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Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

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Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is a movement from a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, and was written during his time in Leipzig, Germany. The cantata, "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben," is BWV 147, although it is the 32nd surviving cantata that Bach composed[1].

The movement uses the chorale melody Werde munter, mein Gemüthe. The melody was not composed by Bach, as is often assumed, but by Johann Schop; Bach harmonized Schop's melody.

Bach wrote a total of 200 cantatas during his time in Leipzig, largely due to the fact that Leipzig Churches would go through about 58 different cantatas each year. Though in the modern day the song is often employed in weddings, this is in no way related to the scope of the piece, nor was it intended to be a wedding piece upon composition. The cantata was composed to be a full, traditional Church hymn, hence its approximate 20 minutes of length.

Original instrumentation

Even though various transcriptions of this piece have been made for many different types of instrumental combinations, the original piece was written for a trumpet, an oboe, an organ and strings.


Appearance in media

"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" appears in many films. Most recently, these include, but are not limited to:[2]

The band Apollo 100 recorded probably the most commonly known popular version of the piece with their 1972 hit "Joy", which has been featured on many soundtracks. The Byrds adapt Schop's melody for the bridge of "She Don't Care About Time".[citation needed]. The Beach Boys song Lady Lynda features the melody as a harpsichord introduction and closing of the song. It is the ninth track on Leo Kottke's album "6 and 12-String Guitar." Josh Groban re-worked the song for his "Live in Concert" DVD in 2002.

It also appears in Christian pop rock singer Rebecca St. James's album entitled Christmas.

This song also plays a role of significance in the book Sophie's Choice, although to reveal more would be a spoiler.

Text

Jesu, joy of man's desiring,
Holy Wisdom, Love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.

Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.
Theirs is beauty's fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom's holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown.

[3]

Original German Lyrics

Jesus bleibet meine Freude,
meines Herzens Trost und Saft,
Jesus wehret allem Leide,
er ist meines Lebens Kraft,
meiner Augen Lust und Sonne,
meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne;
darum lass' ich Jesum nicht
aus dem Herzen und Gesicht. (from BWV 147/10)

Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum habe,
o wie feste halt' ich ihn,
dass er mir mein Herze labe,
wenn ich krank und traurig bin.
Jesum hab' ich, der mich liebet
und sich mir zu eigen giebet,
ach drum lass' ich Jesum nicht,
wenn mir gleich mein Herze bricht. (from BWV 147/6)

The translation[4] of these verses does not correspond closely to the traditional English version.

Writer Josefa Heifetz compiled a humorous music book titled From Bach to Verse, which included Jesu Joy. The lyrics she used were:

There are many more Bachs
Than most people imagine.
The best-known is Johann Sebastian.
Also, there's Johann Christoph,
Johann Michael
Carl Philipp Emanuel
Johann Christoph Friedrich
Johann Christian
Wilhelm Friedemann
Anna Magdalena.
And that's all I know
Of the various Bachs.


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