Cantatas

Abstract

During the lifetime of Johann Sebastian Bach the principal Sunday service of the Lutheran Church contained, wherever circumstances per¬mitted, such a wealth of music as seems to us almost inconceivable. This was the case at two of Bach's principal scenes of activity: the residence of the Duke of Sachsen-Weimar, and above all the already extremely important cultural and commercial citv of Leipzig. The most important form of Protestant sacred music at that time was the cantata, performed in the context of the Lutheran Mass; the cantata was of such prominence within the service that it was known as the "Principal Music" or simply "Mu¬sic". The liturgical position occupied by the cantata was immediately following the Gospel reading. When a cantata consisted of two parts the second of these came after the sermon; sometimes Bach even had a second cantata performed at this point. The close connection between the "Principal Music" and the Gospel for the day, and sometimes also the sermon, clearly made it share in the fundamental task of proclaiming the Word, in its own way, along with the Gospel reading and the sermon. Sacred li¬bretti written to be set as cantatas — most of them based on a particular passage in the Bible or on a hymn — proliferated at that time. They formed a lit¬erary genre of their own; passages of recitative were intended to throw revealing light on the sub¬ject matter, whether is was a direct scriptural quo¬tation or a hymn, and arias meditated on its spiritual significance, thus serving to bring it home to the lis¬teners, assisting the preacher in his task. (Unfortu¬nately we do not know the identity of the librettists for manv of Bach's cantatas, because they were not named in the booklets of words printed for the con¬gregation to use during services.)