Late church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach

The late church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach are sacred cantatas he composed after his fourth cycle of 1728–29. Whether Bach still composed a full cantata cycle in the last 20 years of his life is not known, but the extant cantatas of this period written for occasions of the liturgical year are sometimes referred to as his fifth cycle, as, according to his obituary, he would have written five such cycles – inasmuch as such cantatas were not late additions to earlier cycles (e.g. chorale cantatas added to the chorale cantata cycle), or were adopted in his oratorios.

Other cantatas of this period were written for special occasions such as the 200th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in June 1730, funerals and weddings. Some of the information and compositions of this period of writing and performing of cantatas are missing, leading to different ways of presenting and connecting what is known about them by Bach-scholars. For instance, in the 19th century Spitta considered almost all of Bach's chorale cantatas as late cantatas,Philipp Spitta, translated by Clara Bell and J.A. Fuller Maitland. Book V: The Final Period of Bach's Life and Work, ChapterIII: "The later Chorale Cantatas" pp. 64–108 in Johann Sebastian Bach: His Work and Influence on the Music of Germany, 1685–1750 Volume 3. Novello & Co. 1884–1885. while later research connected the large majority of them to the composer's second year in Leipzig (1724–25). "Introduction", pp. 29–45

Occasions of the liturgical year Several groups can be discerned in Bach's cantata production after the Picander cycle: Chorale cantatas (see also Chorale cantata cycle § Chorale cantatas composed after Trinity 1725): filling gaps in the chorale cantata cycle (the first two actually composed between the second and the 4th cycle): BWV 137 (1725) BWV 129 (1726) BWV 112 (1731) BWV 140 (1731) BWV 177 (1732) BWV 14 (1735) BWV 9 (1734) Cantatas for unknown occasions, probably for a wedding at first, possibly later reused for an occasion in the liturgical year, uncertain to which cycle they may have ultimately belonged: BWV 117 (1728–31) BWV 192 (1730) BWV 97 (1734) BWV 100 (1734–35) Possible later additions to the third cycle: BWV 51 (1730) BWV 30 (1738) Reuse of earlier material that else would only have received a single performance (or no performance at all): BWV 157 (Purification): originally a funeral cantata (6 February 1727) BWV 36 (First Sunday of Advent 1726–31): parody of BWV 36c (secular cantata, 1725) BWV 248 VI a (Michaelmas 1734?): after first movement of BWV 1160 (secular cantata, 25 August 1731).Bach Digital Works and BWV 30 (Feast of St. John the Baptist 1738): parody of the BWV 30a (secular cantata, 1737) BWV 191 (Christmas 1742?): based on the otherwise probably unperformed Gloria of the Mass for the Dresden court, BWV 232 I (1733)

Bach's three extant oratorios also date from this period: the Christmas Oratorio (a set of six cantatas presented in the Christmas season of 1734–35), the Ascension Oratorio (1738?, with the dimensions of a single cantata) and the Easter Oratorio (an Easter cantata of 1725 with slight alterations reworked into an Oratorio 1738).

Several earlier church cantatas were restaged after the period of the Picander cycle, some of them in a new version.

Bach had several students who produced church cantatas during their Leipzig formation years: Carl Philipp Emanuel and Doles provided settings of librettos from the Picander cycle of 1728–29BDW at Bach DigitalDaniel R. Melamed. "J. F. Doles's Setting of a Picander Libretto and J. S. Bach's Teaching of Vocal Composition" in The Journal of Musicology, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Autumn, 1996), pp. 453-474. University of California Press Around 1745–46 Bach helped copy out performance parts of a cantata by Johann Gottlieb GoldbergD-B Mus. ms. 7918 at Bach Digital BWV 217 was possibly composed by Altnickol.BDW at Bach Digital

+ Late cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach Date Occasion Cantata BWV Group Additional information 1731-12-02 1st Sunday of Advent Schwingt freudig euch empor BWV 36, later version adaptations Early version 1726–29 1734-12-25 Christmas Jauchzet, frohlocket! Auf, preiset die Tage BWV 248 Part I Oratorios Part I of Christmas Oratorio 1742-12-25? Christmas Gloria in excelsis Deo BWV 191 adaptations Based on BWV 232I (1733) after 1740 Christmas Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ BWV 91, 2nd version Chor. cant. cycle 5th and 6th mvt. altered 1734-12-26 2nd day of Christmas Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend BWV 248 Part II Oratorios Part II of Christmas Oratorio 1734-12-27 3rd day of Christmas Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen BWV 248 Part III Oratorios Part III of Christmas Oratorio — Sunday after Christmas — — — 1735-01-01 New Year Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben BWV 248 Part IV Oratorios Part IV of Christmas Oratorio 1733–34 Sunday after New Year Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid BWV 58, 2nd version Chor. cant. cycle After early version (1727) 1735-01-02 Sunday after New Year Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen BWV 248 Part V Oratorios Part V of Christmas Oratorio 1735-01-06 Epiphany Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben BWV 248 Part VI Oratorios Part VI of Christmas Oratorio before 1761 1st Sunday after Epiphany Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet BWV 217/Anh. II 23‑> BWV Anh. II Probably spurious — 2nd Sunday after Epiphany — — — — 3rd Sunday after Epiphany — — — 1735-01-30 4th Sunday after Epiphany Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit BWV 14 Chor. cant. cycle 1731-02-02 Purification Ich habe genug BWV 82, 2nd version 3rd cycle Also 3rd and 4th versions after 1727 Purification Ich lasse dich nicht BWV 157 later version Funeral cantatas Was a funeral cantata in 1727 — 5th Sunday after Epiphany — — — — 6th Sunday after Epiphany — — — 1733–34 Septuagesima Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Stande — (Picander cycle) (By C. P. E. Bach) — Sexagesima — — — 1728–31 Estomihi Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn BWV 23, 3rd version Weimar cantatas C minor, four movements — Annunciation — — — 1738 Easter Kommt, eilet und laufet BWV 249 Oratorios And earlier versions — Easter Monday — — — 1730? Easter Tuesday Der Friede sei mit dir BWV 158 2nd cycle? 2nd/3rd mvt. for Purification? — Quasimodogeniti — — — 1731-04-08 Misericordias Domini Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt BWV 112 Chor. cant. cycle — Jubilate — — — — Cantate — — — — Rogate — — — 1738-05-15? Ascension Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen BWV 11 Oratorios Ascension Oratorio — Exaudi — — — 1731-05-13 Pentecost Erschallet, ihr Lieder BWV 172, 3rd version Weimar cantatas Weimar v. – 1st Leipzig v. 1740? Pentecost Raset und brauset — (Picander cycle) (By student Doles) — Pentecost Monday — — — — Pentecost Tuesday — — — 1730-06-04? Trinity Sunday? Nun danket alle Gott BWV 192 Chorale cantatas? No clear cycle association — 1st Sunday after Trinity — — — — 2nd Sunday after Trinity — — — 1738-06-24 St. John's Day Freue dich, erlöste Schar BWV 30 adaptations Reworked from BWV 30a 1745–46 St. John's Day Durch die herzliche Barmherzigkeit — (students) (BNB I/G/2: by Goldberg) before 1761 St. John's Day Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde BWV 220/Anh. II 23‑> BWV Anh. II Unknown composer — 3rd Sunday after Trinity — — — Visitation Magnificat in D Major BWV 243 Latin church mus. Also Christmas; 1723 in E before 1761 Visitation Meine Seele rühmt und preist BWV 189/Anh. II 23‑> BWV Anh. II If by Hoffmann: before 1716 1732-07-06 4th Sunday after Trinity Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 177 Chor. cant. cycle 1746–47 4th Sunday after Trinity Barmherziges Herze BWV 185 last version Weimar cantatas Three earlier versions 1732–33 5th Sunday after Trinity Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten BWV 93 later version Chor. cant. cycle Two creation periods 1734 5th Sunday after Trinity Gott hat uns gesegnet mit allerlei — (Namenbuch cycle) (By Stölzel) 1734-08-01 6th Sunday after Trinity Es ist das Heil uns kommen her BWV 9 Chor. cant. cycle 1734 6th Sunday after Trinity Dies wird sein Name sein — (Namenbuch cycle) (By Stölzel) — 7th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 8th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 9th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 10th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 11th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 12th Sunday after Trinity — — — 1735-09-04 13th Sunday after Trinity O! wie seelig sind die Blicke — (Saitenspiel cycle) (By Stölzel) 1735-09-11 14th Sunday after Trinity Schnöder Aussatz meiner Sünden — (Saitenspiel cycle) (By Stölzel) 1730-09-17 15th Sunday after Trinity Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen BWV 51 In ogni Tempo. Late addition to 3rd cycle? 1735-09-18 15th Sunday after Trinity Sorgen sind die Steine — (Saitenspiel cycle) (By Stölzel) 1735-09-25 15th Sunday after Trinity Mein JEsu deine Vater-Hand — (Saitenspiel cycle) (By Stölzel) 1747-09-17 16th Sunday after Trinity Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben BWV 8, 2nd version Chor. cant. cycle After 1st version (1724) — 17th Sunday after Trinity — — — 1732–35 Michaelmas Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir BWV 130, 2nd version Chor. cant. cycle After 1st version (1724) 1734-09-29? Michaelmas [Textless cantata], BWV 248a BWV 248 VI a adaptations After BWV 1160 (1731) before 1751? Michaelmas? Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft BWV 50 — As extant not by Bach? 1734-10-24 18th Sunday after Trinity Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn BWV 96 later version Chor. cant. cycle After 1724 v.; also 1746–47 1735? Reformation Day Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BWV 80, 2nd Leipz. v. Chor. cant. cycle After BWV 80b and a — 19th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 20th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 21st Sunday after Trinity — — — — 22nd Sunday after Trinity — — — 1744–47 23rd Sunday after Trinity Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott BWV 139 later version Chor. cant. cycle After 1724 version — 24th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 25th Sunday after Trinity — — — — 26th Sunday after Trinity — — — 1731-11-25 27th Sunday after Trinity Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 140 Chor. cant. cycle

Advent In Bach's Leipzig there was no concerted church music in the period between the first Sunday of Advent and Christmas (tempus clausum). The final version of Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36 was first presented on the first Sunday of Advent , with an earlier version of the cantata dated between 1725 and 1730.BDW and at Bach Digital

Christmas to Epiphany

From Christmas 1734 to Epiphany 1735 Bach presented six cantatas, together known as the Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium): Christmas 25 December 1734: Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage, BWV 248I Second day of Christmas 26 December 1734: Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend, BWV 248II Third day of Christmas 27 December 1734: Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen, BWV 248III New Year 1 January 1735: Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben, BWV 248IV Sunday after New Year 2 January 1735: Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen, BWV 248V Epiphany 6 January 1735: Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben, BWV 248VI

The D Major version of Bach's Magnificat may have been performed on Christmas from 1733 onwards. Other Christmas compositions with text in Latin are the Sanctus in D major, BWV 238 (repeat performance in 1735 or later) and the cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 (probably first performed in 1745), a composition based on the Kyrie–Gloria mass of 1733 that would be expanded into his Mass in B Minor. The period after the fourth cantata cycle also saw repeat performances of his earlier Christmas cantatas Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110, and Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91, the last one in a new version produced after 1740.D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 869 at Bach Digital Another Christmas cantata, Uns ist ein Kind geboren, BWV 142, was probably not composed by Bach and likely originated before Bach's time in Leipzig.Classical Net Uns ist ein Kind geboren (Unto us a child is born), Classical Net, 1998