Buxtehude and Body Parts

It happened to the distinguished neurologist Oliver Sacks when he first heard Zelenka's Lamentations. And I used to wonder, how would it feel, having spent large parts of my life listening to a LOT of music, suddenly to come upon something amazing, astonishing, and especially—new?

We listen so often to the same pieces that we forget—there’s a lot of surprisingly good music out there. And the piece that today brought tears to my eyes, it was so lovely, was Dietrich Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri.

OK—if you go to Lutheran churches with any regularity, you’ll have heard Buxtehude: he was a famous organist in his time, and his works for organ are still played. And yes, I knew that Buxtehude had taught Bach, who actually walked a couple hundred miles for the privilege of studying with him. And yes, I remembered that Buxtehude had this deal going—he was going to give up his church position to Bach, if Bach married Buxtehude’s daughter.

Well apparently the daughter was no stunner—Bach and two other guys (one of whom was named Georg Friedrich Handel) turned the same deal down. Did she have a harelip? Did she snore loudly? We’ll never know—the mystery of Buxtehude’s daughter….

What I didn’t know was that Buxtehude wrote the first Lutheran Oratorio, although somebody had to, so why not he? But Membra is hardly just a musical curiousity: it’s both highly original and in parts ravishingly beautiful (check out the “amen” for original, and the whole second clip for ravishing).

OK—text first. Here’s Wikipedia on the subject:

Membra Jesu Nostri (English: The Limbs of our Jesus), BuxWV 75, is a cycle of seven cantatas composed by Dieterich Buxtehude in 1680, and dedicated to Gustaf Düben. The full Latin title Membra Jesu nostri patientis sanctissima translates to "The most holy limbs of our suffering Jesus". This work is known as the first Lutheran oratorio. The main text are stanzas from the Medieval hymn Salve mundi salutare – also known as the Rhythmica oratio – a poem formerly ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux, but now thought more likely to have been written by Medieval poet Arnulf of Leuven (died 1250). It is divided into seven parts, each addressed to a different part of Christ's crucified body: feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and head. In each part, biblical words referring to the limbs frame verses of the poem.

And the structure? Well, each section devoted to each body part is a cantata, which starts with an instrumental opening, a concerto for (mostly) five voices, three arias for a combination of voices (mostly one or three) and then a repeat of the concerto.

But before we get to the clips, one caveat. To me, the director, who is also a counter tenor, is consistently singing flat. And not just me, somebody else on YouTube made the same observation. To balance that, you'll be hearing a glorious soprano, who happens to be as beautiful as she is talented. 

Right, so here, courtesy of Wikipedia, is the text.

I. Ad pedes[edit]

(To the feet)

First page of original manuscript of Ad pedes in tablature notation

Second page of original manuscript of Ad pedes in tablature notation

1. Sonata (instrumental introduction)

2. Concerto (SSATB)
Ecce super montes pedes evangelizantis et annunciantis pacem	Behold, upon the mountains the feet of one bringing good news and proclaiming peace (Nahum 1:15)
3. Aria (S)
Salve mundi salutare, salve Jesu care! Cruci tuae me aptare vellem vere, tu scis quare, da mihi tui copiam	Hail, salvation of the world, Hail, hail, dear Jesus! On your cross would I hang Truly, you know why Give me your strength
4. Aria (S)
Clavos pedum, plagas duras, et tam graves impressuras circumplector cum affectu, tuo pavens in aspectu, tuorum memor vulnerum	The nails in your feet, the hard blows and so grievous marks I embrace with love, Fearful at the sight of you Mindful of your wounds
5. Aria (B)
Dulcis Jesu, pie deus, Ad te clamo licet reus, praebe mihi te benignum, ne repellas me indignum de tuis sanctis pedibus	Sweet Jesus, merciful God I cry to you, in my guilt Show me your grace, Turn me not unworthy away From your sacred feet
6. Concerto (da capo: Ecce super montes)
7. Concerto (SSATB)
Salve mundi salutare, salve Jesu care! Cruci tuae me aptare vellem vere, tu scis quare, da mihi tui copiam	Hail, salvation of the world, Hail, hail, dear Jesus! On your cross would I hang Truly, you know why Give me your strength

1. Sonata

2. Concerto (SSATB)
Ad ubera portabimini, et super genua blandientur vobis	You will be brought to nurse and dandled on the knees [of Jerusalem, portrayed as a mother] (Isaiah 66:12)
3. Aria (T)
Salve Jesu, rex sanctorum, spes votiva peccatorum, crucis ligno tanquam reus, pendens homo verus deus, caducis nutans genibus	Hail Jesus, king of saints Hope of sinners' prayers, like an offender on the wood of the cross, a man hanging, true God, Bending on failing knees!
4. Aria (A)
Quid sum tibi responsurus, actu vilis corde durus? Quid rependam amatori, qui elegit pro me mori, ne dupla morte morerer	What answer shall I give you, Vile as I am in deed, hard in my heart? How shall I repay your love, Who chose to die for me, Unless I die a second death?
5. Aria (SSB)
Ut te quaeram mente pura, sit haec mea prima cura, non est labor et gravabor, sed sanabor et mundabor, cum te complexus fuero	That I may seek you with pure heart, Be my first care, It is no labour nor shall I be loaded down: But I shall be cleansed, When I embrace you
6. Concerto (da capo: Ad ubera portabimini)

III. Ad manus[edit]

(To the hands)

1. Sonata

2. Concerto (SSATB)
Quid sunt plagae istae in medio manuum tuarum?	What are those wounds in the midst of your hands? (Zechariah 13:6)
3. Aria (S)
Salve Jesu, pastor bone, fatigatus in agone, qui per lignum es distractus et ad lignum es compactus expansis sanctis manibus	Hail, Jesus, good shepherd, wearied in agony, tormented on the cross nailed to the cross your sacred hands stretched out
4. Aria (S)
Manus sanctae, vos amplector, et gemendo condelector, grates ago plagis tantis, clavis duris guttis sanctis dans lacrymas cum osculis	Holy hands, I embrace you, and, lamenting, I delight in you, I give thanks for the terrible wounds, the hard nails, the holy drops, shedding tears with kisses
5. Aria (ATB)
In cruore tuo lotum me commendo tibi totum, tuae sanctae manus istae me defendant, Jesu Christe, extremis in periculis	Washed in your blood I wholly entrust myself to you; may these holy hands of yours defend me, Jesus Christ, in the final dangers
6. Concerto (da capo: Quid sunt plagae istae)

IV. Ad latus[edit]

(To the sides)

1. Sonata

2. Concerto (SSATB)
Surge, amica mea, speciosa mea, et veni, columba mea inforaminibus petrae, in caverna maceriae	Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come, my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow of the cliff (Song of Songs 2:13–14)
3. Aria (S)
Salve latus salvatoris, in quo latet mel dulcoris, in quo patet vis amoris, ex quo scatet fons cruoris, qui corda lavat sordida	Hail, side of the saviour, in which the honey of sweetness is hidden, in which the power of love is exposed, from which gushes the spring of blood that cleans the dirty hearts
4. Aria (ATB)
Ecce tibi appropinquo, parce, Jesu, si delinquo, verecunda quidem fronte, ad te tamen veni sponte scrutari tua vulnera	Lo I approach you, Pardon, Jesus, if I sin, With reverent countenance freely I come to you to behold your wounds
5. Aria (S)
Hora mortis meus flatus intret Jesu, tuum latus, hinc expirans in te vadat, ne hunc leo trux invadat, sed apud te permaneat	In the hour of death, may my soul Enter, Jesus, your side Hence dying may it go into you, Lest the cruel lion seize it, But let it dwell with you
6. Concerto (da capo: Surge amica mea)

V. Ad pectus[edit]

(To the breast)

1. Sonata

2. Concerto a 3 voci (in 3 voices: ATB)
Sicut modo geniti infantes rationabiles, et sine dolo concupiscite, ut in eo crescatis in salutem. Si tamen gustatis, quoniam dulcis est Dominus.	Like newborn infants, long for the guileless milk of reason, that by it you may grow into salvation, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2–3)
3. Aria (A)
Salve, salus mea, Deus, Jesu dulcis, amor meus, salve, pectus reverendum, cum tremore contingendum, amoris domicilium	Hail God, my salvation, sweet Jesus, my beloved, hail, breast to be revered, to be touched with trembling, dwelling of love
4. Aria (T)
Pectus mihi confer mundum, ardens, pium, gemebundum, voluntatem abnegatam, tibi semper conformatam, juncta virtutum copia	Give me a clean breast, ardent, pious, moaning, an abnegated will, always conforming to you, with an abundance of virtues
5. Aria (B)
Ave, verum templum Dei, precor miserere mei, tu totius arca boni, fac electis me apponi, vas dives Deus omnium	Hail, true temple of God, I pray, have mercy on me, you, the ark of all that is good, make me be placed with the chosen, rich vessel, God of all
6. Concerto a 3 voci (da capo: Sicut modo geniti)

6. Concerto a 3 voci (da capo: Sicut modo geniti)

VI. Ad cor[edit]

(To the heart)

In this part a consort of viola da gamba replaces the violins.

1. Sonata

2. Concerto a 3 voci (SSB)
Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea, sponsa, vulnerasti cor meum.	You have wounded my heart, my sister, my bride, you have wounded my heart (Song of Songs 4:9)
3. Aria (S)
Summi regis cor, aveto, te saluto corde laeto, te complecti me delectat et hoc meum cor affectat, ut ad te loquar, animes	Heart of the highest king, I greet you, I salute you with a joyous heart, it delights me to embrace you and my heart aspires to this: that you move me to speak to you
4. Aria (S)
Per medullam cordis mei, peccatoris atque rei, tuus amor transferatur, quo cor tuum rapiatur languens amoris vulnere	Through the marrow of my heart, of a sinner and culprit, may your love be conveyed by whom your heart was seized, languishing through the wound of love
5. Aria (B)
Viva cordis voce clamo, dulce cor, te namque amo, ad cor meum inclinare, ut se possit applicare devoto tibi pectore	I call with the living voice of the heart, sweet heart, for I love you, to incline to my heart, so that it may commit itself to you in the breast devoted to you.
6. Concerto a 3 voci (da capo: Vulnerasti cor meum)

VII. Ad faciem[edit]

(To the face)

Original manuscript of the Amen at the close of Ad faciem in tablature notation, marked Soli Deo gloria

1. Sonata

2. Concerto (SSATB)
Illustra faciem tuam super servum tuum, salvum me fac in misericordia tua	Let your face shine upon your servant, save me in your mercy (Psalm 31:16)
3. Aria (ATB)
Salve, caput cruentatum, totum spinis coronatum, conquassatum, vulneratum, arundine verberatum facie sputis illita	Hail, bloodied head, all crowned with thorns, beaten, wounded, struck with a cane, the face soiled with spit
4. Aria (A)
Dum me mori est necesse, noli mihi tunc deesse, in tremenda mortis hora veni, Jesu, absque mora, tuere me et libera	When I must die, do not then be away from me, in the anxious hour of death come, Jesus, without delay, protect me and set me free!
5. Aria (SSATB)
Cum me jubes emigrare, Jesu care, tunc appare, o amator amplectende, temet ipsum tunc ostende in cruce salutifera.	When you command me to depart, dear Jesus, then appear, O lover to be embraced, then show yourself on the cross that brings salvation
6. Concerto (SSATB)
Amen