Commentaries on the Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach

Hans-Joachim Schulze is the leading authority on the music of Bach and its source traditions, on which he has authored over 500 books and articles. James A. Brokaw II is an independent scholar and translator.

"Absolute top-of-the-line scholarship. Schulze's interests and concerns are always interesting and well handled, and well rendered into English by Brokaw. Schulze is an excellent scholar at finding new historical sources and information--indeed, on the wide ranges and types of historical/archival Bach documents, Schulze is by far the greatest authority that there has ever been in Bach studies."--Michael Marissen, author of Bach against Modernity

• Translator's NoteAbbreviations1    Bach at Arnstadt and Mühlhausen from 1703 to 1708Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (BWV 131)Penance Service, 1707Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (BWV 150)Homage, ca. 1707Christ lag in Todes Banden (BWV 4)Easter Sunday, April 24, 1707?Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (BWV 106)Memorial Service, ca. 1707–1708Gott ist mein König (BWV 71)Mühlhausen City Council Inauguration, February 4, 17082    Bach at Weimar and Köthen from March 25, 1708, to Trinity Sunday 1723Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (BWV 208)Court of Saxe-Weissenfels, 1713Widerstehe doch der Sünde (BWV 54)Oculi, 1708–1717Himmelskönig, sei willkommen (BWV 182)Palm Sunday, March 25, 1714Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (BWV 12)Jubilate, April 22, 1714Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21)Third Sunday after Trinity, June 17, 1714Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61)First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 1714Der Himmel lacht, die Erde jubilieret (BWV 31)Easter Sunday, April 21, 1715Komm, du süße Todesstunde (BWV 161)Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 27, 17163    Bach's First Year at Leipzig from the First Sunday after Trinity 1723 to Trinity Sunday 1724Die Elenden sollen essen (BWV 75)First Sunday after Trinity, May 30, 1723Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes (BWV 76)Second Sunday after Trinity, June 6, 1723Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (BWV 147)Visitation of Mary, July 2, 1723Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht (BWV 105)Ninth Sunday after Trinity, July 25, 1723Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn (BWV 119)City Council Inauguration, August 30, 1723Christus, der ist mein Leben (BWV 95)Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 12, 1723Wachet! betet! betet! wachet (BWV 70)Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity, November 21, 1723Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen (BWV 65)Epiphany, January 6, 1724Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen? (BWV 81)Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, January 30, 17244    Bach's Second and Third Years at Leipzig from the First Sunday after Trinity 1724 to Trinity Sunday 1726O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort (BWV 20)First Sunday after Trinity, June 11, 1724Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein (BWV 2)Second Sunday after Trinity, June 18, 1724Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (BWV 93)Fifth Sunday after Trinity, July 9, 1724Was willst du dich betrüben (BWV 107)Seventh Sunday after Trinity, July 23, 1724Jesu, der du meine Seele (BWV 78)Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 10, 1724Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen (BWV 123)Epiphany, January 6, 1725Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott (BWV 127)Estomihi, February 11, 1725Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (BWV 1)Annunciation, March 25, 1725Ihr werdet weinen und heulen (BWV 103)Jubilate, April 22, 1725Unser Mund sei voll Lachens (BWV 110)Christmas Day, December 25, 17255    Bach's Fourth Year at Leipzig from the First Sunday after Trinity 1726 to Trinity Sunday 1727Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (BWV 39)First Sunday after Trinity, June 23, 1726Es erhub sich ein Streit (BWV 19)St. Michael's Day, September 29, 1726Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende (BWV 27)Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 6, 1726Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen (BWV 56)Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, October 27, 1726Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten (BWV 207.1)University of Leipzig, December 11, 1726Ich bin in mir vergnügt (BWV 204)For Various Purposes, 1726 or 1727Ich habe genung (BWV 82)Purification of Mary, February 2, 1727O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe (BWV 34)Pentecost, June 1, 17276    Bach at Leipzig after Trinity 1727Schwingt freudig euch empor (BWV 36)First Sunday of Advent, 1726–1730Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (BWV 198)Funeral, Electress Christiane Eberhardine, October 17, 1727Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem (BWV 159)Estomihi, February 27, 1729Geschwinde, geschwinde, ihr wirbelnden Winde (BWV 201)For Various Purposes, Autumn 1729Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten (BWV 202)Secular Wedding, before 1730Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen (BWV 51)Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, September 17, 1730Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140)Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Trinity, November 25, 1731Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (BWV 211)For Various Purposes, mid-1734Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage (BWV 248 Part I)Christmas Day, December 25, 1734Gott ist unsere Zuversicht (BWV 197.2)Secular Wedding, 1736–1737Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße (BWV 249.4)Easter Sunday, April 6, 1738Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (BWV 11)Ascension Day, May 15, 1738Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (BWV 80)Reformation Day, 1739?Mer han en neue Oberkeet (BWV 212)For Members of the Aristocracy, August 30, 1742NotesReferencesIndex