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O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34a

incomplete wedding cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionFeb 6, 2026
Entity authorityQ641508 ↗
Source-derived summary

O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe (O eternal fire, o source of love), BWV 34.2 (formerly BWV 34a) is an incomplete wedding cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, of which only the complete libretto and some parts (movements 2, 3 and 6) have survived.

History and text

The cantata was composed in Leipzig most likely in 1725 or 1726, or 1727 or later, as a wedding commission, and performed shortly after its composition. As the choral numbers are lost, it is unknown whether any chorale theme had been used by Bach as inspiration for the writing.

The libretto, by an unknown author, is partly based on scripture. Specifically, movements 3 and 4 set verses from Psalm 128 (Psalms 128:4–6), whereas the text of the final chorale is drawn from the biblical Book of Numbers (Numbers 6:24–26).

Scoring and structure

The piece is scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) and four-part choir, two oboes, two flauti traversi, timpani (tamburi), three trumpets (trombe) in D, two violins, viola, and basso continuo.

The cantata has seven movements, divided in two parts (four movements performed before the sermon, and the remaining three afterwards):

Part 1

Coro: O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe

Recitative (bass): Wie, dass der Liebe hohe Kraft

Aria (for tenor) and Recitative (for alto): Siehe, also wird gesegnet der Mann, der den Herren fürchtet

Coro: Friede über Israel

Part 2

Aria (alto): Wohl euch, ihr auserwählten Schafe

Recitative (soprano): Das ist vor dich, o ehrenwürdger Mann

Coro: Gib, höchster Gott, auch hier dem Worte Kraft

Music

The opening chorus draws on imagery of eternal fire, represented in the strings. This is followed by a short secco bass recitative ending on an imperfect B minor cadence. The third movement exists only in reconstructed forms; it likely opened with strings and continuo. Its structure oddly alternates between aria and recitative episodes.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34a” as incomplete wedding cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1725, 1726, 1727—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where ewiges, Feuer and Ursprung can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as incomplete wedding cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q641508. VIAF identifies the subject as 193669035. The Library of Congress control number is no2006109496. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1725, 1726 and 1727.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34a” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.