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.

8/30

Generally, Bach's Leipzig cantatas are scored for larger choral and instrumental ensembles, due to his greater access to musical resources as Kantor at the Thomaskirche. This week's cantata, however, is more similar to those he wrote in Weimar: it's scored for just four voices and about ten instruments.

Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet (You, who call yourselves of Christ), BWV 164

 

9/6

This week's cantata includes a setting of the chorale of the same name by Johann Rist. Rist was a 17th-century pastor and librettist, known for a number of hymns that are still sung. 

Jesu, der du meine Seele (Jesus, Who Hast Wrested My Soul), BWV 78

 

9/13

This cantata is based on Samuel Rodigast's chorale, "What God does is well done," the second of two works based on that hymn. While the first, BWV 98, was written in 1726, this cantata is one of his last extant ones, completed in 1735.

Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (What God does is well done), BWV 100