BWV 210a O angenehme Melodei!

Wedding Cantata for Count Joachim Friedrich von Flemming.

Poet unknown.

Probably 1738-1740; Parody: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 ← BWV 210/1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 (modified), 10.

BG 29, Anhang; NBA I/39.


1. Recit. (S)

O sweet and charming melody!
No sweetness, no contentment
Comes close to thy sweet magic charm
And thy caressing gentleness.
The knowledge in art’s other branches
Of earthly wit are clever vapors:
But thou art all alone
From heaven unto us descended
And must be too of heaven born.

2. Aria (S)

Play on, ye lively anthems,
Cast down the enchanted breast
Into swooning, soft and gentle;

    But employ the strings' delight,
    Strengthen and again revive them.

3. Recit. (S)

Ye sorrows, flee,
Flee, all ye troubled toil and sadness!
A tuneful song
Soth bitter grieving sweeten,
A single note works deeds of wonder
And hath more force than Samson’s power,
For it,
When sadness or anxiety
Like hordes of Philistines
Ariseth to disturb our rest,
Dispels and drives the torment from our minds.

4. Aria (S)

Quiet now, minds so weary,
Minds so weary, quiet now!

    For a gentle harmony
    Is for any secret woe
    Just the proper panace(1).

5. Recit. (S)

Although, belovéd Musica,
Thy playing hath such charm
For all these many ears,
Thou art still yet depressed and standing lost within thy thoughts.
For they’re many yet
By whom thou art much despised;
I think I hear now thy complaining
Itself proclaiming:

6. Aria (S)

Hush, ye flutes now, hush, ye tones ye,
E’en to me ye sound not pretty;
Go, ye wretched lyrics, hence,
For I so forsaken am!

7. Recit. (S)

Compose thyself, thy fame
Is still not quite
Yet vanished and in exile sent!
Yea, if it came to pass
That thee the entire world abandon
And thy sweet loveliness be banished,
Come forth still to thy cherished Flemming
/ Come forth still to thy cherished patrons(2)
Beneath his shield and shade to dwell.
/ Within their care and love to dwell. /
He knows alone
/ They know alone /
How knowledge and the arts should rightly be revered.

8. Aria (S)

Mighty Flemming, every science
/ Worthy patrons, every science /
Finds before thy feet protection,
/ Finds before your feet great favor, /
Thou hast with all the arts kept faith.
/ Ye have with all the arts kept faith. /
For thy gracious favor loveth
/ For your gracious favor loveth /
A sweet and charming melody.

9. Recit. (S)

Illustrious head, remain thus evermore
/ O learned patrons, remain thus evermore /
To noble Harmony with thy defense inclined!
/ To noble Harmony with your goodwill inclined! /
As long as she still children shows with lovely voices,
Will she continually
Thy praise and thy great fame be singing;
/ Your praise and your great fame be singing; /
And, if she hath thy leave,
For thy steadfast success
Bestir herself    
Her fond good wishes now to offer.

10. Aria (S)

Be content, mighty Flemming,
/ Be content, worthy patrons, / Be content, mighty Flemming,
/ Worthy patrons, be content. /
    Thy great earldom’s house
    / Perpetual joy /
    Increase now its glory and widen its sway,
    /Prepare now its dwelling to make in your breast, /
    Until e’en the radiance of sunshine retreateth.
    / Until it the singing of angels doth charm.

1. Panace (pronounce panasée) is the herb thought by the ancients to produce panacea. One may prefer to translate with "remedy."

2. In slanted brackets are variant verses intended for performances on other occasions.

© Copyright Z. Philip Ambrose


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