Cantata No. 31 lands on Easter in the liturgical year, rendering its D-major, brass-amplified quality fitting.
Excitedly, the trumpets blast three times, giving Christ's resurrection a worthily royal fanfare akin to
While the choir awaits springing upon the congregation in jubilatory noise, the orchestra builds the excitement with a symbolically rising fanfare motif. When the voices do enter, the hearers are not disappointed!
As if to explain, the bass tells the good news that Jesus, the "A and O," has risen, and because of this fact each of the "letters" in-between, the limbs to the Head, must share in this life. Praising the "Prince of Life" directly, the soloist rhetorically asks in a laughing, dotted rhythm about the events intended to mock Him. Does the cross upraise him to the highest throne (melisma rocketing upward on "highest")? Are his bonds now His majestic decoration? Are His purple wounds now His clear radiance? Yes., yes, and yes.
Now, pointing to the believer's life in sanctification, the tenor jumps in instead with a recit and aria, exhorting to see the third function of the law. As Colossians 3:1 admonishes, "If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God." Likewise, he gives the listener a nudge to run from the tomb and graveclothes as Jesus has done, because they are among the living. With the strings scrubbing busily away, he explains that the Adam within must die before life as Christ's member begins.
Recalling Job's words, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:25-26), the soprano's plaint to be drawn together with the Lord ensues. Turning to joy, the vocalist realizes that suffering with Him leads to honor, glory, and seeing God in the flesh, culminating on sudden leaps to lofty notes.
Next, the accompanying aria "Last hour, break forth!" includes an echoing, clock-like oboe pattern and simple, plodding continuo as the person asks for closed eyes so that Jesus and His glow might appear instead. At that moment, the string "halo" drifts in, quoting a later verse of Nikolaus Herman's "When My Last Hour Is Close At Hand," beginning "Since You have risen from the grave..." and stating faith in the believer's own resurrection.
To close, the whole choir in five parts completes the instrumental chorale, commending their spirits to Jesus' care with outstretched arms, and trusting that He will open Heaven's gate to them - the strength of their own pulling and knocking is not necessary.
So many contrasts and paradoxes: heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega, humiliation and exaltation, stained robes and bright glory, Adam and the Son of Man, death and life, eyes closed and opening again, and the sinner's misdeeds covered by Christ's righteousness. Definitely something to laugh (jubilantly) over!
Translation: http://emmanuelmusic.org/notes_translations/translations_cantata/t_bwv031.htm
Score: http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/fb/IMSLP00920-BWV0031.pdf
Recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TybhYCwTN30
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