CCVII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)
Cantata #212: "Mer Hahn en neue Oberkett," BWV 212 (1742)
1. Overture
2. Duet aria: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet
3. Duet recitative: Nu, Mieke, gib dein Guschel immer her
4. Aria (soprano): Ach, es schmeckt doch gar zu gut
5. Recitative (bass): Der Herr ist gut: Allein der Schösser
6. Aria (bass): Ach, Herr Schösser, geht nicht gar zu schlimm
7. Recitative (soprano): Es bleibt dabei
8. Aria (soprano): Unser trefflicher
9. Duet recitative: Er hilft uns allen, alt und jung
10. Aria (soprano): Das ist galant
11. Recitative (bass): Und unsre gnädge Frau
12. Aria (bass): Fünfzig Taler bares Geld
13. Recitative (soprano): Im Ernst ein Wort!
14. Aria (soprano): Klein-Zshocher müsse
15. Recitative (bass): Das ist zu klug vor dich
16. Aria (bass): Es nehme zehntausend Dukaten
17. Recitative (soprano): Das klingt zu liederlich
18. Aria (soprano): Gib, Schöne
19. Recitative (bass): Du hast wohl recht
20. Aria (bass): Dein Wachstum sei feste und lache vor Lust!
21. Duet recitative: Und damit sei es auch genung
22. Aria (soprano): Und dass ihr's alle wisst
23. Duet recitative: Mein Schatz, erraten!
24. Chorus: Wir ehen nun, wo der Dudelsack
The Bach Players
(29:26)
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you nineteen for me
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
-- George Harrison's song Taxman
Written 224 years apart, Johann and George's compositions have a lot in common! The main difference is -- in the end -- George doesn't offer to go out for a drink with the Man.
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With more movements than any other cantata, and completely different than most of Bach's work, this "Peasant Cantata" is a complete joy. It is possibly the last known dated cantata of Bach.
Picander -- himself a tax collector -- proposed the idea to Bach, who composed the piece in a folksy, burlesque style -- pure entertainment.
The work is an homage to Carl Heinrich von Dieskau, a tax collector and owner of the Knauthain estate (mentioned in #14).
**
1. Overture
The overture is a collection of various dance tunes, some as short as seven bars.
2. Duet aria: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet
A bourée:
The Chamberlain
has become our new Squire.
3. Duet recitative: Nu, Mieke, gib dein Guschel immer her
Come, Molly, let me have a kiss.
If only that were all!
I know you well, you good-for-nothing
you always ask for more.
4. Aria (soprano): Ach, es schmeckt doch gar zu gut
Oh, how delightful it is
if two people are affectionate;
there's a turmoil in the belly
as though a whole lot of fleas and bugs
and a raging swarm of wasps
were bickering among themselves.
Is there anything in the 18th-century that describes love-making from a woman's viewpoint like that?!
5. Recitative (bass): Der Herr ist gut: Allein der Schösser
6. Aria (bass): Ach, Herr Schösser, geht nicht gar zu schlimm
Oh, Mr. Tax Collector, don't be so unkind
to us poor peasant folk!
Leave us our skins;
though, like a caterpillar, you devour
the cabbage down to its very stalk,
content yourself with that!
7. Recitative (soprano): Es bleibt dabei
There is no argument
that our master is the best of all;
he could not be improved on
and is worth more than a sack of silver coin.
8. Aria (soprano): Unser trefflicher
Our excellent
beloved Chamberlain
is an affable man
with whom no-one can find fault.
9. Duet recitative: Er hilft uns allen, alt und jung
He helps us all, both young and old.
and, between you and me:
didn't our village get off lightly
in the recent draft?
I know an even better tale,
our master controls the tax.
10. Aria (soprano): Das ist galant
This is splendid,
no-one says anything
about the ground rents.
No-one breathes a single word
Knauthain and Cospuden
have not yet paid their dues.
11. Recitative (bass): Und unsre gnädge Frau
And our gracious mistress
is not at all proud.
Though we are poor and uncouth,
she chats with us, as though
she were the same as us.
She is pious, thrifty and careful
and would gladly for our master
turn every bill to good account.
12. Aria (bass): Fünfzig Taler bares Geld
To pay out fifty thalers in hard cash
without any redress
is hard to put up with
when they've got us by the short hairs. (!)
But what's gone is gone,
we'll be able to make it up
twice over in some other way;
forget the fifty thalers!
13. Recitative (soprano): Im Ernst ein Wort!
Now pay attention!
Before I give any thought
to our tavern
or to dancing,
first you must listen to my new song
in honour of our Squire.
14. Aria (soprano): Klein-Zschocher müsse
This da capo aria is the longest of the cantata. It is likely that the performers danced in the instrumental section:
Let Klein-Zschocher be
as gentle and sweet
as almond kernels.
Today let nothing
but abundance of blessings
enter our community.
15. Recitative (bass): Das ist zu klug vor dich
That is too learned for you,
and in the townsfolks' style;
we peasants do not sing so softly,
listen to the piece that suits me!
16. Aria (bass): Es nehme zehntausend Dukaten
Notice the first entrance of the horn!
May the Chamberlain
collect ten thousand ducats every day!
May he drink a glass of good wine
ad may be enjoy it in full measure!
17. Recitative (soprano): Das klingt zu liederlich
That sounds much too disrepectful.
There are some fine folk here
who would laugh at it
with all their hearts,
just as if I were
to sing the old lay.
18. Aria (soprano): Gib, Schöne
May you, lovely lady,
have many sons
tall and good-looking
and may you rear them;
that is the hope of Zshocher and Kanuthain.
19. Recitative (bass): Du hast wohl recht
I think you are right,
The piece does not sound good.
I'll have to force myself
to sing a townefied tune.
20. Aria (bass): Dein Wachstum sei feste und lach vor Last!
Another da capo aria, this time for the bass. Note the gorgeous interplay between violin and continuo.
May you ever prosper
and enjoy life!
Your good heart
has prepared the soil
on which you will surely flourish.
21. Duet recitative: Und damit sei es auch genung
And that must suffice.
Now let us all repair
to our tavern.
In other words, you want to say:
22. Aria (soprano): Und dass ihr's alle wisst
Let everyone know
that the time has come
to drink our fill.
Let those who are thirsty, wave.
And if their right hand is too weak,
then let them have recourse
to their left hand!
23. Duet recitative: Mein Schatz, erraten!
left here for us to do,
let us went our weary way
to our dear old tavern.
Well, let the devil take me,
Master Ludwig, and the Tax Inspector
must come with us today.
where the merry bagpipe drones,
and shout full of glee:
long live Dieskau and his kin,
may he be granted
whatever he desires,
and whatever he has set his heart on!
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