Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis (Stölzel) facts for kids

Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis ("Great indeed is the Godly mystery") is a special kind of music called a Christmas cantata. It was written by a composer named Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel. This piece was made to be played on the third day of Christmas. It features singers, a choir, and instruments like the oboe, violins, and viola.

A Christmas Cantata's Story

Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel was a composer who wrote many pieces for a royal court in Germany. He created this cantata as part of his collection of church music.

This particular cantata was written for the Third Day of Christmas in 1736. Stölzel based some of the words on a verse from the First Epistle to Timothy in the Bible. This verse talks about a "great mystery of godliness."

For this cantata, Stölzel used a smaller group of instruments. He included strings and an oboe. He also chose not to include "recitatives," which are parts of a cantata that sound like spoken singing.

How the Music Is Made

This cantata has five different parts, called "movements." Each movement has its own unique sound.

The Five Movements

Here are the names of the five movements:

• Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis
• Geheimnisvolle Worte
• Der Sohn des Vaters, Gott von Art
• Dies Geheimnis führt und treibt uns
• Gib uns, o Jesu

Instruments and Singers

The cantata is performed by soprano and alto solo singers. It also features a four-part choir, which means the choir sings in four different vocal ranges.

The instruments include an oboe, two violins, a viola, and a continuo. The continuo is a group of instruments that play the bass line and harmonies.

Musical Style

The first movement, sung by the choir, has two main parts. The first part is mostly homophonic, meaning all the voices sing the same rhythm together. The second part, "Gott ist offenbaret im Fleisch," uses polyphony. This means different voice parts sing independent melodies that weave together.

One of the solo songs, called an aria, is for the soprano singer. It is accompanied by the oboe and a violin, which play important melodies alongside the voice.

The middle of the cantata features a chorale. This is a hymn tune, and it uses the fifth verse of Martin Luther's famous Christmas carol "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ." The words "Der Sohn des Vaters, Gott von Art" mean "The Father's Son, of godly nature."

Another aria is for the alto singer, called "Dies Geheimnis führt und treibt." This part is special because it's sung without the continuo. Instead, two violins play together above the alto's voice, creating a unique sound.

The cantata ends with another chorale. This uses the fourth verse of a different Christmas hymn, "Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter auf Erden?" This means "Do you now come, Jesus, from Heaven down to Earth?"

Modern Editions

This cantata is part of a collection of old Baroque music from central Germany. It was put together by Hans-Joachim Schulze and published by Hofmeister in 2006.

Recordings of the Cantata

In 2016, this cantata was recorded as part of an album called Jauchze du Tochter Zion. This album features Christmas cantatas by several composers, including Stölzel. The recording was made by the Kölner Akademie, led by Michael Alexander Willens. The solo singers were Hanna Herfurtner and Carola Günther.