Detailed Analysis of Bach's Cantata: The Ten Bridesmaids Parable

This report provides a detailed analysis of Bach's Cantata No. 140, 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,' which musically interprets the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. The report begins by defining a cantata and its forms, then proceeds to explain the parable's meaning in the context of the New Testament. It examines the cantata's structure, including the chorale, recitative, and aria sections, highlighting how Bach uses these musical elements to convey the story's themes of preparedness and spiritual readiness. The analysis also compares the original chorale by Phillip Nicolai with Bach's version, exploring the orchestral arrangement and the overall mood of the piece. The report discusses each verse of the cantata, detailing the arrival of the bridegroom, the conversation between the soul and Jesus, and the joyful conclusion. It references key sources such as Jacobs, Brown, and Chafe to support its claims, offering a comprehensive understanding of Bach's musical interpretation of the parable.

Running head: THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS AND BACH'S CANTATA
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS AND BACH'S CANTATA
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

1THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS AND BACH'S CANTATA
Response to question 1:
The term Cantata was invented in the seventeenth century in Italy and refers to a
musical piece written for simply voice or voices along with instrumentals. This type of music
is administered to works consisting solo voice or multiple soloists, a vocal ensemble and even
with instrumental accompaniment of piano or instrumental ensemble like an orchestra.
Cantata, which is sung; is the exact opposite of Sonata, which is played is more resourceful
than any simple song that is not an opera or a mass or any other form of ceremonial
composition. However, a cantata can also have two forms- secular and religious (Jacobs,
2017).
Response to question 2:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins explains the return of Jesus Christ at an unknown
hour. In the New Testament (Brown, 2015), Jesus Christ has been portrayed as the
“bridegroom” of the Church and the parable describes his return to the church. According to
(Zivadinovic, 2018), the ten virgins may have been the bridesmaids assisting the bride and
expected to meet the groom as and when he came back from the house of the bride. Five of
the bridesmaids were not allowed inside the party since their lamps extinguished and
considered outsiders. The rest five were wise enough to carry extra oil and even the Lord
could not help those who did not carry extra oil.
The parable teaches us to be prepared for emergencies at all times irrespective of what we are
doing and that God helps those whom help themselves. We have to be prepared in such a way
that we do not have to make things right when emergency arrives. It teaches us to live a self-
controlled, godly and upright life in this age and wait for the appearance of our Saviour.

2THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS AND BACH'S CANTATA
The Bible always teaches us to be wise and help the helpless. The parable mentions of
five helpless bridesmaids. Everyone including God refused to help them at their time of
distress. This states the ambiguity that is there in this religious scripture.
Response to question 3:
The original “Wachet auf” chorale by Phillip Nicolai is similar to the opening chorus
since it follows a similar pattern and chord structure of music. However, if compared to the
rest of the piece, the chorale is more vibrant in feel with all of the instruments playing
together giving it the absolute feel of an opera. The chorale of the song is polyphonic because
multiple instruments and melodies play together forming a harmony.
Response to question 4:
Bach has explained in the first verse of his “Wachet auf” cantata how the sleeping
bridesmaids get a call that the bridegroom has arrived at nightfall. This is defined with a
chorus. The second verse or the recitative explains the arrival of the bridegroom. Several
adjectives have been used to describe him. The arrival of the Saviour has been beautifully
portrayed using a solo. The third verse or the Aria, is a conversation between the soul and
Jesus. It has been portrayed with a duet. The fourth verse explains the joy Zion, the wife of
God (Pritchard, 2016) and her happiness on hearing of the arrival of the bridegroom. The
fifth verse is a recitative where Jesus speaks to his bride, the church about how happy he is to
meet his bride. The sixth verse is a duet where a conversation between the bride and the
bridegroom is portrayed with a duet. The seventh and the last verse is a chorus where
everyone sing for the happiness and glory of the newly married couple. The original story did
not have such a detailed account of all the incidents. Bach introduces perspectives and goes
on to explain the parable of The Ten Virgins in detail.

3THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS AND BACH'S CANTATA
Response to question 5:
Bach's cantata No. 140 Wachet auf, ruft ins die Stimme explains the parable of The
Ten Virgins in a musical way. It starts with the bridesmaids sleeping because they are
exhausted by waiting for the bridegroom. Bach continues to elucidate the story of the arrival
of Jesus in the form of his cantata. The overall mood of the piece is joyous with the
appropriate use of solos and chorales. The musical arrangement is an orchestral one backed
by violins, violas, brass ensemble and a piano (Chafe, 2014). The mood and progression of
the musical arrangement ranging to different tempos are successful in telling the story.
References:
Jacobs, A. (2017). A new dictionary of music. Routledge.
Carson, D. A. (2017). Matthew. Zondervan.
Brown, R. E. (2015). An introduction to the New Testament. Yale University Press.
Zivadinovic, D. (2018). The Origins And Antecedents Of Joachim Of Fiore's (1135-1202)
Historical-Continuous Method Of Prophetic Interpretation.
Pritchard, J. B. (Ed.). (2016). Ancient Near Eastern texts relating to the Old Testament with
supplement. Princeton University Press.

4THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS AND BACH'S CANTATA
Chafe, E. (2014). JS Bach's Johannine Theology: The St. John Passion and the Cantatas for
Spring 1725. Oxford University Press.