A work-by-work commentary on the Bach cantatas by the world's most famous Bach scholar, now available in English and in paperback for the first time. It includes all the cantata libretti in German-English parallel text. An indispensable reference book for anyone listening to, performing in, or studying any of the Bach cantatas.

Alfred Durr is one of the principal editors of the Neue Bach Ausgabe in which he edited "Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier." He holds honorary doctorates of music at Baldwin-Wallace College, Ohio and at Oxford University.
Richard Jones is a Bach scholar who has been a music editor, writer, and teacher since 1980. He studied at the University of Oxford and has taught at the universities of Cardiff and Sheffield. In 1997 he became the editor of the piano grade exam pieces for the Associated Board.

List of illustrations

xiii

Abbreviations

xiv

Part 1 Introduction to Bach's Cantatas

1 History of the cantata before Bach

3

(8)

2 Development of the Bach cantata

11

(37)

2.1 Early forms (c. 1707-12)

11

(2)

2.2 Weimar cantatas of the newer type (1713-16)

13

(7)

2.3 Cöthen (1717-23)

20

(2)

2.4 Leipzig cycle I (1723-4)

22

(7)

2.5 Leipzig cycle II (1724-5)

29

(7)

2.6 Leipzig cycle III (1725-7)

36

(3)

2.7 Picander and his cycle (1728-9?)

39

(2)

2.8 Other church cantatas

41

(3)

2.9 Oratorios (1734–c. 1738)

44

(2)

2.10 Secular cantatas of the Leipzig period

46

(2)

3 Performance practice in Bach's cantatas

48

(6)

3.1 Preparation of the performing material

48

(2)

3.2 Rehearsal

50

(1)

3.3 Problems of scoring

50

(2)

3.4 Performance

52

(1)

3.5 Consequences for present-day performance practice

53

(1)

Music examples for the introduction

54

(21)

Part 2 Church Cantatas

1 Cantatas for the church year: Advent to Trinity

75

(306)

1.1 First Sunday in Advent: BWV 61, 62, 36

75

(8)

1.2 Second Sunday in Advent: BWV 70a

83

(1)

1.3 Third Sunday in Advent: BWV 186a

84

(2)

1.4 Fourth Sunday in Advent: BWV 132, 147a

86

(5)

1.5 Christmas Day: BWV 63, 91, 110, 197a, 248¹, 191

91

(15)

1.6 Second Day of Christmas: BWV 40, 121, 57, 248¹¹

106

(15)

1.7 Third Day of Christmas: BWV 64, 133, 151, 248¹¹¹

121

(12)

1.8 Sunday after Christmas: BWV 152, 122, 28

133

(11)

1.9 New Year: BWV 190, 41, 16, 171, 248iv, 143

144

(18)

1.10 Sunday after New Year: BWV 153, 58, 248v

162

(10)

1.11 Epiphany: BWV 65, 123, 248vi

172

(10)

1.12 First Sunday after Epiphany: BWV 154, 124, 32

182

(9)

1.13 Second Sunday after Epiphany: BWV 155, 3, 13

191

(9)

1.14 Third Sunday after Epiphany: BWV 73, 111, 72, 156

200

(14)

1.15 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany: BWV 81, 14

214

(6)

1.16 Septuagesima (Third Sunday before Lent): BWV 144, 92, 84

220

(11)

1.17 Sexagesima (Second Sunday before Lent): BWV 18, 181, 126

231

(9)

1.18 Quinquagesima (Estomihi; Sunday before Lent): BWV 23, 22, 127, 159

240

(13)

1.19 Third Sunday in Lent (Oculi): BWV 54, 80a

253

(5)

1.20 Palm Sunday: BWV 182

258

(4)

1.21 Easter Sunday: BWV 4, 31, 249

262

(12)

1.22 Easter Monday: BWV 66, 6, Anh. I 190

274

(7)

1.23 Easter Tuesday: BWV 134, 145, 158

281

(10)

1.24 First Sunday after Easter (Quasimodogeniti): BWV 67, 42

291

(7)

1.25 Second Sunday after Easter (Misericordias Domini): BWV 104, 85, 112

298

(7)

1.26 Third Sunday after Easter (Jubilate): BWV 12, 103, 146

305

(10)

1.27 Fourth Sunday after Easter (Cantate): BWV Anh. I 191, 166, 108

315

(5)

1.28 Fifth Sunday after Easter (Rogate): BWV 86, 87

320

(4)

1.29 Ascension: BWV 37, 128, 43, II

324

(16)

1.30 Sunday after Ascension (Exaudi): BWV 44, 183

340

(5)

1.31 Whit Sunday: BWV 172, 59, 74, 34

345

(12)

1.32 Whit Monday: BWV 173, 68, 174

357

(7)

1.33 Whit Tuesday: BWV 184, 175

364

(7)

1.34 Trinity: BWV 165, 194, 176, 129

371

(10)

2 Cantatas for the church year: First to Twenty-seventh Sunday after Trinity

381

(273)

2.1 First Sunday after Trinity: BWV 75, 20, 39

381

(16)

2.2 Second Sunday after Trinity: BWV 76, 2

397

(8)

2.3 Third Sunday after Trinity: BWV 21, 135

405

(10)

2.4 Fourth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 185, 24, 177

415

(10)

2.5 Fifth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 93, 88

425

(8)

2.6 Sixth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 170, 9

433

(6)

2.7 Seventh Sunday after Trinity: BWV 186, 107, Anh. I 209, 187, Anh. I I

439

(14)

2.8 Eighth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 136, 178, 45

453

(11)

2.9 Ninth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 105, 94, 168

464

(13)

2.10 Tenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 46, 101, 102

477

(12)

2.11 Eleventh Sunday after Trinity: BWV 199, 179, 113

489

(12)

2.12 Twelfth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 69a, 137, 35

501

(9)

2.13 Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 77, 33, 164

510

(10)

2.14 Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 25, 78, 17

520

(11)

2.15 Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 138, 99, 51

531

(11)

2.16 Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 161, 95, 8, 27

542

(14)

2.17 Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 148, 114, 47

556

(11)

2.18 Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 96, 169

567

(7)

2.19 Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 48, 5, 56, Anh. I 2

574

(11)

2.20 Twentieth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 162, 180, 49

585

(12)

2.21 Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity: BWV 109, 38, 98, 188

597

(13)

2.22 Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity: BWV 89, 115, 55

610

(9)

2,23 Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity: BWV 163, 139, 52

619

(9)

2.24 Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 60, 26

628

(9)

2.25 Twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 90, 116

637

(5)

2.26 Twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity: BWV 70

642

(6)

2.27 Twenty-seventh Sunday after Trinity: BWV 140

648

(6)

3 The Marian Feasts

654

(27)

3.1 Purification: BWV 83, 125, 82, 200, 161, 157, 158

654

(12)

3.2 Annunciation: BWV Anh. I 199, 1

666

(4)

3.3 Visitation: BWV 147, 10

670

(11)

4 The Feast of St John the Baptist: BWV 167, 7, 30

681

(14)

5 The Feast of the Archangel Michael: BWV 130, 19, 149, 50

695

(12)

6 The Reformation Festival: BWV 80, 79

707

(8)

7 Church and Organ Consecration: BWV 194

715

(6)

8 Council Elections: BWV 71, 119, 193, 29, 120, 69; Anh. I: 192, 4, 3, 193

721

(21)

9 Weddings: BWV Anh. I 14, 34a, Anh. I 211, Anh. I 212, 120a, 197, 195

742

(16)

10 Funerals: BWV 106, 157, 244a, Was ist, das wir Leben nennen; Anh. I: 16, 17

758

(14)

11 Various occasions: BWV Anh. I 5, Anh. I 15, 190a, 120b, Anh. I 4a, 223, 150, 131, 196, 192, 117, 97, 100, 1045

772

(25)

Part 3 Secular Cantatas

1 Festive music for the courts of Weimar, Weißenfels, and Cöthen: BWV 66a, Anh. I 6, Anh. I 7, Anh. I 8, 184a, 194a, 36a, 208, 249a, 134a, 173a

797

(22)

2 Festive music for the Electoral House of Saxony: BWV Anh. I 9, 193a, Anh. I II, Anh. I 12, 2o5a, Anh. I 13, 208a, 213, 214, 215, 207a, 206

819

(30)

3 Festive music for Leipzig university celebrations: BWV Anh. I 195, Anh. I 20, 205, 207, 198, 36b

849

(22)

4 Festive music for Leipzig council and school celebrations: BWV 216a, Anh. I 18, Anh. I 210, Anh. I 19

871

(2)

5 Leipzig music of homage for nobles and burghers: BWV 36c, 249b, 210a, Anh. I 10, 30a, 212

873

(19)

6 Weddings: BWV 202, Anh. I 196, 216, 210

892

(10)

7 Various occasions: BWV Anh. I 194, 204, 201, 211, 203, 209

902

(24)

Appendix: doubtful and spurious cantatas: BWV Anh. I 197, 15, 53, 141, 142, 160, 189, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 224

926

(1)

Bibliography

927

(22)

Index of names

949

(3)

Index of terms and glossary

952

(8)

Index of cantatas: alphabetical

960

(4)

Index of cantatas: by BWV number

964

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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