Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136 - Wikipedia
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(Top)
1
History and words
2
Music
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2.1
Structure and scoring
3
Music
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3.1
1
3.2
2
3.3
3
3.4
4
3.5
5
3.6
6
4
Recordings
5
References
Toggle References subsection
5.1
Cited sources
6
External links
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Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1723 church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach
Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
BWV 136Church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach
Thomaskirche, LeipzigRelatedMissa in A majorOccasionEighth Sunday after TrinityBible textPsalm 139:23ChoraleJohann Heermann's "Wo soll ich fliehen hin
"Performed18 July 1723 (1723-07-18):  Leipzig
Movements6Vocal
soprano, alto, tenor and bass</span"}]]}'SATB choir
Solo: alto, tenor and bass
Instrumental
corno
2 oboes
oboe d'amore
2 violins
viola
continuo
Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
(Search me, God, and know my heart),[1] Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (catalogue of Bach's works)</span"}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"abbr","href":"./Template:Abbr"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"BWV"},"2":{"wt":"Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (catalogue of Bach's works)"}},"i":0}}]}'BWV 136 is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach composed the cantata in 1723 in Leipzig to be used for the eighth Sunday after Trinity. He led the first performance on 18 July 1723.
The work is part of Bach's first annual cycle of church cantatas; he began to compose cantatas for all occasions of the liturgical year when he took up office as Thomaskantor in May 1723. The cantata is structured in six movements: two choral movements at the beginning and end frame a sequence of alternating recitatives and arias. The opening movement is based on a verse from Psalm 139; the closing chorale on a stanza from Johann Heermann's hymn "Wo soll ich fliehen hin
". The cantata is scored for three vocal soloists (alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, corno, two oboes, strings and basso continuo.
History and words[edit]
When Bach took up office as Thomaskantor (director of church music) in Leipzig in May 1723 on the first Sunday after Trinity, he began to compose cantatas for all occasions of the liturgical year. He wrote Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity.[2][3] The prescribed readings for the Sunday are from the Epistle to the Romans, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:12–17), and from the Gospel of Matthew, the warning of false prophets from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:15–23).[2][1] An unknown librettist wrote the text,[2] closely related to the prescribed gospel. His text is the first in a group of ten cantatas following the same structure of biblical text – recitative – aria – recitative – aria – chorale. The ten cantatas were dedicated to the 8th to 14th and 21st to 22nd Sunday after Trinity and the second Sunday after Easter.[4]
The opening chorus is based on Psalms 139:23,[2] focused on the examination of the believer's heart by God.[5] The closing chorale is the ninth stanza of Johann Heermann's hymn "Wo soll ich fliehen hin
" (1630) on the melody of "Auf meinen lieben Gott
",[2][6] which Bach used again in 1724 as the base for his chorale cantata Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 5
.[7][8]
The Bach scholar Alfred Dürr concludes from the autograph that only the middle section of the third movements and the chorale were composed in 1723 with certainty.[9] The other parts may rely on a former unknown secular or church cantata, according to the conductor John Eliot Gardiner.[3]
Music[edit]
Structure and scoring[edit]
The cantata in six movements is scored for three vocal soloists (alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B)), a four-part choir (SATB), corno (horn, Co), two oboes (Ob), two violins (Vl), viola (Va) and basso continuo (Bc).[2] One oboe is marked "d'amore" (Oa) in the autograph kept by the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.[5][10] The duration is given as 21 minutes.[1] Some scholars, including Dürr and Gardiner, believe that the second oboe part in the choral movements 1 and 6 should also be played by oboe d'amore.[3][9] The title on the original parts reads: "Domin: 8 post Trinit: / Erforsche mich Gott, und erfahre mein ect. / â / 4 Voci / Corno / 2 Hautbois / 2 Violini / Viola / e / Continuo / di Sign: / J.S.Bach".[10]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring and keys and time signatures are taken from Alfred Dürr, using the symbol for common time (4
4).[11] The instruments are shown separately for winds and strings, while the continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.
Movements of Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
No.
TitleText
TypeVocalWindsStrings
Key
Time
1
Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
Psalms 139:23
Chorus
SATB
Co 2Ob
2Vl Va
A major
12
8
2
Ach, daß der Fluch, so dort die Erde schlägt
anonymous author</span"}]]}'anon.
Recitative
T
3
Es kömmt ein Tag
(Adagio)
Denn seines Eifers Grimm vernichtet
(Presto)
anonymous author</span"}]]}'anon.
Aria
A
Oa
F-sharp minor
12
8
4
Die Himmel selber sind nicht rein
anonymous author</span"}]]}'anon.
Recitative
B
5
Uns treffen zwar der Sünden Flecken
anonymous author</span"}]]}'anon.
Aria
T B
2Vl (unis.)
B minor
12
8
6
Dein Blut, der edle Saft
Heermann
Chorale
SATB
Co 2Ob
2Vl Va
B minor
Music[edit]
1[edit]
The opening chorus expands on a psalm verse, "Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
" (Examine me, God, and discover my heart).[12] The music in the style of a gigue expresses confidence facing the examination. In 1739 it was characterized by Johann Mattheson as "somewhat like the rapid arrow of a stream" ("etwa wie der glattfortschiessende Strom-Pfeil eines Bachs
").[5] The movement is structured in two parts (A and A′), with choral fugues on the same themes, both presenting the complete text. An extended instrumental ritornello, dominated by the horn, is heard before, between and after the choral sections. The first fugue is preceded by a choral Devise
(statement). Throughout the movement the two oboes never play independently but double the violins in the ritornelli and the soprano in the vocal sections.[13] The virtuoso horn parts may have been intended for the exceptional Gottfried Reiche.[5]
Bach reused the same material later in the "Cum Sancto Spiritu
" of his Missa in A major.[2][3][6]
2[edit]
A secco recitative, "Ach, daß der Fluch, so dort die Erde schlägt
" (Alas, that the curse, which strikes the earth there), renders a contrasting change of mood.[12] Bach interprets the curse of sin, and the hopeless situation of the humans and the threat of the Last Judgment in music full of dissonances.[5]
3[edit]
The alto aria, "Es kömmt ein Tag
" (A day will come),[12] is accompanied by an oboe, an oboe d'amore according to Dürr and Gardiner. The middle section, "Denn seines Eifers Grimm vernichtet
" (For the wrath of His vengeance will annihilate),[12] was certainly composed in 1723.[13] The first section is marked Adagio and in common time, contrasting to the middle section, marked with Presto and with a 12
8 time signature.[14]
4[edit]
A secco recitative, "Die Himmel selber sind nicht rein
" (The heavens themselves are not pure),[12] tends to an arioso in the last measures.[7]
5[edit]
The violins in unison accompany the duet of tenor and bass, "Uns treffen zwar der Sünden Flecken
" (Indeed, the stains of sin cling to us).[12] The voices sing sometimes in imitation, sometimes in homophony, in the style of duets Bach wrote at Köthen earlier in his career.[7]
6[edit]
The chorale, "Dein Blut, der edle Saft
" (Your blood, the noble juice),[12] is expanded to five parts with a combination of the four-part chorus and an accompanying violin part,[6][15][16] similar to the chorale of Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172, written earlier by Bach for Pentecost 1714 in Weimar.[17]
\n  \\new Lyrics \\with { \\override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER }\n    \\lyricsto \"soprano\" \\verse\n  \\new Staff\n  <<\n    \\clef bass\n    \\new Voice = \"tenor\" { \\voiceOne \\tenor }\n    \\new Voice = \"bass\" { \\voiceTwo \\bass }\n  \n\n\n\\score {\n  <<\n    \\new Staff \\violin\n    \\choirPart\n  \n  \\layout { }\n}\n\\score {\n  { << \\violin \\\\ \\choirPart  }\n  \\midi {\n    \\context { \\Score midiChannelMapping = #'instrument }\n    \\context { \\Staff \\remove \"Staff_performer\" }\n    \\context { \\Voice \\consists \"Staff_performer\" }\n  }\n}\n"}}'
\new Lyrics \with { \override VerticalAxisGroup #'staff-affinity = #CENTER }
\lyricsto "soprano" \verse
\new Staff
<<
\clef bass
\new Voice = "tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor }
\new Voice = "bass" { \voiceTwo \bass }
\score {
<<
\new Staff \violin
\choirPart
\layout { }
}
\score {
{ << \violin \\ \choirPart  }
\midi {
\context { \Score midiChannelMapping = #'instrument }
\context { \Staff \remove "Staff_performer" }
\context { \Voice \consists "Staff_performer" }
}
}
' srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/score/p/t/pt0yk8pa4n1no9ey1fcdwwknspqhgdu/pt0yk8pa.svg 1x"/
Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can download the audio file.
Recordings[edit]
The entries to the following listing are taken from the selection on the Bach Cantatas Website.[18] Instrumental groups playing period instruments in historically informed performances are marked green.
Instr.</abbr"}},"i":0}},"\n\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Hellmann"},"title":{"wt":"''J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 136 & BWV 138''"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Diethard|Hellmann}}"},"choir":{"wt":"Choir of [[Christuskirche, Mainz]]"},"orchestra":{"wt":"Bach-Orchester Mainz"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Ortrun Wenkel]]\n* [[Theo Altmeyer]]\n* [[Gerhard Faulstich]]\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"Cantate"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|1960}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":""}},"i":1}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Rilling"},"title":{"wt":"''{{lang|de|Die Bach Kantate}} Vol. 44''"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Helmuth|Rilling}}"},"choir":{"wt":"[[Gächinger Kantorei]]"},"orchestra":{"wt":"[[Bach-Collegium Stuttgart]]"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Helen Watts]]\n* [[Kurt Equiluz]]\n* {{ill|Niklaus Tüller|ru|Тюллер, Никлаус}}\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"[[Hänssler]]"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|1978}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":""}},"i":2}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Harnoncourt"},"title":{"wt":"''J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk · Complete Cantatas · Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 34 – BWV 136–139''"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Nikolaus|Harnoncourt}}"},"choir":{"wt":"[[Tölzer Knabenchor]]"},"orchestra":{"wt":"[[Concentus Musicus Wien]]"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Paul Esswood]]\n* [[Kurt Equiluz]]\n* [[Walter Heldwein]]\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"[[Teldec]]"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|1983}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":"Period"}},"i":3}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Koopman"},"title":{"wt":"''J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 7''"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Ton|Koopman}}"},"choir":{"wt":"[[Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir|Amsterdam Baroque Choir]]"},"orchestra":{"wt":"[[Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir|Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra]]"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Bogna Bartosz]]\n* [[Gerd Türk]]\n* [[Klaus Mertens]]\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"[[Antoine Marchand]]"},"year":{"wt":"1997"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":"Period"}},"i":4}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Suzuki"},"title":{"wt":"''J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 11  – Cantatas from Leipzig 1723 IV''{{sfn|ArkivMusic|1999}}"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Masaaki|Suzuki}}"},"orchestra":{"wt":"[[Bach Collegium Japan]]"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Kai Wessel (countertenor)|Kai Wessel]]\n* [[Makoto Sakurada]]\n* [[Peter Kooy]]\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"[[BIS Records|BIS]]"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|1998}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":"Period"}},"i":5}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Leusink"},"title":{"wt":"''Bach Edition Vol. 12 – Cantatas Vol. 15''"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Pieter Jan|Leusink}}"},"choir":{"wt":"[[Holland Boys Choir]]"},"orchestra":{"wt":"{{nowrap|[[Netherlands Bach Collegium]]}}"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Sytse Buwalda]]\n* {{nowrap|[[Nico van der Meel]]}}\n* [[Bas Ramselaar]]\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"[[Brilliant Classics]]"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|2000}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":"Period"}},"i":6}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Gardiner"},"title":{"wt":"''Bach Cantatas Vol. 5: Rendsburg/Braunschweig / For the 8th Sunday after Trinity / For the 10th Sunday after Trinity''{{sfn|Quinn|2009}}"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|John Eliot|Gardiner}}"},"choir":{"wt":"[[Monteverdi Choir]]"},"orchestra":{"wt":"[[English Baroque Soloists]]"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Robin Tyson]]\n* [[Christoph Genz]]\n* {{ill|Brindley Sherratt|qid=Q53112970}}\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"[[Soli Deo Gloria (record label)|Soli Deo Gloria]]"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|2000}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":"Period"}},"i":7}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"Cantata discography row\n","href":"./Template:Cantata_discography_row"},"params":{"id":{"wt":"Lutz"},"title":{"wt":"''J. S. Bach: Kantate BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz''{{sfn|Quinn|2009}}"},"conductor":{"wt":"{{sortname|Rudolf|Lutz}}"},"choir":{"wt":"Vocal ensemble of Schola Seconda Pratica"},"orchestra":{"wt":"{{nowrap|Schola Seconda Pratica}}"},"soloists":{"wt":"{{plainlist|\n* [[Markus Forster]]\n* {{nowrap|[[Johannes Kaleschke]]}}\n* [[Ekkehard Abele]]\n}}"},"label":{"wt":"Gallus Media"},"year":{"wt":"{{Start date|2011}}"},"orchestra_type":{"wt":"Period"}},"i":8}},"\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"End","href":"./Template:End"},"params":{},"i":9}}]}'
Recordings of Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz
Title
Conductor / Choir / Orchestra
Soloists
Label
YearInstr.
J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 136 & BWV 138
Diethard Hellmann
Choir of Christuskirche, Mainz
Bach-Orchester Mainz
Ortrun Wenkel
Theo Altmeyer
Gerhard Faulstich
Cantate
1960 (1960)
Die Bach Kantate
Vol. 44
Helmuth Rilling
Gächinger Kantorei
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart
Helen Watts
Kurt Equiluz
Niklaus Tüller [ru]
Hänssler
1978 (1978)
J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk · Complete Cantatas · Les Cantates, Folge / Vol. 34 – BWV 136–139
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Tölzer Knabenchor
Concentus Musicus Wien
Paul Esswood
Kurt Equiluz
Walter Heldwein
Teldec
1983 (1983)
#</spanCDF7CD"}]]}'Period
J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 7
Ton Koopman
Amsterdam Baroque Choir
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
Bogna Bartosz
Gerd Türk
Klaus Mertens
Antoine Marchand
1997
#</spanCDF7CD"}]]}'Period
J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 11  – Cantatas from Leipzig 1723 IV[19]
Masaaki Suzuki
Bach Collegium Japan
Kai Wessel
Makoto Sakurada
Peter Kooy
BIS
1998 (1998)
#</spanCDF7CD"}]]}'Period
Bach Edition Vol. 12 – Cantatas Vol. 15
Pieter Jan Leusink
Holland Boys Choir
Netherlands Bach Collegium
Sytse Buwalda
Nico van der Meel
Bas Ramselaar
Brilliant Classics
2000 (2000)
#</spanCDF7CD"}]]}'Period
Bach Cantatas Vol. 5: Rendsburg/Braunschweig / For the 8th Sunday after Trinity / For the 10th Sunday after Trinity[20]
John Eliot Gardiner
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
Robin Tyson
Christoph Genz
Brindley Sherratt [Wikidata]
Soli Deo Gloria
2000 (2000)
#</spanCDF7CD"}]]}'Period
J. S. Bach: Kantate BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz[20]
Rudolf Lutz
Vocal ensemble of Schola Seconda Pratica
Schola Seconda Pratica
Markus Forster
Johannes Kaleschke
Ekkehard Abele
Gallus Media
2011 (2011)
#</spanCDF7CD"}]]}'Period
References[edit]
1 2 3 Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 453.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bach Digital 2023.
1 2 3 4 Gardiner 2008, p. 15.
↑ Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 27.
1 2 3 4 5 Kirnbauer 2010.
1 2 3 Wolff 1997.
1 2 3 Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 456.
↑ BCW text 2005.
1 2 Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 454.
1 2 Bach Digital manuscript 2023.
↑ Dürr & Jones 2006, pp. 453–454.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dellal 2023.
1 2 Dürr & Jones 2006, p. 455.
↑ Isoyama 1999.
↑ BCW melody 2008.
↑ Dahn 2023.
↑ Dürr & Jones 2006.
↑ Oron 2023.
↑ ArkivMusic 1999.
1 2 Quinn 2009.
Cited sources[edit]
Dahn, Luke (2023). "BWV 136.6". bach-chorales.com. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
Dellal, Pamela (2023). "136 – Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
Dürr, Alfred; Jones, Richard D. P. (2006). "Eighth Sunday after Trinity". The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text. Oxford University Press. pp. 27, 453–456. ISBN 978-0-19-929776-4.
Gardiner, John Eliot (2008). Erforsche mich Gott, und erfahre mein Herz (PDF). For the Eighth Sunday after Trinity (Media notes). Monteverdi Choir. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
Isoyama, Tadeshi (1999). "BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
Kirnbauer, Martin (2010). "Bachkantaten in der Predigerkirche / Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz (BWV 136)". bachkantaten.ch (in German). Retrieved 27 July 2010.
Oron, Aryeh (2023). "Cantata BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
Quinn, John (2009). "Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) The Bach Cantata Pilgrimage – Volume 5 Cantatas for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity". musicweb.international.com. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
Wolff, Christoph (1997). "On the first annual cycle of Bach's cantatas for the Leipzig liturgy (1723–1724), II" (PDF). Bach Cantatas Website. pp. 14, 16. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
"Bach: Cantatas Vol 11 / Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan". ArkivMusic. 1999. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
"Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz BWV 136; BC A 111". Bach Digital. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
"Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz / D-B Mus. ms. Bach St 20, Faszikel 2". Bach Digital. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
"Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works / Wo soll ich fliehen hin / Auf meinen lieben Gott". Bach Cantatas Website. 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
"Wo soll ich fliehen hin / Text and Translation of Chorale". Bach Cantatas Website. 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
External links[edit]
Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz English translation, University of Vermont
Bischof, Walter F. "BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz". University of Alberta. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
Mincham, Julian (2010). "Chapter 10 BWV 136 Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz / Examine me, God, and know my heart". jsbachcantatas.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
"Annotated score", melvinunger.com
Günther Zedler: Die erhaltenen Kirchenkantaten Johann Sebastian Bachs (in German)
Live performance on YouTube, choir and orchestra of the J. S. Bach Foundation, Rudolf Lutz (conductor), Markus Forster (alto), Johannes Kaleschke (tenor), Ekkehard Abele (bass)
v
t
e
Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian BachBefore
Leipzig
Early: BWV 4
131
71
1138.1 & .2
106
196
150
143
Weimar: BWV 61
70a
186a
132
147a
63
152
155
18
54
80a
182
31
12
172
165
21
185
199
161
162
163
Köthen: BWV Anh. 5
First cycle
(1723–24)
Between Trinity and Advent: BWV 75
76
24
167
147
186
136
105
46
179
69a
77
25
138
95
148
48
109
89
60
90
70
From Advent to Trinity: BWV 40
64
190
153
65
154
73
81
83
144
181
22
23
66
134
67
104
166
86
37
44
59
184
Second cycle
(and chorale
cantatas)
Chorale cantatas between Trinity and Easter: BWV 20
2
7
135
10
93
107
178
94
101
113
33
78
99
8
130
114
96
5
180
38
115
139
26
116
62
91
121
133
122
41
123
124
3
111
92
125
126
127
1
Continuation of the second cycle: BWV 6
42
85
103
108
87
128
183
74
68
175
176
Later additions to the chorale cantata cycle: BWV 80
137
129
58
112
140
177
9
14
Other late chorale cantatas: BWV 117
192
100
97
Third cycle
After Trinity 1725: BWV 168
164
79
Liturgical year 1725–26: BWV 110
57
151
28
16
32
13
72
146
43
39
88
170
187
45
102
35
17
19
27
47
169
56
49
98
55
52
1727: BWV 82
84
34
173
Later
and other
Picander cycle: BWV 149
188
197a
171
156
159
145
174
Late parodies: BWV 36
30
191
200
248 (I, II, III, IV, V, VI)
1083
Council election (Leipzig): BWV 119
193
29
120
69
(lost: 1139.1, 1140–1141)
Wedding: BWV 34a
195
120a
197
Funeral: 157
244a
Other: 194
190a
120b
51
158
50
Doubtful: 53
142
189
217
220
221
223
224
Bach cantata
List of Bach cantatas
Discography: Monteverdi Choir/Koopman/Teldec
v
t
e
Cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach by BWV number
1[d]
2
3
4[d]
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 (oratorio)
12
13
14
15**
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
30a
31
32
33
34
34a
35
36
36a
36b
36c
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
(53)*
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
66a
67
68
69
69a
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
80a
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118 (motet)
119
120
120a
120b
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
(131a)*
132
133
134
134a
135
136
137
138
139
140
141**
(142)*
143
144
145
146
147
147a
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160**
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
173a
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
(189)*
190
190a
191
192
193
193a
194
195
196
197
197a
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
205a
206
207
207a
208
208a
209
210
210a
211
212
213
214
215
216
216a
(217)*
218**
219**
(220)*
(221)*
222**
223
224
244a
248 I
248 II
248 III
248 IV
248 V
248 VI
249a
249b
1040
1045
1083
1127
1138.1–1139.1
1140–1141
Anh. 5
Anh. 9
Anh. 11
Anh. 18 — [d]discography; *(doubtful); **spurious
Lists: Compositions
Cantatas ; Church cantatas: Chorale cantatas
Early
Weimar
1st cycle
2nd cycle
3rd cycle
Picander cycle
Late ; Secular cantatas
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United States
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BnF data
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Church cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach
Psalm-related compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach
1723 compositions
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Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136
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