Herr, lehre uns bedenken

Special instrumentations inspired Telemann’s imagination. In the cantata “Herr, lehre uns bedenken” from 1720, he linked the opening chorus and the two arias with concertante parts for a viola d’amore. Well aware, however, that the rare string instrument would not be available everywhere, he considered a substitute solution from the outset and assigned the parts alternatively to the recorder.

Our edition allows performance using either viola d’amore (or viola) and recorder. It thus expands the cantata repertoire by a work of exquisite instrumental scoring. Recorder players will find it especially welcome as a representative sister composition to Telemann’s similarly conceived Pentecost cantata “Daran ist erschienen die Liebe Gottes” (Carus 39.130).

Scoring: Soli SATB, Coro SATB, Blfl (Vada/Va), 2 Vl, Va, Bc