PF-2092

Georg Albinus (1624–1679). Albinus was born in Nessa,
studied theology in Jena and Leipzig and was initially Rector
of the Naumburg Cathedral School beginning in 1653
and senior pastor of the Naumburg Church of St. Othmar
from 1657 until his death. He wrote the chorale Welt ade for
the funeral of a daughter of Abraham Teller, Deacon at St.
Nikolai in Leipzig, in 1749. In the Appendix to the printed
funeral sermon, it was published as a four-part Cantionalsatz
(Protestant hymn) composed by Johann Rosenmüller
(1617–1684). 3 In the Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch, in which
a five-part setting by Rosenmüller is found, the text of the
chorale reads as follows:
Valet und Trost-Lied eines Sterbenden.
Welt Ade ich bin dein müde/ Ich wil nach dem
Himmel zu/ Da wird seyn der rechte Friede und die
ewig stoltze Ruh/ Welt bey dir ist Krieg und Streit/
Nichts den lauter Eitelkeit/ In dem Himmel allezeit/
Friede Freud und Seligkeit.
2. Ich bin schon da angekomen/ Ich bin meiner Kranckheit
los/ Meines Schmertzens gantz entnommen/
Ruhe sanfft auff GOttes Schoos. In der Welt war Angst und
Noth/ Endlich gar der bitter Tod/ Aber hier ist allezeit/
Friede/ Ruh und Seligkeit.
3. Was empfind ich da vor Freude/ Was ist hier vor
Herrligkeit/ Ubersüsse Himmelsweide/ Labet mich schon
allbereit. Welt bey dir ist Krieg und Noth/ Kranckheit und
zuletzt der Tod/ Hier im Himmel allezeit/ Friede Freud
und Seligkeit.
4. Unaussprechlich schöne singet GOttes auserwehlte
Schaar/ Heilig/ Heilig/ Heilig klinget In dem Himmel
immerdar. Welt bey dir ist Krieg und Streit/ Angst und
blosse Eitelkeit/ In dem Himmel allezeit/ Friede/
Freud und Seligkeit.
5. Lasst doch euer Trauren bleiben/ Liebste Eltern weinet
nicht/ Es ist gar nicht zu beschreiben/ Wie mir hie so wol
geschicht. Denn bey euch war Angst und Noth/ Schmertzen
und der bitter Tod/ Hier bey mir ist allezeit/ Friede/
Freud und Seligkeit.
6. Dencket/ daß es wird geschehen/ Daß ihr mich in
kurtzer Zeit/ Frölich werdet wieder sehen/ In der grösten
Herrligkeit. Denn bey euch war nichts denn Noth/
Müd (sic!) und Angst und gar der Tod/ Aber hier ist allezeit/
Friede Ruh und Seligkeit.
7. Ich bin nur vorangegangen/ Wil euch also Anlas gebn/
Daß euch soll darnach verlangen/ Wo wir ewig sollen
lebn. Denn die Welt hat Krieg und Streit/ all ihr Thun ist
Eitelkeit/ Hier ist aber allezeit/ Friede/ Ruh und Seligkeit.
3 see Michael Maul, 'Dero berühmbter Chor': Die Leipziger Thomasschule
und ihre Kantoren 1212–1804; Leipzig 2012, p. 81
On the Question of Keys /
Notes concerning Performance Practice
The source contains parts in three different key signatures
– even four, if the transposing corno part is taken into
consideration. This is to be justified purely in terms of performance
practice of the instruments (as well as their tuning
pitches) which were probably available to Kuhnau for
the concrete occasion. The string and vocal parts, for which
we may assume a tuning in the “Kammerton“ (chamber
pitch, today a' = approx. 415 Hz), are in A major, the probable
key in which they were played. The corni notated as
transposing (in A) confirm this assumption. The continuo
part, from which we may assume from the figuration that
it was an organ part (explicit harpsichord parts are usually
indicated by Kuhnau as such), is notated in the “Chorton“
(high organ pitch, today a' = ca. 466 Hz) and thus notated
a whole step lower, namely in G major – a very customary
finding for continuo parts of this Leipzig period. For the
woodwind parts, we may assume, on the other hand, that
modern French instruments were already in use in Leipzig
at the time of the composition of this cantata. These were
usually tuned in “Tief-Kammerton“ (low chamber pitch,
today a' = ca. 392 Hz) and are consequently notated in B-
flat major in the present set of parts. All this confirms the
editor’s decision to give preference to the key of the strings,
the two surviving vocal parts and the transposing corni.
Concerning the performance indications in the two outer
movements, it should be noted that these are probably indications
of mood and feelings rather than of tempi. With the
exception of one inconsistency in the indication retained in
this edition, it is to be noted that “Adagio“ usually indicates
the chorale lines and that “Allegro“, on the other hand,
indicates the figurative sections. “Adagio“ is also frequently
applied compositionally by means of longer note values,
whereas “Allegro“ uses shorter ones. Especially in triple
metre, a tempo shift at the given spots would cause the musical
flow to falter, which is why the editor expressly points
out the predominantly emotional character of these indications.
Moreover, there are occassionally “tutti“ and “solo“ indications,
especially in the first movement. These, too, primarily
indicate the alternation between chorale and figuration,
pointing out this change to the performer of the continuo
part and also whether only individuals or the entire ensemble
should play. For cases in which this cantata is not performed
by exclusively solo voices, one performer to a part,
it is recommended to the performers that the concertante
sections be sung by soloists in any case, with only the homo-
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