Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

(Redirected from Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring) Arrangement of a chorale from a Bach cantata

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"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is the popular English title of the chorale from the 1723 Advent cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life), BWV 147, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The chorale occurs twice in the cantata, with different texts each time (neither of which matches the English): as its sixth movement, Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum habe (It is well for me that I have Jesus), and again as its tenth movement, Jesus bleibet meine Freude (Jesus Remains My Joy). The English title derives from famous piano transcriptions made by Myra Hess, in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet, as published by Oxford University Press. Whether played instrumentally or sung in German or English, the chorale is often heard at weddings and during Advent, Christmas, and Easter.

Background

Bach composed a four-part setting with independent orchestral accompaniment of two stanzas of the hymn Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne, which had been written by Martin Janus in 1661 and was commonly sung to a Johann Schop melody, Werde munter, mein Gemüthe.

Structure and scoring

Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben has ten movements and is in two parts, with the chorale concluding each part. Bach scored it for choir, trumpet, violin, and basso continuo, with optional parts for oboe and viola.

Instrumental arrangements

External audio
You may hear Dame Myra Hess performing her transcription of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" in 1940 Here on archive.org
You may hear Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" performed by E. Power Biggs Here on Archive.org

The music's wide popularity has led to numerous arrangements and transcriptions, such as for the classical guitar and, in Wendy Carlos' album Switched-On Bach, on the Moog synthesizer. According to The New Oxford Companion to Music, the best-known transcriptions for piano are those by Hess.

Text

English text

The following is a version with words attributed to the poet laureate Robert Bridges. It is not a translation of the stanzas used within Bach's original version, but is inspired by stanzas of the same hymn that Bach had drawn upon: "Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne", the lyrics of which were written in 1661 by Martin Janus (or Jahn), and which was sung to Johann Schop's 1642 "Werde munter, mein Gemüte" hymn tune.

Performance of chorale from BWV 147, "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" by the Orchestra Gli Armonici (3:22)

Problems playing this file? See media help.

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Holy wisdom, love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.

Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.

Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown.

Original text

Jahn's verses express a close, friendly, and familiar friendship with Jesus, who gives life to the poet. It has been noted that the original German hymn was characteristically a lively hymn of praise, which is carried over somewhat into Bach's arrangement; whereas a slower, more stately tempo is traditionally used with the English version.

Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe,
o wie feste halt' ich ihn,
daß er mir mein Herze labe,
wenn ich krank und traurig bin.
Jesum hab' ich, der mich liebet
und sich mir zu eigen giebet,
ach drum laß' ich Jesum nicht,
wenn mir gleich mein Herze bricht.

Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
darum laß' ich Jesum nicht
aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.

Well for me that I have Jesus,
O how tightly I hold him
that he might refresh my heart,
when I'm sick and sad.
Jesus I have, who loves me
and gives himself to me,
ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus,
even when my heart breaks.
—from BWV 147, chorale movement no. 6

Jesus remains my joy,
my heart's consolation and sap,
Jesus fends off all suffering,
He is my life's strength,
my eyes' lust and sun,
my soul's treasure and pleasure;
Therefore I will not leave Jesus
out of heart and sight.
—from BWV 147, chorale movement no. 10

Modern adaptations

The melody and other elements have been used in several pop and classical crossover recordings:

"Someone I Know", on Margo Guryan's 1968 album Take a Picture
"Wicked Annabella", a 1968 track on The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, with Bach in Pete Quaife's bassline
Included as the coda of "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited", on the Move's 1970 album Shazam
"Joy", a 1972 instrumental by Apollo 100, which reached number six on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 in the RPM Canadian chart
"Precious Joy" on the 1973 album Blues on Bach by the Modern Jazz Quartet
"Dreams of You", a 1975 single by Ralph McTell which reached the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
"Lady Lynda", a 1979 single by the Beach Boys which reached the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart
"Joy", an instrumental track on George Winston's 1982 album December, inspired by an arrangement by guitarist David Qualey
An electronic version is the first track on Takako Minekawa's 1995 maxi-single (A Little Touch Of) Baroque In Winter
"Dormi dormi", a 2019 track on the extended album Sì by Andrea Bocelli, a lullaby inspired by the chorale, sung by Bocelli and Jennifer Garner in Italian and English

Notes and references

Notes

Jesu is the Latin vocative case of the name, formerly used in English texts, too.

References

Boyd, M., ed. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", The Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, Oxford University Press
Kennedy, M., ed. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press
^ Arnold, Denis (1983). The New Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-311316-3.
"Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben", The Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach, Oxford University Press
hymnary.org
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" lyrics, Our Wedding Songs
Bach; "Jesu, joy of man's desiring", web-published by St Basil's Music
BWV 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben
Kalin, Martin (1998). "The Missing Kink: An interview with ex-bassist Peter Quaife". Kinda Kinks.; Cohen, Eliot Stephen (20 February 2018). "Dave Davies Remembers Kinks Bassist Pete Quaife". Bass Player. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019.
"Image: RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada. February 26, 1972. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
Charone, Barbara (1 November 1975). "The Return of Ralph McTell". Sounds. ISSN 0144-5774.
"Ralph McTell; full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
"December (booklet)" (PDF). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
https://www.discogs.com/release/4565877-Takako-Minekawa-A-Little-Touch-Of-Baroque-In-Winter
"Andrea Bocelli Releases Sì Forever: The Diamond Edition, Out Today" (Press release). November 8, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2020.

External links

Free sheet music of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring from Cantorion.org
Cantata, BWV 147: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
German original version and English translation, Choir of Somerville College, Oxford, YouTube

v t e Chamber music and orchestral works by, and transcriptions after, Johann Sebastian Bach
Solo	Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001–1006 Partita No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 Cello Suites, BWV 1007–1012 Partita for Solo Flute, BWV 1013
Ensemble	Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1014–1019 Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord, BWV 1027–1029 Flute Sonatas in B minor, BWV 1030 in E♭ major, BWV 1031 (doubtful) in A major, BWV 1032 in C major, BWV 1033 (doubtful) in E minor, BWV 1034 in E major, BWV 1035 Trio Sonatas Sonata for two flutes and continuo, BWV 1039 Canonic Sonata for oboe, violin and continuo, BWV 1040
Concertos	Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042 Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043 Triple Concerto, BWV 1044 Sinfonia for violin and orchestra, BWV 1045 Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051 No. 5 Keyboard concertos, BWV 1052–1065 No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052 No. 2 in E major, BWV 1053 No. 4 in A major, BWV 1055 For two harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060
Suites	Orchestral Suites, BWV 1066–1069 Orchestral Suite in G minor, BWV 1070 (doubtful)
Fugal	The Musical Offering, BWV 1079 The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 discography
Adaptations	"Air on the G String" "Alphabet" "Ave Maria" Bach-Busoni Editions "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" "Feel My Rhythm" "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" "Joy" "Lady Lynda" "Sheep may safely graze" "They" Trio Sonata, BWV 525a "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
Albums	Bach's Greatest Hits Back to Bach Jazz Sebastian Bach Switched-On Bach Switched-On Bach II
List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach

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