Christ lag in Todes Banden (Christ lay in death's bonds), BWV 4, is a
chorale cantata for Easter by Johann Sebastian Bach, one of his earliest
church cantatas. It is agreed to be an early work, partly for stylistic
reasons and partly because there is evidence that it was probably
written for a performance in 1707. Text and music are based on Luther's
hymn of the same name, derived from medieval models. In each of seven
vocal movements, Bach used the unchanged words of a stanza of the
chorale and its tune as a cantus firmus. Although all movements are in
E minor, Bach intensified the meaning of the text through a variety of
musical forms and techniques. He performed the cantata again as
Thomaskantor in Leipzig, beginning in 1724 for his first Easter there.
Only this second version survived, scored for four vocal parts (soprano
part pictured) and a Baroque instrumental ensemble with strings and a
choir of cornetto and three trombones. John Eliot Gardiner described the
cantata as Bach's "first-known attempt at painting narrative in music"
and "a bold, innovative piece of musical drama".
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_lag_in_Todes_Banden,_BWV_4>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1721:
Robert Walpole (portrait shown) took office as First Lord of
the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of
Commons, becoming the first de facto prime minister of Great Britain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Walpole>
1859:
Bryant's Minstrels premiered the minstrel song "Dixie" in New
York City as part of their blackface show.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_%28song%29>
1975:
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft>
2002:
The Angolan government and UNITA rebels signed a memorandum of
understanding, agreeing to observe the 1994 Lusaka Protocol and ending
the 26-year-long Angolan Civil War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_Civil_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
sensical:
That makes sense; showing internal logic; rational, sensible.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sensical>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Your God still walks in Eden, between the ancient trees, Where
Youth and Love go wading through pools of primroses. And this is the
sign we bring you, before the darkness fall, That Spring is risen, is
risen again, That Life is risen, is risen again, That Love is risen,
is risen again, and Love is Lord of all.
--Alfred Noyes
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_Noyes>