# Bach's BWV 80 Cantata, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott”



## regenmusic

Cantata, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BWV 80 , Nikolaus Harnoncourt





Dizzyingly Complex Counterpoint in Bach's BWV 80 Cantata, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott"

Lot's of different versions of this piece online.


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## JosefinaHW

Warm Greetings, Regenmusic.

Why did you create a new thread with this cantata as the topic? What do you want to discuss?


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## regenmusic

JosefinaHW said:


> Warm Greetings, Regenmusic.
> 
> Why did you create a new thread with this cantata as the topic? What do you want to discuss?


Warm Greetings, to you too, Josefina.

I just wanted to call people's attention to it and see if anyone wanted to comment on it.


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## Josquin13

To hear all the parts of Bach's "dizzyingly complex counterpoint" sung with greater clarity & accuracy than Harnoncourt's version, it's worth hearing Eric Milnes & Montreal Baroque's recent OVPP performance of Cantata BWV 80:





https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Cantate...454832&sr=8-1&keywords=eric+milnes+cantata+80


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## JosefinaHW

First of all RegenMusic, thank you for introducing me to Richard Attkinson and his wonderful videos; I am now a subscriber. His presentation here is so well made and carefully thought-out that it has taught me a whole new way of listening to this piece and how to listen in general. Most of as do have to be taught how to listen and observe in any field. 

Second, I love how the fourth phrase of Luther's chorale melody was also used by Handel in one of the most famous pieces of music in the world! It is so cool to see the tradition being presented by different composers. A long-time ago I listened to a music history/semi-appreciation audio course in which the lecturer--a composer himself--strongly recommended that we play Bach's chorale harmonizations every day. Well, I think first we just need to put them to memory and sing or hum them throughout our day; just like the Lutherans did in his communities. To really internalize those melodies and then be able "to catch" them throughout Baroque sacred music and then in the music of the later composers who recognized Bach as their musical father.

Wonderful stuff, R! :cheers: :kiss:


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## JosefinaHW

I just remembered something else that made me chuckle this morning when I was watching the Attkinson video. Someone who had chosen Bach as his avatar made the comment: "Damn, I'm good."


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## Woodduck

The opening chorus of this cantata has always astounded me, and it was one of the works that first introduced me to the gigantic musical mind of Bach. I don't think any other composer could have broken down a melody into its components this way and put them back together in a manner so complex yet coherent.


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