Bach's First Leipzig Church-Year Cycle

William L. Hoffman wrote (July 28, 2023):
The anatomy of Bach's first Leipzig church-year cycle of 1723-24, beginning with the 1st Sunday after Trinity, covers some 60 Sundays and feast days and involves some 22 cantatas composed or begun in Weimar and 44 composed (30 new) or adapted in Leipzig. In contrast to his cantorat colleagues Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Friedrich Fasch, and Christoph Graupner, who compiled extensive homogeneous cycles with one librettist per cycle, Bach's three full cycles are heterogeneous collections of various librettists (many still unidentified). Among the distinguishing features of Bach's three cycles are: textual, stylistic, and innovative elements in blending of ecclesiastical and operatic devices such as the Vox Christi/Domini and allegorical characters in duets, the troping of hymns with recitatives, and the use of pastorale dance forms in good shepherd works; the great biblical text choruses that open many of the cantatas from Cycle 1 as one of its defining features; the closing congregational plain chorale begun in Weimar as well as elaborate chorale interludes and obbligato instruments as well as the blending of different chorales in one cantata; the internal alternating and combining of secular-influence madrigalian texts (recitatives, arias, ariosi); the use of concerto style as well as arresting musical images in the arias; and the high incidence of dance rhythms, says Richard D. P. Jones.¹

The heterogeneous first cycle includes six two-part cantatas (BWV 75, 76, 21, 147, 186, and 70) and 11 cantata double-bills, often using cantata materials from Weimar and Cöthen (BWV 22/23, 24/185, 179/199, 161/95, 80b/163, 143/190, 18/181, 182/1135=Anh. 199, 158/134, 172/59, and 165/194), in most cases with one Weimar repeat and one new work, presented before and after the main service sermon. Among other distinctive features, says Jones (Ibid.), Bach's first Leipzig cycle involves various mini-cycles distinguished by three structures of opening biblical text, alternating recitative and aria, with closing four-part chorale and bolstering with an internal plain chorale setting. Bach arias also utilized certain obligato instruments when talented guest performers were available, such as the trumpet, hunting horn, English horn, viola d'amore, transverse flute, and violoncello piccolo.

First Leipzig sacred music cycle

Bach 1723/24 (Leipzig Year I; source, Carus-Verlag):
<<Following the first Sunday after Trinity in 1723, Bach performed at least one cantata a week in at the Sunday main services in the Thomaskirche and Nikolaikirche in Leipzig, with church holidays entailing additional performances in both churches. Latin church music was often added for holidays, and was probably only partly written by Bach himself, and cannot be reliably attributed. Many of the cantatas performed in this year were newly composed, while others Bach had already been performed elsewhere, though he usually revised or adapted them for Leipzig.

The following table gives information about what was performed in this period. It begins with the trials cantatas performed in February 1723, then lists the regular cantata performances from the First Sunday after Trinity 1723 to the conclusion of the cantata year on Trinity Sunday 1724.

In each case, the Sunday and church holiday, the dates in 1723/24, and the corresponding dates in 2023/24, and the works/versions performed are given. More information on the works can be found via the linked pages on our website (with sample scores) or Christoph Wolff, Bach vocal. Ein Handbuch, Stuttgart 2021 (Carus 24.073). >> Download calendar (PDF)
* = Revival of an older work / New version of an older work.
Title in italics = Performance not fully attested.
If the Carus edition contains a version other than the one that was performed in 1723, this is noted in the edition.>>

Leipzig Church Year Calendar Challenges.

Full madrigalian cantatas were presented in Leipzig during most of the Sundays and feast days, totaling about 60 for an annual church year cycle. The closed periods in Leipzig when no figural music were presented were the seasons of Advent (2nd to 4th Sundays in Advent) and Lent (all five Sundays in Lent and Palm Sunday). Technically the Sundays after Epiphany and in Trinity relating to the miracles, parables and teachings of Jesus are considered times rather than seasons related to the life of Jesus Christ. The first Leipzig cycle presented a special challenge for Bach, covering the second half of the church year, Trinity Time, called omnes tempore or Ordinary Time. There are some 30 main services involving 25 Sundays after Trinity and the fixed festivals of John the Baptist (June 24), Visitation (July 2), Michael and all Angels (September 29) and Reformation Day (October 31). It is a contrast to the appealing first half of the church year, de tempore or Proper Time, with its emphasis on the life of Jesus Christ in 30 main services in a series of nine major three-day feast days (fixed Christmas, moveable Easter, Pentecost); six secondary feast days of New Year's (January 1), Epiphany (January 6), Purification (February 2), Annunciation (March 25), and moveable feast days of Ascension, and Trinity; and the some 15 Sundays after Christmas or New Year's involving five Sundays after Epiphany, Septuagesimae, Sexagesimae, Quinquagesimae Estomihi, Quasimodogeniti, Misericordias Domini, Jubilate, Kantate, Rogate, and Exaudi. The First Sunday After Trinity festival Sunday, occurring before the mid-summer equinox in June, marked the beginning of the Trinity Time second half-year of church services, which also was the beginning of Bach’s first two cantata cycles, and the beginning of the Thomas School scholastic term, as well as Bach position as Cantor. Thus, it was most fitting for Bach to establish a strong framework for his well-regulated church music with the use of appropriate and engaging chorales and lectionary references (Old Testament, Epistle, Gospel) for his musical sermons. Bach's initial cantatas for the first seven Sundays After Trinity show great ambition, being in two parts or dual performances for full ensemble, with proclaiming choruses, instrumental introductions, and instructive and elaborate chorale settings with more familiar melodies found throughout Trinity Time. The Lutheran Leipzig Church Book Agenda of 1539 governed the regulation of the services (source, BCW). In essence, the Agenda defined the ingredients, scope, and the emphasis of the public services in the Leipzig churches, beginning in 1539 with the community’s acceptance of the Reformation. The Agenda established the Mass Proper readings of the lectionary New Testament Gospel and Epistle of the church year Sundays and Feast Days as the basis of the teachings of the Main Services of the Word and Sermon. The harmony of the Gospel accounts of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ were prescribed for Holy Week and Easter.

Trinity Time Parables, Miracles, Teachings

Trinity Time emphasizes the life of the Christian Church through its thematic patterns in Bach's musical gospel sermons. "The season of Sundays after Trinity has never seen the scholarly interest that the Christmas and Easter narratives have received and there is a certain assumption that the Gospel readings do not have the same dramatic significance," says Douglas Cowling.² "It is worth looking at several literary patterns which Bach would have known intimately. In general, there are three genres in the Trinity season: Parables - short moralized allegories within the larger narratives of events in the life of Christ; Miracles - short self-contained narratives of miraculous healings. Teachings ­- excerpts from longer hortatory discoursesby Christ. There is also a series of groupings which would have been part of the critical apparatus of both theologians and musicians such as Bach who had such a finely-tuned ear for the literary shape of scriptural passages. Although there are no formal divisions in the official books, we see some important groupings which may have influenced Bach¹s cantata composition. A brief outline of the first half of the season: 1) Trinity 1-4 is a four week sequence of parables; 2) Trinity 5-8 has a series of paired miracles and teachings; 3) Trinity 9-19 generally alternates a parable with a teaching or miracle. Whether these literary patterns influenced Bach deserves investigation in both librettos and scores." The three parts in the single common lectionary involve the following readings: Part One, Four Parables: Trinity 1: Luke 16:19-31- Parable of Dives and Lazarus (rich man and beggar); Trinity 2: Luke 14:16-24 - Parable of the great supper; Trinity 3: Luke 15:1-10 - Parable of the lost sheep; Trinity 4: Luke 6:36-42 - Parable: Blind leading the Blind. Part 2, Paired Miracles & Teachings: Trinity 5: Luke 5:1-11 -­ Miracle: draught of fishes; Trinity 6: Matthew 5:20-26 -­ Teaching: Agree with your adversary; Trinity 7: Mark 8:1-9 -­ Miracle of feeding of the four thousand; Trinity 8: Matthew 7: 15-23 ­- Teaching: Beware of false prophets. Part Three: Paired Parables, Teachings & Miracles: Trinity 9: Luke 16:1-9 - Parable of the unjust steward; Trinity 10 Luke 19:41-48 -­ Teaching: Jesus weeps over Jerusalem; Trinity 11: Luke 18: 9-14 - Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican; Trinity 12: Mark 7: 31-37 ­- Miracle of Deaf Man; Trinity 13: Luke 10: 23-37 - Parable of the good Samaritan; Trinity 14: Luke 17: 11-19 - Miracle of healing of the lepers; Trinity 15: Matthew 6: 23-34 - Teaching: Avoid worldly cares; Trinity 16: Luke 7: 11-17 - Miracle of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain; Trinity 17: Luke 14: 1-11 - Miracle of the dropsical man & Parable of wedding; Trinity 18: Matthew 22: 34-46 - Teaching: The great commandment; Trinity 19: Matthew 9: 1-8 ­ Miracle of palsied man.

Bach’s Initial Church-Year Plan

“It was Bach’s own decision to perform at the main Leipzig service exclusively cantatas of his own composition, a self-imposed task of enormous magnitude, which nonetheless satisfied his deep-seated ambition,” says Jones (Ibid.: 117f). During his first year as Leipzig music director, Bach performed at least 63 church cantatas, of which 36 were new compositions and [at least] 27 revivals of existing works from the Weimar or Cöthen periods. The chronology of the first cycle follows with 27 (repeats) or [enlargements from Weimar or parodies from Cöthen]: 1723: BWV 75 * 76 * (21.3) * (185.2) * 24 * 167 * [147.2] * [186.2] * 136 * 105 * 46 * 179 * (199.3) * 69.1(a) * 77 * 25 * 119 * 138 * 95 * 148 * 48 * (162) * 109 * 89 * (163?) * [?80.2(b)] * 60 * 90 * [70] * (61) * (63) * 40 * 64; 1724: BWV 190 * 153 * 65 * 154 * (155) * 73 * 81 * 83 * 144 * (181) + (18) * [22/23.2] * (182) * (4.2) * [66.2] * [134] * 67 * 104 * (12) * 166 * 86 * 37 * 44 * (172.2) * (59) * [173.2] * [184.2] * [194.3] * (165).

Bach’s overall plan for a “well-order music to the Glory of God” involving the some 60 Sundays and feast days of the church year was incredibly ambitious and yet well-thought and intentional. For the first seven weeks of Sundays and two feasts, Bach composed mostly two-part cantatas or double performances of two cantatas presented before the sermon and after the sermon and/or the distribution of communion (Lord’s Supper). Bach did not present cantatas for the 5th and 6th Sundays after Trinity (June 27 and July 4). Instead he composed and presented festival works during the previous two weeks: BWV 167, John the Baptist, June 24, and BWV 147, Visitation, July 2. In all, Bach in his first year present double-music 14 times with 21 cantatas and six two-part works on the 63 occasions (W = Weimar composition, *=additional Leipzig material). BWV Occasions Date

22 + 23 Quinquagesima 2/7/23 and 2/20/24
75 Parts 1 and 2 Trinity 1 5/30/23
76 Parts 1 and 2 Trinity 2 6/6/23
21 (W) Parts 1 and 2 Trinity 3 6/13/23
24 + 185 (W) Trinity 4 6/20/23= 199 (W0
147* (W) Parts 1 and 2 Visitation 7/2/23
186* (W) Parts 1 and 2 Trinity 7 7/11/23
179 + 199 (W) Trinity 11 8/11/23
70* (W) Parts 1 and 2 Trinity 26 11/21/23
181 + 18 (W) Sexagesima 2/13/24
Anh. 199 +182 (W) Annunciation 3/25/24
4 (pre-W) + 31 (W) Easter 4/9/24
59 + 172 (W) Whit 5/28/24
194(C) + 165 (W) Trinity 6/4/24

The cantatas run the gamut from opening chorus & closing chorale (75, 21, 147, 186, 179, 70, 182, 31, 172, 194), solo (24-internal chorus, 76, 185, 199, 181, 18, 199, 59, 165), and chorale (4). Most cantatas internally alternate recitatives and arias in the manner of the original Rudoldtadt/Neumeister type with madrigalian poetic movements. Some are unique such as the test pieces BWV 22 and 23 with aria/chorus, chorale chorus, and recitative/chorale. A few begin with orchestral sinfonias (75, 76, 21, 31, 194-French Overture). See the list of 33 cantata sinfonias, BWV numerical, BCW BCW, scroll down to “Sinfonias to Cantatas.”

It is quite possible that when Bach worked with a librettist rather than using an established (printed) text, he dictated the form with preferred movements types. For example, the first four cantatas presented in Leipzig (22, 23, 75, 76 may have been set by Leipzig Burgomaster and Bach champion, Gottfried Lange, says Jones (Ibid.: 119f). “In addition, three groups of cantatas have been identified on the basis of similar text structure [with movement types, which may point to common authorship of their librettos” according to Alfred Dürr.³

Cycle 1 Cantata Structures (Movements)

The three basic Leipzig Cycle 1 structures, cantatas, and services, according to Dürr, are: A. biblical text-recitative-aria-recitative-aria-chorale; BWV 136, 105, 46, 179, 69a, 77, 25, 109, 89, and 104; for the Eighth to the 14th Sundays after Trinity, 21st and 22nd Sundays after Trinity, and Second Sunday after Easter (Misericordias Domini). B. (7 movements) Biblical text-recitative-chorale-aria-recitative-aria-chorale; BWV 48, 40, 64, 153, 65 and 67; Trinity 19, Christmas 2 and 3, Sunday after New Year, Epiphany, and First Sunday after Easter (Qusimodogeniti). C. (usually 6 movements) biblical text-aria-chorale-recitative aria-chorale; BWV 144, 166, 86, 37, 44; Septuagesima, Cantate Sunday (Easter 4), Rogate Sunday (Easter 5), Ascension, Exaudi (Easter 6).

The leading libretto candidate is Christian Weiss Sr. (1671-1737), Bach’s pastor and champion at St. Thomas. The C structure Cantatas BWV 37, 44, 86, and 166 as well as Cantatas 67 (B), 75 and 76 (2 parts), 81(solo Epiphany 4), 104 (A), 154 (solo Epiphany 1), and 179 (A), are “hypothetically” attributed to Weiss, says Dürr (Ibid.: 27f) citing Rudolf Wustmann.⁶ Durr then suggests “Bach compositions that belong to this group [based on form] are divided between two cycles”: Cycle 1, Septugesima (BWV 144, C), Purification (Anh. 199 double) and Easter 4 (Cantate) to Easter 6 (Exaudi), BWV 166 (solo), 86 (C), 37 (C), and 44 (C) and Cycle 2, Easter Monday to Second Sunday after Easter (Misericordias Domini), and Reformation Festival, BWV 6 (C), 42 (solo), 85 (C), and 79 (C).

Also in the realm of speculation but with some collateral evidence are Cycle 1 Cantata libretti of varied structures influenced by or involving Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici, 1700-64): influences, BWV 25 (Trinity 14, A) and 138 (Trinity 15, chorale fantasia), 148 (Trinity 17, after Picander); and parodies from Cöthen: Easter and Pentecost Mondays and Tuesdays as well as the Trinityfest (BWV 66, 134, 173, 184, 194 double). It also is possible that Weiss participated in some manner in some of these works, possibly teaming with Bach and Picander. As to the Leipzig cantata expansions from Weimar works 70, 186, 147 (Advent Sundays 2-4, 1717, Salomo Franck texts) into two parts with new recitatives, Weiss is most likely to have assisted.

Other Cycle 1 Elements, Innovations

Such varied structures in Cycle 1 aronly the tip of the iceberg as far as Bach creative development and invention are concerned, says Jones (Ibid.: 121ff). Among the other textual, stylistic, and innovative elements are the blending of ecclesiastical and operatic elements such as the Vox Christi/Domini and allegorical characters in duets, the blending of hymns and recitatives, and the use of pastorale dance forms in Shepherd works; the “great biblical text choruses that open many of the cantatas from Cycle 1 are one of its defining features” (Ibid.: 123); the closing congregational plain chorale begun in Weimar as well as elaborate interludes and obbligato instruments as well as the blending of different chorales in one cantata; the internal alternating and combining of secular-influences madrigalian texts (recitatives, arias, ariosi); the use of concerto style as well as arresting musical images in the arias; and “the high incidence of dance rhythms” (Ibid.: 129).
Besides insisting on composing and presenting his own works, Bach fought many battles to improve the quality of the music and its performance. Finally, by 1731 Bach had fought most of his battles with civic authority, the Town Council who employed as municipal music director and held the purse-strings as well as approval of the printed service texts (few of which survive). From this time forward, Bach spent the final two decades completing his “well-order church music to the glory of God,” composing vocal and organ sacred song settings, Mass settings and a Christological cycle of feast-day works (the primary responsibility of Bach’s colleagues and sons as Kappelmeister).

While many commentators and Bach scholars have derided the low quality of many of his texts, Bach sought In Leipzig, the crossroads of Luthernism, to understand all manner of doctrinal interests and incorporate positive qualities of Orthodoxy and Pieism, utilizing some 20 librettists from the traditional to innovative, using his creative musical genius to foster the height of verbal expression and interpretation. Beginning with his first cantata cycle as his Leipzig audience experienced them over the next five years when Bach began repeating his Pentecost and Easter works, one “is to be dazzled by the fecundity of his invention, his extraordinary consistency, and the rich diversity of texture, mood and form he managed to achieve,” says John Eliot Gardiner in his recent Bach musical biography.⁴

ENDNOTES

¹ Richard D. P. Jones, The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach, Vol. 2, , “Music to Delight the Spirit," 1717-1750 “ (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015: 121f); Amazon.com.
² Douglas Cowling, Thematic Patterns in Bach's Gospels (BCW, May 3, 2011), Leipzig Church Cantata Cycle 1 1723-24, BCW: "Thematic Patterns in Bach's Gospels." (Source, BCW).
³ Alfred Dürr, Cantatas of J. S. Bach, revised and translated by Richard D. P. Jones (Oxford University Press, New York, 2005: 26-28). ⁴ John Eliot Gardiner, BACH: Music in the Castle of Heaven (Alfred A, Knopf: New York, 2013: 290), Amazon.com.

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To Come: Mini-cycles in Bach's First church-year cycle.