What does Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme mean?

To give it its full title: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, calls the voice to us), it is also known as Sleepers Wake. Based on the 1599 Lutheran hymn in three stanzas by Philipp Nicolai, it tells the parable of the Ten Virgins according to the Gospel of Matthew:

What was the meaning of the song Wachet auf?

‘Wachet Auf’: The Meaning Behind the Music. The message behind the parable is a warning to be prepared for the Day of Judgment and was one of the most popular parables in the Middle Ages, with enormous influence on Gothic art, sculpture and the architecture of German and French cathedrals.

When did P Nicolai write Wachet auf ruft die Stimme?

P. Nicolai wrote the hymn in 1598, a time when the plague had hit Unnawhere he lived as a preacher after studies in theology at the University of Wittenberg, for six months. The text is based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

How many movements are in Bach’s Wachet auf?

Bach structured the cantata in seven movements. The text and hymn tune are kept in the outer and central choral movements. The new texts are set as dramatic recitatives and love-duets, similar to contemporary opera.