Unto God what is God’s

Cantata 52, premiered on November 24, 1726 (23rd Sunday after Trinity), has much in common with No. 55 of the previous week. Both have libretti by Christoph Birkmann, the young theologian from Leipzig. The librettos are constructed from the perspective of the first person, and Bach assigns the entire cantata to a single solo voice, […]

The significance of Three

Continuing with our tour of the Brandenburg Concertos, today’s the turn of the third one in the cycle. As is characteristic of this collection, the configuration is unusual and original: three violins, three violas, three cellos and a continuo. The motifs, frequently repeated three times, can often be heard moving from one group to another […]

Refreshing the spirit

The Italian Concerto, or “Concerto in Italian Taste” as the title page says, is a concerto in three movements for solo harpsichord. It was published by Bach in 1735, together with the “Overture in the French Style” (BWV 831), in a volume entitled “Clavier-Übung II”, one of the few music publications produced during his lifetime. […]

Anticipating marvels

This delicate cantata has the distinction of being the only one for solo tenor in all of Bach’s surviving output. It was composed for the 22nd Sunday after Trinity, and premiered on November 17, 1726. This Sunday’s gospel is Matthew 18: 23-35, which refers to the parable of the just man who forgives his servant’s […]