BACH – Sleepers, Wake

This work, which is one of the one hundred and ninety Church Cantatas of Bach, was composed during his residence in Leipzig. As director of the St. Thomas Church Choir in Leipzig, Bach's duty made it necessary for him to compose and have ready a new composition for each church day.  It is thought that ‘Sleepers Wake’ was written in 1731, when an unusually early date for Easter meant that Bach had to provide music for the 27th day after Trinity. The Gospel for the day was the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). This chorale is the opening movement of his cantata (BVW 140) Wachet auf, ruft uns di Stimme -- Awake! calls the voice of the watchman.   It is a bustling portrait in sound of the city of Jerusalem, waiting at midnight, with watchers posted on the battlements for the arrival of the "bridegroom". The urgent dotted chords are tossed back and forth between the instrumental sections, relating the restless nature of the crowd. They relay the watchmen's cries in imitative counterpoint. The choral tune is heard in the long notes of the treble instruments, but it never breaks the energy of the work.

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