Cantatas Over Coffee: “Wake, Awake” by Dieterich Buxtehude

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

—Revelation 22:13
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Dieterich Buxtehude (1636/37­­–1707) was a Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period, whose works for the organ represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire. As a composer who worked in various vocal and instrumental idioms, Buxtehude's style greatly influenced other composers, such as his student, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), who once walked 260 miles to learn from an elderly Buxtehude, just two years before Buxtehude died. Bach had permission from his employer to be gone for three weeks. He was so impressed with his teacher and the Evening Music series (Abendmusiken), however, that he stayed for three months. Bach’s admiration of Buxtehude, even to the point of being absent without leave and risking his employment in Arnstadt, is just one indication of why Buxtehude, who served St. Mary’s Church in Lübeck from 1668 until his death in 1707, “ranks as the leading composer in Germany between Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach” (Karela J. Snyder, as quoted in German Studies Review 12:2, p. 358).

Buxtehude’s Cantata, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying” (BuxWV 100) is a musical setting of the chorale of the same name by Phillip Nicolai (1556–1608). As a pastor who lived through devastating plagues of the sixteenth century, Nicolai conducted numerous funerals and often wrote meditations after burials. From Nicolai’s “Mirror of Joy,” only recently translated by Matthew Carver and published in English as The Joy of Eternal Life (Concordia 2021), the church has received the King and Queen of Chorales, “Wake, Awake” and “How Lovely Shines the Morning Star.” These two immortal hymns were among four poetic texts published as an addendum to The Joy of Eternal Life, which the author described as “A Thorough Description of the Glory of Eternal Life in All Its Aspects.” Pastor Nicolai took great comfort in describing the glory of the heavenly Bridegroom and His heavenly Bride:

There His eyes are pure fiery beams of love and fiery darts of love, or flames of the sweetest and most unspeakable kindness, with which He comfortingly wounds, comfortingly fills, and comfortingly turns to Himself the glorified eyes of His dear brothers and sisters. And in turn they behold Him in such a way that their eyes, heart, mind, and sense and all their members burn with chaste, fervent, fiery, unfeigned love for Christ and desire nothing in heaven or on earth more dearly than Him. (Joy, p. 42)

Buxtehude’s Cantata BuxWV 100 paints the hymn text, with no additional poetic texts, allowing you, the listener, to follow the literal translation below or to simply follow a singable translation in your hymnal. The scoring is rather lean: two soprano soloists, one bass soloist, four violins (or three violins and one viola), bassoon, and basso continuo. Moreover, the soloists only sing together in the third stanza and the violins often double in two parts, resulting in textual clarity and a transparent instrumental texture, as you will hear in a marvelous performance under the capable baton of Tom Koopman. Listen for the “Wake, Awake” theme (Do-Mi-So, often with passing tones), along with subsequent variations and brief interludes. The distinct climax for textual declamation and dynamic level is on the words, “Io, io!” – an expression of joy that transcends the German language and has no literal equivalent in English, although the subsequent Latin “in dulci jubilo,” an intentional reference to the Christmas tune by the same name, captures the joy of the churchly Bride upon the advent of her heavenly Groom.

I invite you, as always, to clear away all distractions, use your best sound equipment, and of course to grab a cup of coffee for this “Cantatas Over Coffee” series. Notice how the voices “dance” with the music, offering a joyfulness, buoyancy and a sense of urgency as the watchmen of Zion summon the Bride to repentance and faith as she waits for her Bridegroom, “ever in sweet rejoicing.”
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Stanza 1 (0:00–4:38)
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
Der Wächter sehr hoch auf der Zinne,
Wach auf, du Stadt Jerusalem!
Mitternacht heißt diese Stunde;
Sie rufen uns mit hellem Munde:
Wo seid ihr klugen Jungfrauen?
Wohl auf, der Bräutgam kömmt;
Steht auf, die Lampen nehmt!
Alleluja!
Macht euch bereit
Zu der Hochzeit,
Ihr müsset ihm entgegen gehn!

Stanza 2 (4:39–7:53)
Zion hört die Wächter singen,
Das Herz tut ihr vor Freuden springen,
Sie wachet und steht eilend auf.
Ihr Freund kommt vom Himmel prächtig,
Von Gnaden stark, von Wahrheit mächtig,
Ihr Licht wird hell, ihr Stern geht auf.
Nun komm, du werte Kron,
Herr Jesu, Gottes Sohn!
Hosianna!
Wir folgen all
Zum Freudensaal
Und halten mit das Abendmahl.

​Stanza 3 (7:54–11:12)
Gloria sei dir gesungen
Mit Menschen- und englischen Zungen,
Mit Harfen und mit Zimbeln schon.
Von zwölf Perlen sind die Pforten,
An deiner Stadt sind wir Konsorten
Der Engel hoch um deinen Thron.
Kein Aug hat je gespürt,
Kein Ohr hat je gehört
Solche Freude.
Des sind wir froh,
Io, io!
Ewig in dulci jubilo.

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Wake up, the voice calls us
the watchmen loudly upon the pinnacles,
wake up, you city of Jerusalem!
This hour is called midnight;
they call us with a clear voice:
where are you, wise virgins?
Up, the Bridegroom comes;
Look up, take the lamps!
Alleluia!
Make yourselves ready
for the wedding feast,
you must go to meet him!

 
Zion hears the watchmen sing,
her heart leaps for joy,
she awakes and stands up in haste.
Her Friend comes from heaven in his splendor,
In grace mighty, with truth powerful.
Her light becomes bright, her star rises.
Now come, O precious Crown,
Lord Jesus, God's son!
Hosanna!
We all follow
to the hall of joy
and join in keeping the supper.

 
Glory be sung to you
with the tongues of men and angels,
with harps and cymbals fair!
Of twelve pearls are your gates,
in your city we are companions
of the angels high around your throne.
No eye has ever perceived,
no ear has ever heard
such gladness.
Therefore we are joyful,
Io, io!
Ever in sweet rejoicing.​

This issue of “Lifted Voice” is intentionally being released between the last two Sundays in the church year and the final Sundays of Advent because this cantata was closely associated with the aforementioned Abendmusik (“Evening Music”) series, which thrived during Buxtehude’s tenure and remained a unique feature of the church until the early nineteenth century. According to Karela J. Snyder, who wrote the definitive book on Buxtehude, the Lübeck Abendmusik series was “presented yearly on five Sundays between St. Martin’s [November 11] and Christmas, following the Sunday vesper sermon, from 4 to 5 o’clock,” i.e., on the last two Sundays of Trinity and the second, third and fourth of Advent” (Bach Perspectives Volume 8, p. 69). In addition to what might be called “sacred oratorios in miniature,” the text and tune of “Wake, Awake” were often incorporated into Evening Music, in addition to being an option for the Hymn of the Day for the last Sunday in the church year.

​In this context, the last and first Sundays of the church year are especially fitting for this chorale and for the Evening Music series because all of them deal with the end times. Going to bed in the evening (“Midnight hears the welcome voices” [Lutheran Service Book 516.1]) and getting up in the morning is the Christian’s daily rehearsal for his own death and resurrection. Similarly, the last Sunday in the church year pictures Jesus’ final coming as our Groom who comes at midnight (St. Matthew 25:6). Advent II (St. Luke 21:25–36) presents Jesus as our Alpha and our Omega, the first and last, the beginning and the end. Advent III (St. Matthew 11:2–10) and IV (St. John 1:19–28) bid you, His own Bride, to respond to the preaching of John the Baptist in penitent faith and prepare the royal highway for the One who comes to you in the manger, in the means of grace, and at the end of time. So even if the Lord should call you home this very night, you can pray with Nicolai:

Come, then, dearest Lord, and delay no more!
Come, Lord Jesus Christ, come and fetch us home in peace.
Come and lead the captives out of captivity,
that we may rejoice with perfect hearts.
Come, Lord, our Savior, come, highly desired of all nations,
and let Your face shine, and we shall recover.
Come, my Light and my Deliverer, and bring my soul out of prison,
that I may glorify Your holy name. (Joy, p. 112)

​+ E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come! +