Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, O Ewigkeit, du Freuden Wort

by admin · February 8, 2022

The melody for this choral is the same melody as for the choral “O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort”. And indeed, both texts deal with the same subject, eternity. Where “O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort” focusses on the fear the idea of eternity can inspire in man, “O Ewigkeit, du Freudenwort” focusses on the joy of eternity in heaven. As they were written by two different poets and ‘Freudenwort’ is of a later date then ‘Donnerwort’ my guess is the ‘Freudenwort’ was a reaction to the other one, to emphasize that the idea of eternity does not have to be frightening for a true Christian. Or something like that. As an illustration here is the first verse of both, with a translation in English.

O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort,
o Schwert, das durch die Seele bohrt.
o Anfang sonder Ende!
O Ewigkeit, Zeit ohne Zeit,
ich weiß vor großer Traurigkeit
nicht, wo ich mich hinwende;
mein ganz erschrocknes Herz erbebt,
daß wir die Zung am Gaumen klebt.

O eternity, you word of thunder,
o sword that pierces through my soul,
o beginning that has no end!
O eternity, time without time!
Facing great sorrow I do not know
where I should turn.
My heart completely terrified shudders
so that my tongue clings to my gums

O ewigkeit du freuden-wort,
Das mich erquicket fort und fort!
O anfang sonder ende!
O ewigkeit, freud ohne leid!
Ich weiß vor herzens-frölichkeit
Ganz nichts mehr vom elende,
Das sonst in diesem leben plagt,
Weil mir die ewigkeit behagt.

Eternity, delightful Sound!
Where real Joys are to be found,
And Scenes of endless Glory!
O Life! where Pleasures ever roll,
Thy Foretaste entertains my Soul
With Bliss not transitory.
Come All, who long for Heav’n on Earth,
You’ll find it in the Second Birth.

As the melody of both chorals is the same, this composition of Marpurg could perhaps be used for both. However, since Marpurg explicitly write “O Ewigkeit, du Freuden Wort” I guess he meant it to be a joyfull piece. To emphasize that I chose a plenum registration on a 16′ b asis: strong, shining and full of confidence.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the sampleset, made by Sonus Paradisi, of the Schittger organ in the St. Martini-kerk, Groningen.

Score
Marpurg, O Ewigkeit du Freuden Wort