Dear Alex,

Thank you for reminding me of Cantata 19. I've listened again to the whole cantata, and several times to the opening chorus.  In trying to understand how the music interprets the text, I noted with interest that the original text: 7 καὶ ἐγένετο πόλεμος ἐν τῶ οὐρανῶ, is translated literally and correctly in the King James Version as 7 And there was war in heaven.  A war, if I understand correctly, is a conflict between two states, Saint Jerome, however, apparently can't accept the circumstance that heaven, Civitas Dei, can ever comprise more than one state, and can ever be at war with itself.  He can't imagine a war in heaven, and declines to translate Revelation 12:7 literally: "Et factum est bellum in cælo," but writes: "7 Et factum est prælium magnum in cælo." Instead of war, bellum, he puts "prælium magnum", which means something like great quarrel, or great controversy.  Luther retreats even further and writes "7 VND es erhub sich ein streit im Himel" not even "großer Streit" where Streit means quarrel, dispute, conflict, and at least in modern German, does not necessarily entail violence.

I may be wrong in my interpretation, and please tell me if I am, when I write that in Cantata 19, I do not hear the pounding of hooves or the clanging of swords. There is no double chorus, one for the good, the other for bad angels. The conflict is internalized as restlessness, as sixteenth notes contending with eighth notes. I wonder if I would hear the disturbance of the peace, if I had not known about the conflict which the music is meant to report.

The conclusion of Cantata 19, is extrinsic. You can hear it in Cantata 50, a very short but very powerful chorus on the text of Revelation 12:10, which proclaims the victory of good over evil. Incidentally, the spirit of Saint John in addition to everywhere else seems to have stopped by the White House.  12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12 (KJV) 

So far as my name is concerned, any name is alright, "Call me Ishmael" is what Herman Melville wrote; and Juliet thought a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. I first met Margaret in May 1946, and it took her four years to figure out my name wasn't John. But it couldn't have turned out any better.

I hope you are in as good health as one can expect at our age, and content.
Jochen