Jesu, meine Freude (Jesus, my joy), BWV 227, is a motet by J. S. Bach.
In eleven movements for up to five voices, it is his longest and most
musically complex motet. It is named after the 1653 Lutheran hymn "Jesu,
meine Freude" by Johann Franck; the hymn's six stanzas form the motet's
odd-numbered movements. Bach used the hymn tune by Johann Crüger in
five different chorale settings (example pictured). The hymn's text
focuses on an emotional bond to Jesus, complementing the doctrinal text
from the Epistle to the Romans used for the even-numbered movements.
Jesu, meine Freude is one of the few works by Bach for five vocal parts,
in a structure of symmetries on different layers. It is unclear when the
motet was written. Bach scholar Christoph Wolff believed that Bach may
have compiled it to educate his choir in composition techniques and
theology; an earlier theory that it was written for a 1723 funeral in
Leipzig is now discredited. In 1927, it became the first of Bach motets
to be recorded.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesu,_meine_Freude,_BWV_227>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1813:
Napoleonic Wars: Two evenly matched French and British frigates
fought for four hours at the Îles de Los off the Guinean coast,
resulting in a stalemate.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_7_February_1813>
1900:
A Chinese immigrant in San Francisco fell ill with the bubonic
plague in the first epidemic of the disease in the continental United
States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_plague_of_1900%E2%80%931904>
1992:
The Maastricht Treaty, which led to the formation of the
European Union, was signed by the member states of the European
Communities.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastricht_Treaty>
1997:
Steve Jobs returned to Apple Inc. as a consultant after the
company's acquisition of his technology startup NeXT.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
Dickensian:
1. Of, pertaining to, or created by the English author Charles Dickens.
2. Similar to Dickens' writing style, especially in commenting on
society, or in using emotion, humour, or rich descriptions.
3. Reminiscent of the environments and situations most commonly
portrayed in Dickens' writings, such as poverty, social injustice, and
other aspects of Victorian England.
4. A person who admires or studies the works of Charles Dickens.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dickensian>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Whatever was required to be done, the Circumlocution Office was
beforehand with all the public departments in the art of perceiving —
HOW NOT TO DO IT.
--Charles Dickens
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens>