Bach realises, as always, the stresses and strains, that musicians find themselves under, -and particularly at this Christmas time. In view of this, the forces here are small and chamber-like, - oboe d'amore, flute, strings and 4 part solo/chorus, and are evenly...
Bach: The Cantatas
2022 Cantatas
– Christmas Monday – 26th December 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 121 – ,Christum wir sollen loben schon’ –
An single oboe d'amore + strings and continuo, form the orchestra, along with 4 soloists and 4-part chorus. A usual cornetto and-three-trombones-choir, reinforce the vocal parts in the opening and closing numbers. 1/(chorus) 'To Christ, we should sing this splendid...
– Christmas Day – Sunday 25th December 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 110 – ,Unser Mund sei voll Lachens’
This 3 x oboe orchestra, with d'amore and da caccia option, is joined by 2 x flutes and 3 x tromba + timps. The 4-part chorus is joined by ripieno soloists and the whole is supported by a bassoon strengthened continuo. 1/(chorus) 'Let our mouths be full of laughter...
3rd Sunday of Advent – December 11th 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 29 – ,Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir’ –
An oboe orchestra, with additional trumpets and drums, is joined, by a substantial organ obbligato part, which appears twice, this opening sinfonia and the arioso, movement 7. 1/Sinfonia; Bach shamelessly cannibalizes form previous works. In this opening sinfonia, he...
– Sunday 3rd December 2022 -J.S.Bach wedding cantata BWV 195 – ,Dem Gerechten muss das Licht’ –
This Sunday 3rd December, is the second Sunday, of Advent. There is no surviving cantata by Bach, for this particular Sunday, so I have chosen this wedding cantata BWV 195, in its place. An oboe orchestra, with supplementary violone and possibly bassoon continuo, is...
-Advent Sunday – 27th November 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 62 -,Num komm, der Heiden Heiland’ –
This 'oboe' orchestra, with chorus and continuo, is not really, out of the ordinary, save for the fact that this continuo, warrant's more extra bassline support, than at first might seem appropriate, at least one violone/bass and possibly a bassoon, or two, as well,...
– 23rd Sunday after Trinity – 20th November 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 163 – ,Nur jedem das Seine’ –
2 cellos are required for the third movement - aria and 4 soloists are required, for 5 vocal movements, -3 arias and 2 recits. The only choral movement is the final choral and the orchestra, is simply strings and continuo. 1/Aria: To each, his own, is due. If the...
– 22nd Sunday after Trinity – 13th November 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 115 -,Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit’ –
A string orchestra, -violin x 2 and viola + continuo and with 4-part choir- is joined by one each, of oboe d’amore and flute. A violincello-piccolo, makes a welcome, although slightly different contribution, to 4th Aria movement and a corno appears in its familiar...
– 21st Sunday after Trinity – 6th November 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 109 – ,Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meinem Unglauben’ –
An oboe orchestra, with 4-part choir is joined by a single Corno da caccia, where it appears only twice, firstly in the opening chorus, where it has a mostly, independent part and secondly in the exciting orchestral choral, the final movement, where it simply...
– 20th Sunday after Trinity – 30th October 2022 – J.S.Bach cantata BWV 180 – ,Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele‘ –
This single oboe orchestra, with 4-part chorus and soloists, is augmented, with a single oboe da caccia and a single flauto transverso and 2 x flauto dolce. The whole is spiced-up, by the unforgettable presence of the violoncello piccolo, in third recitativo movement....