A journey in God’s hands

The cantata “In allen meinem Taten”, BWV 97, does not have a clear designation for a Sunday or feast of the liturgical year. It was first performed in 1734, possibly at a wedding, a theory that comes from a note in score which indicates that the last three movements were to be performed “after the […]

I will make you strong

Traditionally, this double choir funeral motet was believed to have been written in connection with a funeral service in Leipzig in 1726. The original score hasn’t survived, making its accurate dating impossible. However, recent research tends to date it much earlier, possibly from Bach’s years in Weimar. The occasion was still most certainly a funeral, […]

Seeking the light

“Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden”, BWV 6, is a cantata for Easter Monday composed by Bach for performance on April 2, 1725, about two years into his tenure at Leipzig. Chronologically, this places it just after his cycle of “chorale cantatas” breaks off on Easter Sunday that year. A second performance has […]