# Do you have a favourite JS Bach cantata?



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

And if so, what is it? I appreciate it is difficult to choose just one. At the moment I am enjoying BWV 54, but I also like BWV 4 very much.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

BWV 82 (Ich habe genug).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Herz und Mond und Tat und Leben BWV147


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Though I've not heard all of them, for me it's BWV 80, Ein fist berg unser ubermeisterGott or whatever it's called, especially the version scored with timpani and brass by his son W. F. Bach. It's a mighty noise!

[Edit: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (Our God is a secure fortress or A Mighty Fortress if Our God). I wasn't in a position to Google it when posting.)


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Weston said:


> Though I've not heard all of them, for me it's BWV 80, Ein fist berg unser ubermeisterGott or whatever it's called, especially the version scored with timpani and brass by his son W. F. Bach. It's a mighty noise!


Wow , you weren't wrong! The second aria is pretty good, too. The near on constant violin obbligato (if that is the correct term) is hypnotic. The power of JS Bach never ceases to amaze me!


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## Daniel Atkinson (Dec 31, 2016)

Weston said:


> Though I've not heard all of them, for me it's BWV 80, Ein fist berg unser ubermeisterGott or whatever it's called, especially the version scored with timpani and brass by his son W. F. Bach. It's a mighty noise!


That one is very good, I have fond memories of having that on cassette with me when I was doing travelling and backpacking in the late 70s.

Daniel


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## Resurrexit (Apr 1, 2014)

I've always enjoyed the Christmas cantata BWV 63 Christen, ätzet diesen Tag for it's unabashed jubilation and fanfare. BWV 54, Widerstehe doch der Sünde, has also been a personal favorite of mine for some time.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

BWV 78, Jesu der du meine Seele


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

No. 140, the Wachet Auf. Not that it's necessarily the greatest one, but that's the one that hooked me in to the cantatas. I even had the organ play the first movement at my wedding as I came in as a private joke, because nobody comes to a wedding to see the groom, so my little protest was to play Wake Up, the Bridegroom Comes (the seventh line of the text).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

My second favourite : Natalie Dessay: Bach Cantata, BWV 82a (I: "Ich habe genug")


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I probably have heard them all, and most of them I've heard several times, a few of them I've heard dozens of times....

I have something like four complete sets of the Cantatas, and one almost complete set, and a lot of individual records/discs of various cantatas. They remain a staple of my current listening. Like they say on TV: If it's Sunday, it's Bach cantata day. And I generally celebrate the appropriate cantata on appropriate Sundays. Though I do access the Bach cantatas on other days of the week as well. As I said: they remain a staple of my current listening.

That said, I tend to favor BWV 82, the wondrous _Ich habe genug_. Ironically, I can't get enough of that one!

BWV 82 may not be the greatest of the cantatas, and I certainly enjoy nearly every one of the cantatas (maybe a couple of the non-sacred cantatas are less interesting at times), but it is to the 82nd that I most often turn. It's simply wondrous.

And when Thomas Quasthoff sings it with the Berliner Barock Solisten under Rainer Kussmaul (on a Deutsch Grammophon disc), it is even beyond wondrous. Give that one a try, please.


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Manxfeeder said:


> No. 140, the Wachet Auf. Not that it's necessarily the greatest one, but that's the one that hooked me in to the cantatas. I even had the organ play the first movement at my wedding as I came in as a private joke, because nobody comes to a wedding to see the groom, so my little protest was to play Wake Up, the Bridegroom Comes (the seventh line of the text).


Great little story, made me smile, thank you!


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

What do people think of BWV 105? It has a very grim and foreboding opening which I find enchanting mainly because I prefer music in the minor mode. So 105 has great appeal to me.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

SONNET CLV said:


> And when Thomas Quasthoff sings it with the Berliner Barock Solisten under Rainer Kussmaul (on a Deutsch Grammophon disc), it is even beyond wondrous. Give that one a try, please.
> 
> View attachment 95871


I'm always on the lookout for a good - no, I have good; I need great - recording of that cantata. I'm interrupting my morning Mahler and playing it on YouTube.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51, ESPECIALLY as sung by Maria Stader.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

hpowders said:


> Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51, ESPECIALLY as sung by Maria Stader.


I like what Gardiner did to Emma Kirkby; he put a brick on the foot pedal and shot her out into the street at full speed. It may not be the "best" version, but it's remarkable that she pulled it off.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> I like what Gardiner did to Emma Kirkby; he put a brick on the foot pedal and shot her out into the street at full speed. It may not be the "best" version, but it's remarkable that she pulled it off.


I grew up with the Maria Stader/Karl Richter performance. Not even close to HIP, but way ahead on communicating the glories of the music.


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## Clairvoyance Enough (Jul 25, 2014)

The most recent one to strike me is this haunting chorus from 25.


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## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Clairvoyance Enough said:


> The most recent one to strike me is this haunting chorus from 25.


Wow, not only is that haunting but possibly the creepiest thing Bach ever wrote!


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## Daniel Atkinson (Dec 31, 2016)

Clairvoyance Enough said:


> The most recent one to strike me is this haunting chorus from 25.


I like this cantata very much

Daniel


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## Scott in PA (Aug 13, 2016)

No. 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben. This cantata has one aria each for SATB, also each has their separate recitative. The cantata ends with the famous chorale, usually translated in English as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". Hear it in it's original form:






(Chorale starts around 28 and a half in.)


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Scott in PA said:


> No. 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben. This cantata has one aria each for SATB, also each has their separate recitative. The cantata ends with the famous chorale, usually translated in English as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". Hear it in it's original form:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Excellent choice, great minds and that.


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## classical yorkist (Jun 29, 2017)

I don't have a favourite yet as I've only just started listening. When I got into baroque music about two weeks ago I thought to myself "I'm primarily interested in the harpsichord and string works" I couldn't ever see myself listening to baroque organ or choral works but since then I've realised I need it all. Bach has literally blown me away, I mean totally blown away. However, the ouevre is really quite intimidating, I'm currently rather randomly bouncing around the cantatas. Listened to the motets the other day and loved them. I have quite a few lined up in my listening pile including the Christmas Oratorio and Magnificat. I'm not sure I'll ever get them straight in my head but I do love them.


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