Amore traditore, BWV 203


Amore traditore, BWV203, is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Köthen between 1718 and 1719, while he was in the service of the court of Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. Bach wrote the unusual work on an Italian libretto for a bass soloist and harpsichord.

Background

After an extended period at the court of Weimar, Bach was Kapellmeister at the court of Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen between 1717 and 1723, directing a qualified musical ensemble. As the court was Reformed, he had no obligations to compose church music, but focused on instrumental works. He had no choir at his disposition, but several excellent singers who sometimes stayed for a short period. He later wrote about this period:

History and text

Bach composed this cantata in Köthen in 1718 or 1719 for an unknown occasion. Its librettist and first performance are also unknown. Unusually for Bach, the text is Italian; only one other cantata has Italian text. The text is very similar to the text of a cantata by Nicola Fago.
The composition of Amore traditore may have been prompted by the visit of Johann Gottfried Riemschneider, a famous bass, at the court in Köthen in 1718-19. Bach wrote a work to entertain, and to showcase two musicians, the singer and a virtuoso harpsichordist.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is based on the Italian solo cantata tradition. It is structured in three movements, alternating arias and a connecting recitative, and scored for a solo bass and keyboard.
  1. Aria: Amore traditore
  2. Recitative: Voglio provar
  3. Aria: ''Chi in amore ha nemica la sorte''

    Music

The first aria includes a flowing bass line and strong ritornello theme. The movement is in da capo form and features long melismas and a very high vocal range. The secco recitative is short but not harmonically cohesive. The final movement is also a da capo aria, with three lines of counterpoint and a complex keyboard part.

Recordings

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