An operatic impression

Cantata 81 belongs to Bach’s first yearly cycle of cantatas for Leipzig. It was composed for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany in 1724, which fell on January 30th. Like most cantatas of this period, its libretto was authored by an unknown poet, who centered their work on the Gospel of the day, Matthew 8: 23-27. […]

Goldberg Variations VI

To continue our exploration of the Goldberg Variations, let’s listen to Glen Wilson’s recording of 1990, made in Haarlem, The Netherlands. He plays a harpsichord made by Jaap Klinckhammer in 1989, after Michael Mietke, Berlin ca. 1700. Picking up where we left off, let’s start with Variation 19. It’s a triple meter dance-like piece, reminiscent […]

The healing faith

Cantata 73, for the third Sunday after Epiphany, was premiered in January of 1724, and used again a decade (or more) later. The Gospel of that Sunday is Matthew 8: 1-13, which tells the stories of two healings by Jesus. In both cases, the healings are prompted by an expression of faith – in the […]