Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer (“Gentle shall be my contemplation of death”) is a sacred tenor aria from Bach’s Easter Oratorio, BWV 249.
Sung by Simon Peter following the discovering of the empty tomb of Christ, it is a serene reflection on death as a peaceful slumber. Accompanied by recorders, with their pastoral connotations, the aria unfolds with the gentle rocking motion of a lullaby.
The Netherlands Bach Society writes,
In Bach’s church music, this Easter Oratorio is an exceptional work in the sense that the recitatives and arias are sung by four biblical characters, almost like a Passion Play. They are Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacobe, Simon Peter and John the Apostle. The two men are hurrying towards the tomb of Jesus, where they meet the two women and rejoice together at the resurrection of Jesus.
Recorded on May 23, 2017 by the Netherlands Bach Society, this performance features tenor Thomas Hobbs:
English translation of the text:
Gentle shall be my contemplation of death,
Only a slumber,
Jesus, because of your shroud.
Indeed, it will refresh me there,
and the tears of my suffering
it will tenderly wipe from my cheeks.
Featured Image: “The Three Marys at the Tomb” (c. 1425), Hubert van Eyck?