In the course of the concerts associated with these recordings (made in the mid to late 1990s), Helmut Rilling presented, in German, a series of lectures analyzing the cantatas.  Haenssler recorded these lectures, complete with musical examples, and included them in the CD set.   The following text is an English paraphrase of his presentation for Cantata 140.   It's reprinted for WKSU listeners by kind permission of the publisher.

[Cantata 140 was] written for the last Sunday in the ecclesiastical year, which calls for giving thought to the second advent of Christ.  This Sunday’s Gospel is taken from Matthew 25, the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom.   Bach bases his music on the stark images in this text, five wise and five foolish virgins, the burning oil lamps, and the wedding feast.

No. 1, chorus: It is nighttime.  Anticipation of the bridegroom is heard in the excited rhythms and the dialogue between the violins and the oboes.  "Wir müssen ihm entgegen gehen" ("we must go to meet him") is signaled by the rising motif in the violins, which joins up with the bass at the end of the introduction.

The chorale melody is sung by the soprano in broad notes.  The other voices join in, imitating with shorter notes.  The setting is intensified by the choir calling "Wach auf!" ("wake up!") Bach only interrupts this regular alternation between choir and instrumental interludes at one point: before the cantus firmus is required to sing "Hallelujah!", the other voices thoroughly prepare for this cry of joy in long melismata [the singing of a single syllable on many notes].  This makes the setting even more intense.

No. 2, recitative: The tenor takes up the parable, gives the virgins instructions, and announces the entry of the bridegroom.

No. 3, duet: The bass and the soprano, embodying the voices of Christ and the soul, the daughter of Zion, celebrate a spiritual marriage.   This is described as such in the Song of Songs and other biblical texts.  The duet is preceded by a Baroque "slide" as well as rising and falling passages played by the solo violin.   These two halves of the motif also form the basis for the vocal dialogue "Wann kömmst du, mein Heil!" - "Ich komme, dein Teil" ("when are you coming, my redemption!" - "I am coming, your share").  Long-held tones and rapid figurations notated with a large number of black notes (like smoke!) played by the violin illustrate the sentence "Ich warte mit brennendem Öl" ("I am waiting with burning oil").  In the middle section, finally, the bass opens up the dialogue which hitherto has always been started by the soprano. ""The bass also opens up the heavenly feast, underscored by joyful, enthusiastic music.

No. 4, chorale: The violins play the song of the sentinels mentioned in the text.  The echo listens after him, lively rhythms mark joyful leaps, decorative trills are the bride’s dress - pulsing, exhilarating music!

In No. 5, recitative, which follows, the voice of Christ (bass) gives the soul consolation, with a gentle accompaniment of strings.  After sorrowful, dissonant chords, the text quotes the Song of Songs, "Auf meiner Linken sollst du ruhn, und meine Rechte soll dich küssen" ("At my left hand you shall rest, and my right hand shall kiss you").  The music brightens, gets lighter, and leads into the second song of the spiritual couple (No. 6).

The oboe introduces No. 6, duet, with a playfully charming theme.  Here, too, Bach divides the motif up between the two voices, "mein Freund ist mein - und ich bin sein" ("my beloved is mine - and I am his").  A real love duet! Both voices find their way to each other, start out once more far apart, only to overcome the distance yet again.  At the end, they even sing a canon, singing the same music to signify that Jesus and the soul have become one.

The final chorale, No. 7, puts the third verse of the song’s rich imagery to music.   Nearly all instruments play along in this wonderful movement.  Only the solo violin, the accompanist in the first duet, goes off on its own, playing an octave higher, and represents the brilliance of that place where glory sounds forever.  Bach even finds an expression for details such as the "Zwölf Perlen" ("twelve pearls") which are the gates of the heavenly city of Jerusalem, in the twelve notes of the soaring bass.  Bright and intense music brings the chorale and the cantata to an end.

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
Der Wächter sehr hoch auf der Zinne,
Wach auf, du Stadt Jerusalem!
Mitternacht heißt diese Stunde;
Sie rufen uns mit hellem Munde:
Wo seid ihr klugen Jungfrauen?
Wohl auf, der Bräutigam kömmt;
Steht auf, die Lampen nehmt!
Alleluja!
Macht euch bereit
Zu der Hochzeit,
Ihr müsset ihm entgegen gehn!

2. Recitativo

Er kommt, er kommt,
Der Bräutgam kommt!
Ihr Töchter Zions, kommt heraus,
Sein Ausgang eilet aus der Höhe
In euer Mutter Haus.
Der Bräutgam kommt, der einem Rehe
Und jungen Hirsche gleich
Auf denen Hügeln springt
Und euch das Mahl der Hochzeit bringt.
Wacht auf, ermuntert euch!
Den Bräutgam zu empfangen!
Dort, sehet, kommt er hergegangen.

3. Aria (Duetto)

Wenn kömmst du, mein Heil?
(Ich komme, dein Teil.)
Ich warte mit brennendem Öle.

Eröffne	den Saal
(Ich öffne)

(Zum himmlischen Mahl.)
Komm, Jesu!
(Komm, liebliche Seele!)

4. Choral

Zion hört die Wächter singen,
Das Herz tut ihr vor Freuden springen,
Sie wachet und steht eilend auf.
Ihr Freund kommt vom Himmel prächtig,
Von Gnaden stark, von Wahrheit mächtig,
Ihr Licht wird hell, ihr Stern geht auf.
Nun komm, du werte Kron,
Herr Jesu, Gottes Sohn!
Hosianna!
Wir folgen all
Zum Freudensaal
Und halten mit das Abendmahl.

5. Recitativo

So geh herein zu mir,
Du mir erwählte Braut!
Ich habe mich mit dir
Von Ewigkeit vertraut.
Dich will ich auf mein Herz,
Auf meinen Arm gleich wie ein Siegel setzen
Und dein betrübtes Aug ergötzen.
Vergiß, o Seele, nun
Die Angst, den Schmerz,
Den du erdulden müssen;
Auf meiner Linken sollst du ruhn,
Und meine Rechte soll dich küssen.

6. Aria (Duetto)

Mein Freund ist mein,
Und ich bin sein.
Die Liebe soll nichts scheiden.

Ich will	mit	dir
(Du sollst)		(mir)

in Himmels Rosen weiden,
Da Freude die Fülle, da Wonne wird sein.

7. Choral

Gloria sei dir gesungen
Mit Menschen- und englischen Zungen,
Mit Harfen und mit Zimbeln schon.
Von zwölf Perlen sind die Pforten,
An deiner Stadt sind wir Konsorten
Der Engel hoch um deinen Thron.
Kein Aug hat je gespürt,
Kein Ohr hat je gehört
Solche Freude.
Des sind wir froh,
Io, io!
Ewig in dulci jubilo.

Wake up, the voice is calling us
Of the watchmen in the high, high tower;
Wake up, you city of Jerusalem!
The hour is midnight;
They call to us with ringing voices;
Where are you wise virgins now?
Come on, the bridegroom comes;
Rise up and take your lamps!
Alleluia!
Make yourself ready
For the wedding,
You must go to meet him!

2. Recitative

He comes, he comes,
The bridegroom comes!
Come forth, you daughters of Zion,
His exit from the heavens brings him rushing
To your mother’s house.
The bridegroom comes, he who is like a buck
and a young stag,
Leaping on the hills
And brings you the wedding feast.
Wake up, bestir yourselves!
To receive [be receptive to] the bridegroom!
There, look, he comes to meet you.

3. Aria (Duet)

When are you coming, my salvation?
(I am coming, your share.)
I am waiting with burning oil.

Open	the hall
(I open)

(For the heavenly feast.)
Come, Jesus!
(Come, lovely soul!)

4. Chorale

Zion hears the watchmen singing,
Her heart springs for joy,
She watches and hurries to rise.
Her beloved comes from heaven with glory,
Strong with grace, mighty with truth,
Her light grows bright, her star rises.
Now come, you precious crown,
Lord Jesus, God's Son!
Hosannah!
We all follow
To the hall of joy
And take part in the communion.

5. Recitative

So, come in to me,
You, my chosen bride!
I have entrusted myself
To you eternally.
I will set you as a seal
Upon my heart and upon my arm.
And bring pleasure to your troubled eye.
Forget now, oh spirit,
The fear, the pain,
Which you have had to endure;
At my left hand you shall rest,
And my right hand shall kiss you.

6. Aria (Duet)

My beloved is mine,
And I am his.
The love shall not separate anything.

I wish to,	with	you,
(You shall,)		(me,)

Revel [or graze] in Heaven's roses,
There we shall find satiety and bliss. ¹

7. Chorale

Gloria be sung to you now
With human and angel voices,
Surely with harps and cymbals.
The gates are made of twelve pearls;
In your city we are consorts
Of the angels high around your throne.
No eye has ever perceived,
No ear has ever heard
Such joy.
Thus we are glad,
Io, Io!
Eternally "in dulci jubilo."

¹ There seem to be shades of meaning here, making adequate translation difficult. Weide (n): pasture; weiden (v): graze, pasture, turn out to pasture; revel in something. Füllen (n): foal, colt, or filly; füllen (v): stuff, fill to satiety. A Füllhorn is a horn of plenty.