575-1642)
[1:43] Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656)
[1:59] Caravaggio (1571-1610)
[2:16] Andrea Solario (1460-1522)
[2:33] William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)
[2:49] Henrik Olrik (1830-1890)
[3:06] Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890)
[3:21] Guido Reni (1575-1642)
[3:39] Adriaen van de Velde (1636-1672)
[3:57] Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890)
[4:21] El Greco (1541-1614)
[4:42] Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890)
[5:04] Benjamin West (1738-1820)
[5:12] Giuseppe Cesari (1568-1640)
[5:21] Luis de Morales (1509-1586)
[5:38] Pieter Lastman (1583-1633)
[5:54] Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682)
[6:24] Diego Velázquez (1599-1660)