The antidote for the burdened and sorrowful soul in BWV 113 is God’s ‘healing Word’ which causes the heart to laugh again! This laughter can be heard in the Chorale and Recitative, with a burst of playful semiquavers in the continuo cello.
JS BACH BWV 113 Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut
BWV 138 is often described as one of Bach’s more experimental and modern cantatas. The text draws upon the conflicting feelings of anxiety for the unknown, the need to place faithful trust in God and the alternate reality of heaven. The resolution of this is heard at the close of the cantata’s on...
This cantata sets a modest tone for the morning. Bach focuses his listeners on life as it is now; we should be content with our lot and ‘that which God has allocated to us’, not longing for more in future, nor regretting the past when our end comes.
JS Bach Cantata BWV 84 ‘Ich bin vergnügt mit ...
This cantata is a dialogue between fear (reinforced by the alto) and hope (that’s the tenor); a fitting accompaniment to a talk about the different thoughts and feelings that music can evoke.
JS BACH BWV 60 O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort
