Advent and Christmas (78): COMPLETED: "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" (BWV 736)

"Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
voll Gnad und Wahrheit von dem Herrn,
die süße Wurzel Jesse.
Du Sohn Davids aus Jakobs Stamm,
mein König und mein Bräutigam,
hast mir mein Herz besessen;
lieblich, freundlich, schön und herrlich,
groß und ehrlich, reich an Gaben,
hoch und sehr prächtig erhaben."

This famous consolation chorale was written by the Lutheran pastor Philipp Nicolai in 1597 during a local pest epidemie. With images of the biblical revelation he interpreted the Eternal Life as a mystical wedding between the human soul as a bride and morning star Jesus as bridegromm, as Jesus was called in John's Apocalypse.

Bach's unfinished fragment, handed down in an early manuscript (c. 1705), indicates a multi-part work concept, in which the chorale lines possibly should be composed with ongoing increasing movement. This completion in style to a wonderful chorale fantasy of organist and composer Wolfgang Stockmeier (1931–2015), published in 1978, consequently contributes to the character of Bach's rather unknown work.

For my rendition I used an intimate, restrained sound on 8‘ pedal base.