Bach Cantatas

Sundays at 12:03pm

During the 18th century, the musical centerpiece of Lutheran worship services was the cantata, a multi-movement piece featuring chorus, orchestra, and vocal soloists. Johann Sebastian Bach composed over 200 cantatas during his long career as a Lutheran church musician. Listen to a complete Bach cantata every Sunday afternoon on Discover Classical.

8/23

Originally composed in 1723 as part of Bach's first cantata cycle, this work, a setting of Psalm 103, was reworked by Bach for the installation of a town council in 1727.

Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele (Praise the Lord, My Soul), BWV 69

 

8/30

Generally, Bach's Leipzig cantatas are scored for larger choral and instrumental ensembles, due to his greater access to musical resources as Kantor at the Thomaskirche. This week's cantata, however, is more similar to those he wrote in Weimar: it's scored for just four voices and about ten instruments.

Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet (You, who call yourselves of Christ), BWV 164