Text No. 1, 3, 4
Poet unknown

Text No. 2
Poet unknown and Luke 2:29–31

Text No. 5
Martin Luther, 1524 (from Luke 2:32)

First performance
The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
2 February 1724

Composed for the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2 February) in 1724, cantata BWV 83 is set to a libretto that draws strongly on the story of Simeon, who, in a vision, learned he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. The ancient prophet thus serves as a role model of devout preparation for the hereafter, and the Canticle of Simeon from the Gospel of Luke (“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”) is a recurrent theme in almost all movements of this work.

The cantata’s overarching theme of humility is reflected in the small size of the vocal ensemble, although the introductory aria forms a remarkable exception. With two additional horns and a solo violin – similar scoring to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 – the movement opens in brilliant concerto style and thus transforms the promise made to Simeon into a song celebrating the entire Christian community, which was brought into being through the birth of the Messiah: “O joyous day of the new order, When our belief doth Jesus hold”. Throughout this setting, the concertante violin, rapidly scaling several registers, evokes the divine morning star in much the same way as cantata BWV 1 – a fitting mood for a composition that still basks in the joy of the Epiphany. The contrasting middle section then illuminates the text of “that resting place, the grave” in introverted, pianissimo tones ere the da capo section recapitulates the brilliant, courtly music that proclaims the Christ child as the true King of Heaven.

Although the following bass aria adheres closely to the Gospel text, this movement, too, defies all listener expectations: framed by a structure of continuo and unison strings whose symbolic, ascending figure is set as a strict canon at an octave, the vocal line eschews all soloistic devices and commences with a quasi-Gregorian chant, thus emphasising the Song of Simeon as a particularly venerable legacy. Integrated into this hermetic structure is, surprisingly, a recitative that interprets the message of the ancient canticle for the listeners of Bach’s time; arioso phrases and fragments of the canon repeatedly interrupt the vocalist ere the second part of the Bible dictum (“For mine own eyes now have indeed thy Saviour regarded”) resumes the archaic style of the opening section. In this setting, Bach applied considerable rigour and discipline in order to express his respect for the biblical song.

The following movement, a further aria set for tenor, solo violin and strings, is devoted entirely to moral contemplation. Set in the style of a rapid bourrée, the solo violin dances over the cheerful orchestral accompaniment with feather-light triplets – a perfect backdrop for the tenor’s joyous calls of “Eilet!” (hasten). In this heroic solo, the emphasis is not on Simeon’s wish to die, but rather on the powerful acts of faith inspired by a believer’s certainty of receiving grace.

The alto recitative then lends expression to elements of worry and sorrow that, until now, had only been hinted at in this consoling music. Here, the darkness of the grave as well as the doubt stirred by the remoteness of God are allowed to gain the upper hand, ere the “radiant light” renders even the last hours of death bearable.

“He is salvation’s blessed light” – in drawing upon ancient texts, Bach and his librettist honour tradition and close the cantata with the fourth verse of Luther’s hymn based on the Canticle of Simeon. Rather than being effusively jubilant, the final words of praise – “He’s thy people’s Israel; the praise, fame, joy, and glory” – have a sombre and binding character and thus crown a cantata that is, even by Bach’s standards, remarkable for uniting such disparate styles as modern concerto and suites with the time-old customs of early church music.