Direction/Organ ad. lib.
1st solo trumpet in Bb
2nd solo trumpet in Bb
1st clarinet in Bb
2. Clarinet in Bb
Bassoon (baritone/trombone/violoncello)
Bass Clarinet in Bb (baritone)
Tuba (contrabassoon)
Contrabass

To have discovered the suitability of the present 'Aria' for soprano and alto voices from Bach's cantata 'Jesu, der du meine Seele' (BMV 78) as a duet for two trumpets is not to our credit. None other than Maurice André presents the present duetto on one of his records. We are herewith responding to several requests for a wind accompaniment to the duet for two solo trumpets by presenting a variable accompaniment in the 'Musizierstunde'.

Bach's original is in principle notated in three parts: two vocal solo parts and an accompaniment which he only wrote down as a figured 'basso continuo'. It is performed by at least three players: Violoncello, double bass (pizzicato!) and organ (improvisation based on the harmonies called for by numerals). The division of the bass voice between two instruments goes back to the text of the aria, which begins with the words: 'Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten...'. The continuously repeated figure in the cello expresses the 'emsige', the bass, plucked evenly in quarter rhythm with its constant alternation of higher and lower notes, depicts the 'steps'. That the constantly repeated rhythmic figure of the solo voices also and especially goes back to the content of the text is obvious.

The part, which the organist ideally performs by co-creative improvising, we have entrusted to two clarinet voices. The leading of these 'new' parts results from the motivic material of the solo trumpets to be accompanied. The bass foundation is divided - as in Bach - into a higher (bassoon, bass clarinet) and a lower voice (tuba). The key of Bb major corresponds to Bach's original.


Other possibilities for performing the accompaniment:
1. The bassoon part (bass clarinet) can also be taken by an accomplished baritone or trombonist. Note: If two wind players of the same instrument divide this literally lengthy part between themselves, the result is a not insignificant simplification of the performance. The same applies to the part of the tuba.
2. clarinets as melody instruments, violoncello and double bass as bass instruments.
3. organ alone. Here, from the present score, the organist plays the clarinet parts with the right hand, the bassoon part with the left hand; the tuba or contrabass part is played with the pedal (registration on a 16' basis).
4. Clarinets and organ: the organ takes only the two bass parts (right hand bassoon part, left hand or pedal with 16' registration the bass part).
5. Bass instruments (winds or strings) and organ: the clarinet parts fall to the right hand. The lower bass part or both bass parts can be played ad lib.