BACH WEEK Part Five: J.S. Bach's Chorale Cantatas

It's Bach Week on The Coffee Hour! Today, Dr. Maurice Boyer, professor of music at Concordia University Chicago and director of the American Kantorei (a group dedicated to the performance of J.S. Bach’s music), joins Andy and Sarah to talk about Bach's theology in his sacred chorale cantatas. Hear about the place of the cantata or passion in the liturgy of a Sunday morning, how these cantatas follow our Church Year, what makes a chorale a unique part of the cantata, and which chorales would sound especially familiar to us.  Familiarize yourself with Bach's music that you will probably recognize! Work through this list of Chorale Cantatas by J.S. Bach with melodies contained in the Lutheran Service Book. For solid literal translations of the texts, see Emmanuel Music in Boston at emmanuelmusic.org. For lectionary readings, see the one-year lectionary found in the LSB Introduction p.xx or download at lcms.org/worship/lectionary-series. BWV 7 – Christ unser Herr zu Jordan kam (1724) St John the Baptist youtu.be/06PQgj_K8dI LSB 406: To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord BWV 93 – Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (1724) Fifth Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/in5XDlJnrB8 LSB 750: If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee Organ: BWV 642 BWV 9 – Es ist das Heil uns kommen her  (1732-5) Sixth Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/zq1IAR_J0NI LSB 555: Salvation to Us Has Come Organ: BWV 638 BWV 94 – Was frag ich nach der Welt (1724) Ninth Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/UmtTuCgUeT4 LSB 730: What is the World to Me BWV 99 – Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (1724) Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/TwmQo97zb6I LSB 760: What God Ordains Is Always Good BWV 96 – Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn (1724) Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/ojRmbYXKXtc LSB 402: The Only Son from Heaven Organ: BWV 601 BWV 180 – Schmucke dich Twentieth Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/CfmPmuirwkA LSB 636: Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness BWV 8 – Aus Tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (1724) Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity youtu.be/CvJDnR-bELM LSB 607: From Depths of Woe I Cry to You BWV 61 – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Weimar 1714) youtu.be/MzWJsRjanC4 BWV 62 – Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (1724) youtu.be/lGv4I7bd8JY First Sunday of Advent LSB 332: Savior of the Nations, Come Organ: BWV 599 No concerted music (i.e. with instruments) after the First Sunday of Advent until Christmas Day BWV 91 – Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (1724) Christmas Day youtu.be/SJa716LSba4 LSB 382: We Praise You, Jesus, at Your Birth Organ: LWV 604 BWV 125 – Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (1725) Purification (German Nunc Dimittis) youtu.be/2on7CBhCkQs LSB 938: In Peace and Joy, I Now Depart Organ: BWV 616 BWV 126 – Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort (1725) Sexagesima (60 days before Easter) youtu.be/xSaY0fX8LiA LSB 555: Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word BWV 127 – Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott (1725) Estomihi or Quinquagesima (50 Days before Easter = last Sunday before Lent) youtu.be/Fm-0GjrmDmo Quotes „Christe, du Lamm Gottes“ (German « Agnus Dei ») Organ: BWV 619 No concerted music during Lent BWV 1 – Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (March 25, 1725) Annunciation (first piece after Lent since Annunciation coincided with Palm Sunday) youtu.be/ZnXMV4JcEnc LSB 395 O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright St John Passion (2nd version) with chorale movements bracketing the whole work and some changes in arias. Good Friday (1725) youtu.be/nBhALSvlujU BWV 4 – Christ lag in Todesbanden (1707?) Easter (Reprise in Leipzig 1725) youtu.be/IDMYl0YjCn0 LSB 458: Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands Organ: BWV 625