Amore traditore, BWV 203
Amore traditore (Treacherous love), BWV 203,[lower-alpha 1] is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Weimar between 1718 and 1723.
History and text
Bach composed this cantata in Weimar between 1718 and 1723 for an unknown occasion. Its librettist and first performance are also unknown.[1] Unusually for Bach, the text is Italian; only one other cantata (BWV 209) has Italian text.[2]
Scoring and structure
It is based on the Italian solo cantata tradition and is in three movements for bass and keyboard (and possibly cello or viola da gamba).[2]
- Aria: Amore traditore
- Recitative: Voglio provar
- Aria: Chi in amore ha nemica la sorte
Music
The first aria includes a flowing bass line and strong ritornello theme. The movement is in da capo form and features long melismas and a very high vocal range. The secco recitative is short but not harmonically cohesive. The final movement is also a da capo aria, with three lines of counterpoint and a complex keyboard part.[2]
Recordings
- Dominik Wörner, il Gardellino. Solo Cantatas for Bass. Passacaille 2013.
- Jacques Villisech, Gustav Leonhardt. J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 203 & BWV 209. Telefunken, 1964.
- Klaus Mertens, Ton Koopman. Ton Koopman Plays Bach. Naxos, 2000.
Notes
- ↑ "BWV" is Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a thematic catalogue of Bach's works.
References
- ↑ "Cantata BWV 203 Amore traditore". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- 1 2 3 Mincham, Julian. "Treacherous Love". The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
External links
- BWV 203 – "Amore traditore": English translation, Emmanuel Music
- Amore traditore: history, scoring, Bach website (German)
- BWV 203 Amore traditore: English translation, University of Vermont
- BWV 203 Amore traditore: text, scoring, University of Alberta (German)
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