Love story in church

This cantata is structured as a dialogue between two voices (soprano and bass, representing the soul and Jesus respectively). It is similar in this respect to Cantata 57, which we examined a few months ago. It was written for the 20th Sunday after Trinity, and premiered on November 3, 1726. The libretto, probably authored by […]

The Brandenburg that never was

A few weeks ago we heard the Concerto for two harpsichords, BWV 1061. Today, the ensemble Collegium 1704 performs an adaptation of this material in the format of a concerto for four solo instruments (oboe, viola da gamba, violin and bassoon), creating a texture similar to that of the six Brandenburgs. The arrangement is by […]

An armor against evil

This cantata is one of three composed by Bach with the same title. Although this is the first in catalog order, chronologically it is the second. It corresponds to the 21st Sunday after Trinity and was premiered on November 10, 1726. BWV 99 was composed first (1724) and the third one is BWV 100 (1734). […]