Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bach BMV645 - Sleepers Awake.



This is like being in heaven. What joy to listen to Bach and to hear this talented lady interpret it. It moves me to tears and never bores me. I have been listening to many versions of this many times over.

It is music fit to welcome the King of our Salvation.

Why settle for dried fish when you can get a steak?

Enjoy.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

do you mean "steak" or did I somehow miss a pun?

This lady has a beautiful voice and the piece is really well done, so I can't complain. But it's not my thing. It would've been awesome if they'd left the drum beat out. Just my opinion.

LPC said...

Thanks for the spelling correction, my brain is getting dysfunctional as I age. It runs faster than my hands.

Why can it not be your thing? This Bach.

OK here is the same thing on piano...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4prU9o8SzI

Let me know.

LPC

Brigitte said...

I think this version is very pretty. Thanks for sharing. I've played this in church a few times with my daughter on violin. Last time to an overflowing church at the suicide of a farmer.

LPC said...

Brigitte,

I am sad to hear about that farmer. Some farmers here too are doing that, Australian farmers are really being hit hard here for the last 15 years.

I enjoy this music very much, there is a reason why Bach only became popular at his death. I have some reflections on his life on this.

LPC

Brigitte said...

Around here, unless you are a huge farmer, you can't make it. And having a huge farm is also a huge stress on the family and marriages... We're told that soon we will get our beef from Brazil. Can you imagine, no Alberta beef in Alberta. Unthinkable.

About Bach, I grew up listening to my mother practicing for her choir and then I sang in Youth choir myself. So I know some of the music very well.

In relation to Bach and the topic further up, the hymn "Ich steh and deiner Krippe hier" comes to my mind. Do you know it. I don't think it is sung in English. Melody by J.S.B., text by Paul Gerhardt. I think Paul McCain wrote quite a bit about it once.

This verse has always had an impact on me: "Da ich noch nicht geboren war, da bist du mir geboren und hast michdir zu eigen gar, eh ich dich kannt, erkoren. Eh ich durch deine Hnad gemacht, da hst du schon bei dir bedacht, wie du mein wolltest werden."

Which is directly: "When I was not born yet, you were born for me and you have chosen me to be your own before I knew you. Before I was made by your hand, you have already thought about how you would become mine."

LPC said...

Brigitte,

"When I was not born yet, you were born for me and you have chosen me to be your own before I knew you. Before I was made by your hand, you have already thought about how you would become mine."

These are beautiful words that are a great comfort.

I do not know of the song if it is not in English but I sure like to hear it even if it is in German.

If you have a pointer in the internet where it may be found, I shall be most thankful.

LPC

Brigitte said...

I like this one. It is the best quality recording, I could find quickly on youTube. The rest all have various deficiencies. This is a contemporary rendition, however. Still good. They young men sing the four verses usually sung. My hymnbook has seven verses.

The text is also sung to different melodies, but the Bach one with the choral setting are breathtaking. I have a Christmas book with all the parts in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XbhW5-tEQ0

LPC said...

Brigitte.

Thank you for teaching me this song. It is going to be one of my favourites. I am also listening to the traditional version and it is a good song.

Bach is truly God's gift to us. He though now dead, still speaks.

LPC

Brigitte said...

I think this is one of the most beautiful melodies ever anywhere. Do you have a direct translation of the words, or can you read it yourself?

LPC said...

No I do not have the translation. If you have one send it through.

But there is something about Bach. Because he bases his Christian hymns from the Scriptures, sometimes you can simply be moved by the melody itself and at times I feel that even though there are no words, you seem to catch what he is saying. The melody gets at it.

There is a reason why God made him an unknown while he was alive. He is really more glorifying to God more.

LPC

Brigitte said...

Good morning, I posted you a direct translation and in the post previous an older, more poetic translation of "Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier."

LPC said...

Brigitte,

Thanks for the translation, I like to memorize the German and it helps to know the meaning of the words one is memorizing.

I enjoyed listening to the mp3, I liked it very much.

God bless,

LPC