During chapel this year, the students have heard many readings about David’s life, from 1 Samuel 19 onward. I’ve also enjoyed recently teaching the K-2 students about David as a part of our study of key historical events on our class timeline. Relating to this theme, there is a particularly clever organ composition that musically depicts David’s defeat of Goliath. Those looking for edifying music to complement the recent chapel texts need look no further than Johann Kuhnau’s “The Combat Between David and Goliath” for organ or keyboard.
Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722) was J. S. Bach’s immediate predecessor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. While Bach has overshadowed Kuhnau in fame, Kuhnau was no small figure in Lutheran music. Kuhnau is known for a set of six Biblical Sonatas depicting Old Testament scenes, as well as other compositions, including fourteen annual cycles of sacred cantatas, many of which are lost. Quite the talented and industrious man, Kuhnau, in addition to his extensive musical duties as Kantor in Leipzig, also studied Latin, French, Greek, and Hebrew and was a practicing lawyer.
Kuhnau’s “The Combat Between David and Goliath” is rich in text painting and theological insight. A performance of the work is available here for you to enjoy as you read the following description. There are eight movements in the sonata, each with its own theme and very descriptive title:
- The Boasting of Goliath (0:00-1:50 in the linked recording)
- The Trembling of the Israelites at the Appearance of the Giant, and Their Prayers to God (1:50-7:15)
- The Courage of David, and His Keen Desire to Repel the Pride of His Terrifying Enemy with the Confidence that He Puts in the Help of God (7:15-8:30)
- The Combat Between the Two and their Struggle, the Stone is Thrown from the Slingshot, Goliath Falls (8:30-9:45)
- The Flight of the Philistines, who are Pursued and Slain by the Israelites (9:45-11:05)
- The Joy of the Israelites over their Victory (11:05-12:30)
- The Musical Concert of the Women in Honor of David (12:30-14:00)
- The General Rejoicing, and the Dances of Joy of the People (14:00-15:57)
The first section begins by giving listeners a taste of Goliath’s haughtiness and pride, which Kuhnau demonstrates with a swaggering dotted rhythm and bold chords. The second movement is a somber selection, full of throbbing chromatic chords that fall downward in fear of the seemingly unconquerable Goliath. In the midst of this anxious scene, Kuhnau artfully weaves a familiar hymn tune: “From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee.” The inclusion of Luther’s hymn at this moment of the account perfectly exemplifies the Israelites’ need of help from God. In the third section one hears a cheerful tune with none of the fear of the previous section as David confidently steps forth. Section four is remarkably detailed in its musical depiction of David’s combat, even including a flourish at 9:10 to mark David’s stone sailing through the air. The last four sections take the listener through the remaining events of the account, again demonstrating Kuhnau’s remarkable ability to capture the character of a scene through music.
In Christ,
Miss Engwall
P.S. Here’s a delightful painting entitled “Story of David and Goliath & The Triumph of David” by Pesellino (c. 1445), which tells the whole story of David and Goliath in a single painting.
