Bach: The Cantatas

A splendid festive civic-election cantata, Ratswechsel, that just gets more and more splendid, as it progresses. Leipzig, in the August of 1723 just did not realise, how lucky it was, to have such music, in its midst. A large scale work, with 9 varied and interesting...

Musical settings, of the Magnificat, -the song, of the most blessed, virgin Mary, stretch back, to the 14th century and beyond. It seems that everybody and anybody, from the great and remembered, to the lowly and forgotten, have put their mind and their music, to pen...

An early, 7 movement cantata, from 1708 and one of two, second now lost, written by Bach. The occasion, the installation of a civic-council. A large orchestra is required, the normal combination of oboes, strings, continuo and chorus, being joined by, 2 x recorders, 3...

This long, 8 section cantata, is scored for standard orchestra, -oboes, strings, continuo and 4-chorus, with solo parts. The three oboe players, are, throughout, required to take up, as requested, by Bach, their variants, oboe, oboe d’amore, oboe da caccia and Taille....

As there are no cantatas during Lent, I have chosen this one, a Reformation Day, (31/10) example. This Protestant-Christian-religious-holiday, is a celebration of the onset, of The Reformation, itself. This is a fine example indeed, a 6 movement work, with large...