On Trinity Sunday 27 May 1725 Johann Sebastian Bach had presented the last cantata of his second cantata cycle, the cycle which coincided with his second year in Leipzig. As director musices of the principal churches in Leipzig he presented a variety of cantatas over the next three years. New cantatas for occasions of the liturgical year composed in this period, except for a few in the chorale cantata format, are known as Bach's third cantata cycle. His next cycle of church cantatas, the Picander cycle, did not start before St. John's Day 24 June 1728.

Sacred music of this period by Bach that does not belong to a cantata cycle includes council election cantatas, Passion music for Good Friday, and music for weddings and funerals.

Annually returning services

After Trinity of 1725 Johann Sebastian Bach began a third annual cycle, but with less consistency than the previous two.Basso 1983, pp. 355ff. The oldest extant cantata of the third cycle was composed for the ninth Sunday after Trinity 1725. The third cycle cantata for the first Sunday after Trinity was only composed in 1726. The cycle extends over several years.Jones 2013, pp. 168–180 The cantatas from 1727 have however also been termed as "between the third and the fourth cycles".Shabalina 2009

There are 35 extant cantatas of the third cantata cycle, for a period with around 170 occasions. For about half of the other occasions a few new chorale cantatas by Bach (retrospectively added to the chorale cantata cycle), restagings of older compositions or presentations of works by other composers are known. Bach had acquired a cycle of cantatas by his second cousin Johann Ludwig Bach of Meiningen.Dürr/Jones 2006, pp. 36–43 Together with his assistants he provided performance material for at least 18 of these cantatas, for which the Leipzig premieres are known, from Purification (2 February) to Trinity XIII (15 September) 1726.

Johann Sebastian Bach's compositions have a number according to the BWV catalogue, while Johann Ludwig Bach's have a JLB number. Through an erroneous attribution to the former the cantata Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen, JLB 21, is also known by a BWV number. The version of the St Mark Passion attributed to Keiser which Bach presented on Good Friday 1726, including the chorale harmonisations BWV 500a and 1084, is indicated by a Bach Compendium (BC) number. Known works staged under Bach's directorate can in most cases also be indicated by a Bach Digital Work (BDW) number provided by the Bach-digital website.

Historians of music studying the cycle have noted a greater use of solo organ parts, speculated to have been played by Bach or his son [WHICH ONE?], a wide range of texts and movements apparently borrowed from previous instrumental works.Wolff 2001, pp. 281–8

Very little is known about the cantatas for recurring occasions in the year preceding the fourth cantata cycle, at least there is no new composition extant that with certainty can be attributed to the period from Trinity I 1727 to the start of that next cycle.

+ J. S. Bach's 3rd, 4th and 5th year as director musices in Leipzig Occasion 1725–26 1726–27 1727–28 J. S. Bach's third cycle Trinity I 3 June 23 June: BWV 39 15 June Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot Trinity II 10 June: BWV 76I? 30 June 22 June Trinity III 17 June: BDW 7 July 29 June (BDW 1669: early version of BWV 177?) St. John's Day 24 June: BDW 24 June: JLB 17 24 June Trinity IV (24 June=St. John's D.) 14 July 6 July Trinity V 1 July: BDW 11069 21 July: BWV 88 13 July Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden Visitation 2 July: BDW  2 July: JLB 13 2 July Trinity VI 8 July: BDW 28 July: BWV 170, JLB 7 20 July Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust Trinity VII 15 Jul.: BWV Anh. 1/209? 4 August: BWV 187 27 July Es wartet alles auf dich Trinity VIII 22 July 11 August: BWV 45 3 August Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist Trinity IX 29 July: BWV 168 18 August 10 August Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort Trinity X 5 August 25 August: BWV 102 17 August Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben Trinity XI 12 August 1 September: JLB 15 24 August Trinity XII 19 August: BWV 137 8 September: BWV 35 31 August: BWV 69a Geist und Seele wird verwirret Trinity XIII 26 August: BWV 164 15 September: JLB 16 7 September Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet New Council 27 August: BWV Anh. 4 26 August 25 August: BWV 193? (Ratswechsel cantata not part of the cycle) Trinity XIV 2 September 22 September: BWV 17 14 September Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich Trinity XV 9 Sept.: BWV Anh. 209? (29 September=Michaelmas) 21 September Trinity XVI 16 Sept.: BWV 161 6 October: BWV 27 28 September Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende? Trinity XVII 23 September 13 October: BWV 47 5 October Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden Michaelmas 29 September 29 September: BWV 19 29 September Es erhub sich ein Streit Trinity XVIII 30 September 20 October: BWV 169 12 October Gott soll allein mein Herze haben Trinity XIX 7 October 27 October: BWV 56 19 October Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen Trinity XX 14 October 3 November: BWV 49 26 October Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen Trinity XXI 21 October 10 November: BWV 98 2 November Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan Trinity XXII 28 October 17 November: BWV 55 9 November Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht Reformation D. 31 October: BWV 79 31 October 31 October Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild Trinity XXIII 4 November 24 November: BWV 52 16 November Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht Trinity XXIV 11 November — 23 November Trinity XXV 18 November — — Trinity XXVI 25 November — — Trinity XXVII — — — Advent I 2 December 1 December BWV 36? 30 Nov. BWV 36? Christmas 25 December: BWV 110 25 December 25 December Unser Mund sei voll Lachens Christmas 2 26 December: BWV 57 26 December 26 December Selig ist der Mann Christmas 3 27 December: BWV 151 27 December 27 December Süßer Trost, mein Jesus kömmt Christmas I 30 December: BWV 28 29 December: BWV 152 28 December Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende New Year 1 January: BWV 16 1 January 1 January Herr Gott, dich loben wir New Year I — 5 January: BWV 58 4 January Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid Epiphany 6 January 6 January 6 January Epiphany I 13 January: BWV 32 12 January 11 January Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen Epiphany II 20 January: BWV 13 19 January 18 January Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen Epiphany III 27 January: BWV 72 26 January — Alles nur nach Gottes Willen Purification 2 February: JLB 9 2 Febr.: BWV 82, BWV 83 2 February: BWV 157? Ich habe genug Epiphany IV 3 February: JLB 1 (2 February=Purification) — Epiphany V 10 February: JLB 2 — — Epiphany VI — — — Septuagesima 17 February: JLB 3 9 February: BWV 84 25 January Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke Sexagesima 24 February: JLB 4 16 February 1 February Estomihi 3 March: JLB 5 23 February 8 February: BWV 23 Annunciation 25 March 25 March (25 March→Palm Sund.) Palm Sunday 14 April: — 6 April: — 21 March: BWV 182 Good Friday 19 April: BC D 5b 11 April: BWV 244b? 26 March: BWV 245? (Passion presentation not part of the cycle) Easter 21 April: JLB 21 (=BWV 15) 13 April 28 March Easter 2 22 April: JLB 10 14 April 29 March Easter 3 23 April: JLB 11 15 April 30 March Easter I 28 April: JLB 6 20 April 4 April Easter II 5 May: JLB 12 27 April 11 April Easter III 12 May: JLB 8, BWV 146? 4 May 18 April: BWV 146? Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal Easter IV 19 May: JLB 14 11 May 25 April Easter V 26 May 18 May 2 May Ascension 30 May: BWV 43 22 May 6 May Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen Ascension I 2 June 25 May 9 May Pentecost 9 June 1 June: BWV 34 16 May O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe Pentecost 1 10 June 2 June: BWV 173 17 May Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut Pentecost 2 11 June 3 June: BWV 184 18 May Trinity 16 June: BWV 194 8 June: BWV 129 25 May

Notes

Other occasions

Apart from secular cantatas Bach composed in his third to fifth year in Leipzig (BWV 205, Anh. 196, 36a, 249b, 207, 204, Anh. 9, 193a, 198 and 216) also a few cantatas for liturgical occasions likely originated in this period: Wedding cantatas: O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34a and Dem Gerechten muß das Licht, BWV 195 (for both cantatas the date is uncertain, but they are usually assumed to belong to this period) Funeral cantata: Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV 157 (6 February 1727 in Pomßen near Leipzig – in that funeral service BWV 157 was combined with BWV Anh. 209 as two parts of a funeral cantata). Also the funeral motet Fürchte dich nicht, BWV 228 was performed in this period. Chorale cantata with unknown liturgical function, composed between 1728 and 1731: Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut, BWV 117 Also the motet for New Year Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225, would have been first performed in this period.

Librettos

The librettos of the church cantatas presented for the first time in Leipzig during Bach's third to fifth year in that city have a diverse origin. The most substantial group of librettos with a similar structure derives from a 1704 cycle of cantata texts printed in Meiningen, which was used for most of the cantatas presented in the liturgical year 1725–26.Sonn- und Fest-Andachten Uber die ordentlichen Evangelia Aus gewissen Biblischen Texten Alten und Neuen Testaments Und In der Hoch-Fürstl. Sachs. Meining. Hof-Capell Der Heil. Dreyfaltigkeit Deroselben zu Ehren abgesungen. Meiningen: 1704. 3rd edition (1719): Sonntags- Und Fest-Andachten Über Die ordentliche EVANGELIA, Auß Gewissen Biblischen Texten Alten und Neuen Testaments In der Hoch-Fürstl. Sachsen-Coburg Meinungisch. Hof-Capelle zur Heiligen Dreyfaltigkeit Deroselben zu Ehren abgesungen In 1728 many of the librettos of cantatas associated with Bach's third to fifth year in Leipzig were grouped in a single publication by Christoph Birkmann.Blanken 2015Christoph Birkmann. GOtt-geheiligte Sabbaths-Zehnden bestehend aus Geistlichen Cantaten auf alle Hohe Fest- Sonn- und Feyer-Täge der Herspruckischen Kirch-Gemeinde zu Gottseeliger Erbauung gewiedmet. Nürnberg: Lorenz Bieling, 1728

Trinity III to Trinity VII 1725

A booklet printed in 1725, with the cantata texts from Trinity III to Trinity VI, was recovered in 1971.Texte Zur Leipziger Kirchen-Music, Auf den Dritten Sonntag nach Trinitatis, Das Fest Johannis des Täufers, Ingleichen Den fünfften Sonntag Trinitatis, Das Fest der Heimsuchung Mariä, Und Den sechsten Sonntag Trinitatis. Leipzig: Immanuel Tietzen, 1725 The period covered by the booklet included the feasts of St. John and Visitation: Trinity III, 17 June 1725: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BDW  – the text is Johannes Agricola's 16th-century hymn with the same name. In 1732 Bach composed a per omnes versus chorale cantata with exactly the same text, Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177, for Trinity IV, a cantata that was added to the chorale cantata cycle. Possibly BDW 1669 was an early version of that cantata. St. John's Day, 24 June 1725 (coinciding with the fourth Sunday after Trinity): Gelobet sei der Herr, BDW  – a text by Erdmann Neumeister, from a libretto cycle published in 1711.Erdmann Neumeister. Geistliches Singen und Spielen – Das ist: Ein Jahrgang von Texten Welche dem Dreyeinigen GOTT zu Ehren bey öffentlicher Kirchen=Versammlung in Eisenach musicalisch aufgeführet werden von Georg. Philip. Telemann, F. S. Capellmeister und Secr. Gotha: 1711. Trinity V, 1 July 1725: Der Segen des Herrn machet reich ohne Mühe, BDW 11069 – also by Neumeister (1711 cycle). Feast of Visitation, 2 July 1725: Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn, BDW  – Magnificat paraphrase by Maria Aurora von Königsmarck. Trinity VI, 8 July 1725: Wer sich rächet, an dem wird sich der Herr wieder rächen, BDW  – text from Neumeister's 1711 cycle. The musical settings of these librettos as performed in Leipzig on these days have not been recovered. A Trinity VII cantata, only known by its title,Breitkopf catalogue of 1770 is presumed to have been the cantata for the next Sunday,