Dietel manuscript


The Dietel manuscript, Ms. R 18, also known as the Dietel Collection and, in German, Choralsammlung Dietel, is the oldest extant manuscript with a large collection of four-part chorales by Johann Sebastian Bach. It contains 149 of Bach's chorale harmonisations and originated around 1735. The music in the manuscript was copied by, one of Bach's pupils from the Thomasschule.

Context

In 1727, at age 13, Johann Ludwig Dietel became a pupil of the St Thomas School in Leipzig. His oldest extant work as copyist of Johann Sebastian Bach's music dates from two years later. By then, mid 1729, Bach had just begun his seventh year as cantor at St Thomas, and had already composed hundreds of church cantatas, the St John and St Matthew Passions, and several motets: all of these are sacred compositions mostly containing one or more four-part harmonisations of Lutheran chorale melodies, setting the text of usually one, and sometimes two, stanzas of a Lutheran hymn, to be sung by a SATB choir. Apart from these four-part chorales which are movements in larger-scale compositions, Bach also wrote such SATB settings of hymn tunes down in, for instance, the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, and the Three Wedding Chorales manuscript. In Bach's autographs, four-part chorale harmonisations are characteristically written down with a colla parte instrumentation and figured bass accompaniment, sometimes also with interludes connecting the phrases of the hymn or independent instrumental figuration, and more exceptionally, for instance the setting of "Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen", BWV 299, a chorale in Anna Magdalena's notebook as a piece exclusively for four singing voices.
In the autumn of 1729 Dietel worked on the performance parts of BWV 201, one of Bach's secular cantatas. His work on the performance material of Johann Bernhard Bach's overtures in D major and G major is from slightly later. In August 1730 Johann Sebastian ranged Dietel among those singers of the school who were fit to perform the solo parts of his church music. On New Year's Day 1731, or, less likely, a year earlier, Carl Gotthelf Gerlach performed Gehet zu seinen Toren ein mit Danken, FWV D:G1, a church cantata for New Year by Johann Friedrich Fasch. Dietel had copied the score for this performance. Both Dietel and Gerlach, who was nearly a decade older, were born in : this, and the fact that they were distant relatives, may explain how they became close in Leipzig. Gerlach had become a student of the St Thomas school in 1716, which he still was when Bach moved into the school buildings as cantor in 1723. From 1727 Gerlach studied at Leipzig University. In 1729, who until then had been the music director of Leipzig University's church, that is the New Church, and of the Collegium Musicum founded by Telemann, left for a position in Gotha: Bach, who as music director of Leipzig's principal churches had some say on the matter, manoeuvred his former pupil Gerlach in the position of music director and organist at the Neukirche, while he assumed himself the leadership of the Collegium Musicum.
In 1731 Dietel helped copy out the performance parts of two further church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Late 1731 or early 1732 Dietel copied the score of Bach's early church cantata BWV 196, followed, before 25 March 1732, by a copy of the score of the Gottes und Marien Kind cantata attributed to Fasch. From 1733 to 1734 Dietel copied performance material for three more secular cantatas by Bach. Further manuscript copies by Dietel from around 1734:
In 1734, or possibly 1735, Dietel copied the organ part of BWV 100, a chorale cantata by Bach. Bach presented his Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, for the first time as a set of six cantatas, each of these performed on one of the six Feast Days and Sundays from 25 December 1734 to 6 January 1735. For two of these cantatas, those for New Year's Day and Epiphany, Dietel was the main copyist of the performance material. On 30 January 1735 Bach premiered his cantata BWV 14. Likely some time after that, the closing chorale of BWV 14 being its most recent datable entry, Dietel started the manuscript named after him, which contains 149 four-part chorales copied from manuscripts with compositions by Bach. By that time Dietel belonged to the inner circle of Bach's pupils who had broad access to the composer's musical library.
Who asked Dietel to produce the chorale collection, and also, for what purpose it was penned, are questions for which the answer can not be ascertained. It would have been highly unlikely that Dietel took the initiative for the collection: copying music was generally not done without remuneration. The manuscript contained many errors and inaccuracies, none of which were corrected by Bach, something the composer would normally have done if he had commissioned this copy of his music. On the other hand, Dietel had produced many manuscripts for Gerlach, for instance the Fasch cantatas for performance at the Neukirche, and would continue to collaborate with him, for instance also in 1735 on performance material for Bach's Sanctus BWV 238. In 1736 Dietel started his studies at Leipzig University, and like that earlier main copyist of Bach's music,, had done a decade earlier, he continued to work for the music director of the Neukirche while discontinuing to work for Bach, after the switch from St Thomas school to University.

Content

Dietel's manuscript, R 18, contains 149 SATB settings, without instrumental accompaniment or interludes, of chorale tunes. Two settings, Nos. 119 and 134, are identical, thus the collection contains 148 unique settings. A few settings are related, but not identical:
  • Nos. 1 and 100
  • Nos. 88 and 148
All settings are by Bach and/or feature in larger-scale compositions by Bach. Two settings are strictly speaking not by Bach:
In general, Bach based his harmonisations on pre-existing hymn tunes. There are, however, some hymn tunes for which there appear to be no earlier extant sources than Bach's compositions. In the Dietel manuscript:
A couple of settings in the Dietel manuscript are SATB versions of voice and continuo settings found in Schemellis Gesangbuch :
  • BWV 452, the Schemelli version of "Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen", appears to have been derived from the four-part setting BWV 299 as found in R 18 No. 6;
  • The four-part version of "Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden" as found in the Dietel manuscript appears to be an arrangement of the Schemelli version
Also the R 18 No. 148 version of "Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben" appears to be related to the Schemelli variant BWV 483. R 18 No. 48 shares its soprano and bass lines with BWV 512 from Schemellis Gesangbuch.
Around two thirds of the settings in the Dietel manuscript can also be found in Bach's extant cantatas, motets, Passions and oratorios. Many of the chorale settings for which R 18 is the earliest extant source may derive from lost larger works, such as the St Mark Passion, BWV 247, of 1731, and several cantatas of the Picander cycle of 1728–29. However, not all four-part chorales of the Dietel collection originated in such larger works. Also, Bach re-used some chorale settings in several works so that it can't always exactly be determined from which original Dietel copied in his collection.
All chorales have a number, and, except for No. 145, a title referring to a text of a Lutheran hymn, but are otherwise untexted. The titles in R 18 do not always refer to the hymns from which stanzas are extracted in musically corresponding movements of larger works. There is no over-all organisational principle for the collation, but some ranges appear to have some logic: for example, the range from Nos. 67 to 96 follows through the liturgical year, more or less consequentially, from the fourth Sunday after Trinity to the first Sunday of Advent.
#Title ZahnBWVOccasionYearM-DOther info
Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut4430Birthday?Variant of BWV 117/4
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr4457Easter II?≤Apr.–
May?
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott7377Oculi?1715?03-24?Stanza 2 in BWV 80.1/6
Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ4373Easter I172404-16Stanza 1 in BWV 67/7
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist381New Year≤01-01
Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen3068≤Hymn tune attributed to Bach
Jesu, nun sei gepreiset8477aNew Year?≤01-01?
Helft mir, Gotts Güte preisen5267Christmas I172512-30Stanza 12 in BWV 28/6
Ich bin ja, Herr, in deiner Macht5878a≤Hymn tune attributed to Bach
Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein4431Trinity XIII172308-22Presumably stanza 8 from "Wenn einer alle Ding verstünd" in BWV 77/6
Weg, mein Herz, mit den Gedenken6543Trinity XIV172308-29Stanza 12 from "Treuer Gott, ich muss dir klagen" in BWV 25/6
Jesu, meine Freude8032Christmas 3172312-27Stanza 5 in BWV 64/8
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ1947Christmas 3172312-27Stanza 7 in BWV 64/2

Was frag ich nach der Welt5206b–cChristmas 3172312-27Stanza 1 in BWV 64/4

O Herre Gott, dein göttlich Wort5690Pentecost 3172405-30Stanza 8 in BWV 184.2/5
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott7445aFuneral172910-20Stanza 3 in BWV 226/2

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme8405aTrinity XXVII173111-25Stanza 3 in BWV 140/7
Jesu, deine tiefen Wunden6543Consecration172311-02Stanzas 6 and 7 from "Treuer Gott, ich muß dir klagen" in BWV 194.2/6 = BWV 194.3/6
Jesu, deine tiefen Wunden6543194.3/6Trinity172406-04Stanzas 6 and 7 from "Treuer Gott, ich muß dir klagen" in BWV 194.2/6 = BWV 194.3/6
Nun lasst uns Gott dem Herren159Consecration172311-02Stanzas 9 and 10 from "Wach auf, mein Herz, und singe" in BWV 194.2/12 = BWV 194.3/12
Nun lasst uns Gott dem Herren159194.3/12Trinity172406-04Stanzas 9 and 10 from "Wach auf, mein Herz, und singe" in BWV 194.2/12 = BWV 194.3/12
Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich1945a–bEaster I172504-08Stanzas 1 and 2 in BWV 42/7
Jesu, meine Freude8032<1730?Stanza 4 in BWV 227/7
Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit4429a≤
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort5820Trinity X?1728?08-15?Stanza 13 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 53
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort5820Passion?1731?03-23?Stanza 13 in BWV 247/17
Christ lag in Todes Banden7012aEaster 3Mar.–
Apr.		Stanza 5 in BWV 158/4
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele6923Trinity XX172410-22Stanza 9 in BWV 180/7
Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein4431Trinity II172406-18Stanza 6 in BWV 2/6
Straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn6274aTrinity XXII172411-05Stanza 10 from "Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit" in BWV 115/6
Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid533aEpiphany II172501-14Stanza 18 in BWV 3/6
Jesu, der du meine Seele6804≤
Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende2778Septuagesima172702-09Stanza 12 in BWV 84/5
Jesu, meine Freude8032<1730?Stanza 1 and 6 in BWV 227/1 and 227/11
Jesu, meine Freude8032<1730?Stanza 2 in BWV 227/3
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern8359Advent INov.–
Dec.		Stanza 7 in BWV 36.4/5
Befiehl du deine Wege5385aTrinity XVI171609-27Stanza 4 from "Herzlich tut mich verlangen" in BWV 161/6
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott7377Reformation10-31Stanza 4 in BWV 80/8
Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist2029aTrinity XVIII172610-20Stanza 3 in BWV 169/7
Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut4486Trinity XIX172310-03Stanza 4 in BWV 48/3
Denket doch, ihr Menschenkinder—≤Hymn tune attributed to Bach
Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren8244≤
Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut4486Trinity XIX172310-03Stanza 12 from "Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir" in BWV 48/7
Vater unser im Himmelreich2561Trinity XXV172311-14Stanza 7 from "Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott" in BWV 90/5
Jesu, meines Herzens Freud4797–
4798		≤
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan5629Septuagesima172402-06Stanza 1 in BWV 144/3
Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzeit7568Septuagesima172402-06Stanza 1 in BWV 144/6
Eins ist not, ach Herr, dies Eine7127≤
Es ist genung7173Trinity XXIV172311-07Stanza 5 in BWV 60/5
Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende2778Trinity XV?1728?09-05?Stanza 12 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 58
Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende2778Epiphany II?1729?01-16?Stanza 4 from "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten" is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 13
Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende2778Septuagesima?1729?02-13?Stanza 7 from "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten" is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 19
Gib dich zufrieden und sei stille7417a≤Hymn tune attributed to Bach; S and B identical to those of BWV 512
Ich dank dir, lieber Herre5354a–bSexagesima?1729?02-20?Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 20
Wo Gott zum Haus gibt nicht sein Gunst305≤
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin3986Purification?1729?02-02?Stanza 1 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 16
Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod6288a–bEstomihi172902-27Stanza 33 in BWV 159/5
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr8326≤
Herr Jesu Christ, ich schrei zu dir4486Epiphany IV?1729?01-30?Stanza 3 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 15
Das neugeborne Kindelein491Christmas I172412-31Stanza 5 in BWV 122/6
Ich freue mich in dir5187Christmas 3172412-27Stanza 4 in BWV 133/6
O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben2293bPassion?1731?03-23?Stanza 4 in BWV 247/13
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich198Epiphany?1729?01-06?Stanza 8 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 11
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich198Annunciation?1729?03-25?Stanza 1 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 27
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern8359≤
2570Estomihi172502-11Stanza 8 in BWV 127/5
Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit4441aPassion?1731?03-23?Stanza 2 from "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält" in BWV 247/31
Befiehl du deine Wege5385aPassion?1731?03-23?Stanza 1 in BWV 247/33, or /28: stanza 6 from "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden"
Herr, ich habe missgehandelt3695Passion?1731?03-23?Stanza 1 in BWV 247/37
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott7377Passion?1731?03-23?Stanza 4 in BWV 247/42
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ1947Christmastide?≤Dec.–
Jan.?
Nun ruhen alle Wälder2293bTrinity V?1734?07-25?Stanza 9 from "In allen meinen Taten" in BWV 97/9
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ7400Trinity IV173207-06Stanza 5 in BWV 177/5
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ7400Trinity IV171507-14Stanza 1 in BWV 185/6
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ7400Trinity IV?≤Jun.–
Jul.?
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her4430Trinity VI1734?08-01?Stanza 12 in BWV 9/7
Jesu, der du meine Seele6804Trinity IX172307-25Stanza 11 in BWV 105/6
Was frag ich nach der Welt5206b–cTrinity IX172408-06Stanzas 7 and 8 in BWV 94/8
Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott2561Trinity X172408-13Stanza 7 in BWV 101/7
Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut4486Trinity XI172408-20Stanza 8 in BWV 113/8
Ich armer Mensch, ich armer Sünder2778Trinity XI172308-08Stanza 1 in BWV 179/6
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan5629Trinity XII172308-15Stanza 6 in BWV 69.1/6
Hast du denn, Jesu, dein Angesicht gänzlich verborgen1912a-cTrinity XII172508-19Stanza 5 from "Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren" in BWV 137/5
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist4482aEaster171504-21Stanza 5 in BWV 31/9
Alleluja: Aus dem Lied "Christ ist erstanden"8584Easter2172404-10Stanza 3 from "Christ ist erstanden" in BWV 66/6
Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ7292bTrinity XIII172409-03Stanza 4 in BWV 33/6
Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren8244Trinity XIV?≤Aug.–
Sep.?
Herr Christ, der einge Gottes Sohn4297aTrinity XIII172508-26Stanza 5 in BWV 164/6
Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht314bTrinity XIII?1728?08-22?Stanza 14 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 56
Jesu, der du meine Seele6804Trinity XIV172409-10Stanza 12 in BWV 78/7
Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir368Michaelmas172409-29Stanzas 11 and 12 in BWV 130/6
Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht3449Easter I?1729?04-24?Stanza 1 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 31
Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht3449Epiphany I?1729?01-09?Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 12
Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht3449Trinity XV?≤Sep.?
Weg, mein Herz, mit den Gedanken6543Michaelmas172609-29Stanza 9 from "Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele" in BWV 19/7
Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben6634Trinity XVI172409-24Setting by Daniel Vetter; Stanza 5 in BWV 8/6
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist4482aTrinity XVI172309-12Stanza 4 in BWV 95/7
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz1689aTrinity XVII?≤Sep.–
Oct.?
Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost4441aTrinity XVII172410-01Stanza 6 in BWV 114/7
Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn4297aTrinity XVIII172410-08Stanza 5 in BWV 96/6
Auf meinen lieben Gott2164Trinity XIX172410-15Stanza 11 in BWV 5/7
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir4437Trinity XXI172410-29Stanza 5 in BWV 38/6
Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden5243≤Four-part version of BWV 441
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland1174Advent I172412-03Stanza 8 in BWV 62/6
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist4482aPassion?1731?03-23?Stanza 1 from in BWV 247/19
Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn2496bEaster IV172504-29Stanza 10 from "Gott Vater, sende deinen Geist" in BWV 108/6
Es woll uns Gott genädig sein7247Epiphany V?1729?02-06?Stanza 3 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 17
Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut4430
117/9		Birthday?Stanzas 4 and 9 in BWV 117/4 and /9; See also variant Dietel No. 1
Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt4457Easter II173104-08Stanza 5 in BWV 112/5
Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn7568Easter III172504-22Stanza 9 from "Barmherzger Vater, höchster Gott" in BWV 103/6
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan562975/7
75/14		Trinity I172305-30Stanzas 5 and 6 in BWV 75/7 and /14
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan5629Stanza 6 in BWV 100/6
Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne6551aTrinity XI?1728?08-08?Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 54
Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne6551aEaster IV?≤Apr.–
May?
Jesu, meine Freude8032Easter V172505-06Stanza 9 from "Selig ist die Seele" in BWV 87/7
Ist Gott mein Schild und Helfersmann2542Easter II172504-15Stanza 4 in BWV 85/6
Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ5741bAscension172605-30Setting by ; Stanzas 1 and 13 in BWV 43/11
Nun ruhen alle Wälder2293bAscension I172405-21Stanza 7 from "In allen meinen Taten" in BWV 44/7
Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist2029aTrinity XVIII?1728?09-26?Stanza 3 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 61
Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist2029aPentecost?≤May–
Jun.?
Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott7445aPentecost 3172505-22Stanza 9 from "O Gottes Geist, mein Trost und Rat" in BWV 175/7
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr8326Pentecost 2172906-06Stanza 1 in BWV 174/5
Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn2496bPentecost172505-20Stanza 2 from "Gott Vater, sende deinen Geist" in BWV 74/8
O Gott, du frommer Gott5206b–c≤
O Gott, du frommer Gott5206b–cTrinity172706-08Stanza 5 from "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott" in BWV 129/5
Jesu, meine Freude8032St. John's Day?1728?06-24?Stanza 2 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 46
Jesu, meine Freude8032New Year I?1729?01-02?Stanza 2 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 10
Jesu, meine Freude8032Easter II?1729?05-01?Stanza 1 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 32
Jesu, meine Freude8032Trinity IV?1729?07-10?Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 45
Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele6543Trinity I172606-23Stanza 6 from "Kommt, lasst euch den Herren lehren" in BWV 39/7
Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen6462Trinity I?1729?06-19?Hymn tune as in BWV 248/33 ; Stanza 10 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 42
Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen6462Trinity XIX?1728?10-03?Hymn tune as in BWV 248/33 ; Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 63
Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen6462Trinity XIX?1729?10-23?Hymn tune as in BWV 248/33 ; Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 63
Meine Seel erhebt den Herren—Visitation172407-02Melody: Magnificat peregrini toni; Stanzas 10 and 11 in BWV 10/7
Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ5741bChristmas 2173412-26= Dietel No. 134; Stanza 9 from "Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist" in BWV 248II/3
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her346Christmas 2173412-26Stanza 8 from "Schaut, schaut, was ist für Wunder dar" in BWV 248II/8
Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit4429aEpiphany173501-06Stanza 1 from "Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier" in BWV 248VI/6
Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder5385aEpiphany173501-06Stanza 4 from "Ihr Christen auserkoren" in BWV 248VI/11
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ7247Christmas 3173412-27Stanza 7 in BWV 248III/5
Wir Christenleut2072Christmas 3173412-27Stanza 4 from "Laßt Furcht und Pein" in BWV 248III/12
Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen6462Christmas 3173412-27Hymn tune as in BWV 422 ; Stanza 15 from "Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen" in BWV 248III/10
In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr2461cNew Year I173501-02Stanza 5 from "Nun, liebe Seel, nun ist es Zeit" in BWV 248V/4
Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne6551aEpiphany I172401-09Stanza 2 in BWV 154/3

Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit4434Epiphany IV173501-30Stanza 3 in BWV 14/5

Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht3449Epiphany I172401-09Stanza 6 in BWV 154/8

Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ1947Christmas172412-25Stanza 7 in BWV 91/6

Jesu, nun sei gepreiset8477aNew Year172501-01Stanza 3 in BWV 41/6
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist4482a≤
Christ lag in Todes Banden7012aEaster?1729?04-17?Stanza 6 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 28
Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist5741bChristmas 2173412-26= Dietel No. 119; Stanza 9 in BWV 248II/3
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen5264b≤

Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen983Passion172404-07Stanza 7 in BWV 245.1/3

Vater unser im Himmelreich2561Passion172404-07Stanza 4 in BWV 245.1/5

Vater unser im Himmelreich2561Passion172404-07Stanza 4 in BWV 245.1/5

O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben2293bPassion172404-07Stanzas 3 and 4 in BWV 245/11

Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne6551aPassion172704-11Stanza 6 from "Werde munter, mein Gemüte" in BWV 244/40

Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen983Passion172404-07Stanzas 8 and 9 in BWV 245/17

O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben2293bPassion?≤Mar.–
Apr.?

Valet will ich dir geben5404aPassion172404-07Stanza 3 in BWV 245/26

Befiehl du deine Wege5385aPassion?1731?03-23?Stanza 1 in BWV 247/33, or /28: stanza 6 from "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden", or /35: stanza 2 from the same

An Wasserflüssen Babylon7663Passion?≤Mar.–
Apr.?		Tune a.k.a. "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld"

(Jesu, der du meine Seele)6804≤

Jesu, meiner Seelen WonneVol. VI
p. 566		New Year173501-01Stanza 15 from "Hilf, Herr Jesu, laß gelingen" in BWV 248IV/7

Gott des Himmels und der Erden3614bNew Year I173501-02Stanza 9 from "Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lüfte" in BWV 248V/11

Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben6634Trinity XVI?≤Sep.–
Oct.?		Setting related to BWV 8/6 and BWV 483

Nun danket alle Gott5142Visitation?1729?07-02?Stanza 1 is closing chorale of Picander cycle No. 48

Reception

When Gerlach died in Leipzig in 1761 he apparently had no heirs living in the town: a large part of his music collection, for instance the copies of the Porpora cantatas, came in the possession of the music publishers Bernhard Christoph and Johann Gottlob Immanuel Breitkopf. The earliest trace of the Dietel manuscript dates from 1764, when the Breitkopf publishing firm offered copies of the chorale collection for sale. The earliest prints of Bach's four-part chorale collections, two volumes published by Birnstiel in 1765 and 1769 respectively, drew from other manuscripts than the Dietel Collection. Bach's son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who had collaborated on Birnstiel's 1765 volume, fell out with the publisher and left further plans for a complete edition of his father's four-part chorales to Johann Kirnberger, who negotiated with the Breitkopf firm on the subject. In 1777 Kirnberger wrote to Breitkopf:The "150 Stück" mentioned by Kirnberger refer to the Dietel manuscript. Kirnberger was also the librarian of the Amalienbibliothek, the library of his employer Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia. The library contained these manuscripts:
  • D-B Am.B 46/II, Fascicle 3, containing 111 four-part chorales, all of which also occur in the Dietel collection. The fascicle is part of the Am.B 46/II collection, which contains 369 chorales, and its content likely corresponds to the collection of chorales which Kirnberger had acquired from C. P. E. Bach. The Am.B 46/II copy was likely produced in Berlin around the 1770s.
  • D-B Am.B 48: a rather straightforward copy of the Dietel manuscript, produced in Leipzig by the Breitkopf firm, that is, the kind of copy they offered for sale in 1764, and the only extant of such copies. It is not known when this copy entered the Amalienbibliothek, but it seems unlikely that Kirnberger would have been unaware of its presence in the library when he wrote his July 1777 letter to Breitkopf.
When Kirnberger died in 1783, no new edition of Bach's four-part chorales had materialised. Shortly thereafter, in 1784 and 1785, Breitkopf published the first two volumes of their new edition of these chorales, edited by C. P. E. Bach. These volumes reflected, to a large extent, the two Birnstiel volumes, that is, none of the chorales contained in them were extracted from the Dietel manuscript: the chorales from that manuscript, or rather, from the Am.B 46/II, Fascicle 3, selection, were only included in the third and concluding fourth volumes of Breitkopf's edition. Within two decades after the publication, Breitkopf disposed of the Dietel manuscript, becoming its new owner. A later owner of the manuscript was Ernst Rudorff, and from 1917 it resided in the in Leipzig, where it got the shelf mark R 18. Eventually the collection of the Peters library was adopted in the, from where the R 18 manuscript was transmitted, as a permanent loan, to the Bach Archive in 2014.
The Dietel manuscript only started to attract stronger attention from scholarship in the second half of the 20th century. In 1991 the New Bach Edition published the entire manuscript, edited by : the edition included several chorales from the manuscript which had not been given a BWV number in the 1950 first edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis. Four chorales from the Dietel manuscript were given a BWV number in the 1122–1125 range in the 1998 edition of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis.