Bach Cantatas

Sundays at 12:03pm

During the 18th century, the musical centerpiece of Lutheran worship services was the cantata, a multi-movement piece featuring chorus, orchestra, and vocal soloists. Johann Sebastian Bach composed over 200 cantatas during his long career as a Lutheran church musician. Listen to a complete Bach cantata every Sunday afternoon on Discover Classical.

9/27

Johann Friedrich Helbig was a court poet at the ducal court of Saxe-Eisenach in the early 18th century. While Telemann set a number of his libretti, this week's cantata is the only extant work by Bach to use Helbig's poetry.

Wer sich selbst erhoehet, der soll (Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled), BWV 47

 

10/4

Unlike most of his chorale cantatas, which are written for a number of soloists and choir, this work is just one of four written for a single alto soloist, and includes one of the earliest German-language hymns. 

Gott soll allein mein Herze haben (God Alone Should Have My Heart), BWV 169

 

10/11

Written in 1724, this solo cantata uses imagery of a voyage by sea as a metaphor for crossing from life into the presence of Christ through death.

Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen (I will gladly carry the cross-staff) BWV 56