Bach cantata
As far as known, Bach's earliest cantatas date from 1707, the year he moved to Mühlhausen, although he may have begun composing them at his previous post in Arnstadt.
Typically, he began a heading with the abbreviation J.J. (Jesu juva, "Jesus, help"), followed by the name of the celebration, the beginning of the words and the instrumentation, for example in Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191.
For example, he titled the parts of Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38, using a mix of languages to describe the occasion, the incipit, the precise scoring and his name: "Dominica 21. post Trinit / Aus tieffer Noth schrey ich zu dir.
A typical Bach cantata of his first year in Leipzig follows the scheme: The opening chorus (Eingangschor) is usually a polyphonic setting, with the orchestra presenting the themes or contrasting material first.
A solo movement begins Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120, because its first words speak of silence.
The chorale can be as simple as a traditional four-part setting, or be accompanied by an obbligato instrument, or be accompanied by the instruments of the opening chorus or even expanded by interludes based on its themes, or have the homophonic vocal parts embedded in an instrumental concerto as in the familiar Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, or have complex vocal parts embedded in the concerto as in Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186, in a form called Choralphantasie (chorale fantasia).
In Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61, for the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, he rendered the opening chorus as a French overture.
Ton Koopman, for example, is a conductor who has recorded a complete set of the cantatas and who favours a choir with four singers per part.
The orchestra that Bach used is based on string instruments (violin, viola) and basso continuo, typically played by cello, violone (at the same octave)[5] and organ.
A continuo bass is the rule in Baroque music; its absence is noteworthy and often has a special reason, such as describing fragility.
Music was expected for all Sundays and holidays except the quiet times (tempus clausum) of Advent and Lent; the cantatas were supposed to reflect the readings.
Many opening movements are based on quotations from the Bible, such as Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, from Isaiah 60:6.
Most of the solo movements are based on poetry of contemporary writers, such as court poet Salomon Franck in Weimar or Georg Christian Lehms or Picander in Leipzig, with whom Bach collaborated.
Sometimes caused by archaic language, these issues are also a result of the different social context of modern artists and listeners, who do not share the same biblical and theological knowledge and perspectives as Bach or his audience.
[7] The following lists of works (some marked as questioned) rely mainly on Alfred Dürr's Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach.
There is evidence suggesting that he composed a cantata as an audition piece for Mühlhausen, and this may have been Christ lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4.
One or two more surviving cantatas may have been composed while Bach was at his previous post in Arnstadt, for example, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150.
By Bach's own account, Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131, was also composed at Mühlhausen.
He composed a secular cantata, Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208, in 1713.
The composition of cantatas for the Schlosskirche (court chapel) on a regular monthly basis started with his promotion to Konzertmeister in March 1714.
[9][10] Even after he moved to Leipzig he retained his title of Fürstlich Köthenischer Kapellmeister (that is director of music to the court at Köthen).
There is evidence that he reused musical material from works that he premiered in Leipzig in the 1720s, for example the secular cantata Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36.1, believed to have been composed to honour one of the Bach's academic colleagues in Leipzig, was the basis of a secular cantata with a text in honour of Leopold's second wife.
There is debate whether Bach performed Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59, there a week before he began his cantorate.
[13][31][32] Extant cantatas of the fourth cycle: Not belonging to the foregoing: Bach sometimes reused an earlier composition, typically revising and improving it in a process called parody.
When he compiled his Mass in B minor, he again used many cantata movements, such as a part of Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12, for the Crucifixus of the Credo.
The cantata Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV1, was selected as the first work to appear in the Bach-Gesellschaft-Ausgabe, the first complete edition.
Diethard Hellmann called the Kantorei (chorale) of the Christuskirche, Bachchor Mainz, in 1965 and produced more than 100 cantatas on a weekly basis with the Südwestrundfunk.
Fritz Werner started recording with the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn and the Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra a series that they called Les Grandes Cantates de J.S.
[38] The cantatas are also regularly performed on Sundays at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New York City, under the direction of the Cantor (currently Donald R.
In 1929 the Swedish bishop Nathan Söderblom, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, called Bach's cantatas the Fifth Gospel.
