Page Category: Bach Cantatas

Cantata BWV 30Freue dich, erlöste Schar

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Analysis

Movement 5 is a stand-out, but the whole thing is excellent, though the music bears no relation to the textual meaning, because this entire cantata is a 'parody': that is, music written for another occasion entirely -in this case, a cantata (30a) that was written to celebrate the appointment of J.C. Hennicke as feudal lord of Wiederau- is re-used and modified to suit a new occasion. What was originally a celebratory, secular piece has thus been bent to fit a sacred text suitable for the Feast of St. John (or vice versa). One cannot then expect music and words to bounce off each other in quite the way you could for an original composition. [...] 

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Cantata BWV 24Ein ungefärbt Gemüte

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Analysis

This is one of those cantatas where the words have very little to do with the prescribed readings for the day! Whereas the Gospel is all about not rushing to judgement, lest you be judged in turn, the Neumeister-sourced libretto is all about being good, wholesome, honest and of pure conscience -which are, apparently, especially Germanic virtues! (Fair enough: Wagner says much the same sort of thing at the end of Meistersinger. It’s a hint of nationalist chauvinism that doesn’t sit particularly well in the post-1945 world so much, however). In any event, the central, choral, movement of the Cantata is about as close as we get to the Gospel: ‘do unto others as you would they do unto you’ versus ‘judge not lest ye be judged’. Close enough, I guess… [...] 

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Cantata BWV 23Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn

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Analysis

Like BWV 22, this was one of the pair of Cantatas Bach wrote for his audition as Cantor of St. Thomas’ Leipzig in February 1723. It is assumed that one was given before the sermon and one after. Both respond to the same Gospel for the day (the Sunday before Lent). The Gospel tells of Jesus explaining to his disciples that it was time to go to Jerusalem (the subject for BWV 22); and on the way, they pass a blind man who calls out ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me’ -and for his faith, his sight is miraculously restored. It’s that second part of the story which forms the subject matter for Cantata BWV 23. [...] 

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Cantata BWV 22Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe

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Analysis

“Quinquagesima” comes from the Latin meaning “50th”: it’s the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and (given that Lent is 40 days long) is, close enough, 50 days before Easter. So its theme is all about preparation for Lent and Easter -and takes as its cue Jesus’ announcement of his and his disciples’ departure for Jerusalem (where we all know what will happen!) [...] 

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Cantata BWV 19Es erhub sich ein Streit

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Translation

Analysis

I have a soft spot for anything to do with angels: believe in them or not, the stories of their intervention in the lives of people are touching -perhaps just a little naiive, but also quite inspirational. Accordingly, I have an equally soft spot for anything musical to do with the feast of St. Michael and all angels, be that a Bach cantata (of which more than one exist for this feast day, and all of which are above average in quality, as this one is) or by any other composer come to that: here is Benjamin Britten’s take on the dramatic story of the war in heaven and the casting out of Lucifer into Hell by St. Michael: [...] 

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