Bach was briefly imprisoned by his employer, Duke Wilhelm, in 1717 before being dismissed in disgrace.
Composition History
Of the approximately two hundred surviving sacred cantatas, only about a dozen feature a single soloist, mostly from Bach's third compositional cycle.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in Wadham College Chapel, Oxford, in September 1988 and was originally issued on Hyperion CDA66326.
Composition History
As Kantor at the Thomaskirche, Bach was required to produce a new cantata every Sunday, plus extra ones for feast days.
Historical Context
Cantatas were an integral part of the Lutheran liturgy, following the Gospel reading and preceding the Creed, and provided a musical interlude in three-hour-long services.
Composition History
Approximately two-fifths of Bach's sacred cantatas are lost, but about two hundred survive, mostly composed in four cycles.
Composer Biography
Bach was considered a practical composer who wrote music because it was needed, especially his cantatas for Sunday Lutheran church services.
