Index to References to Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works
Bach Compendium
Work Group G: Secular Cantatas for Court, Nobility and Bourgeoisie

Group Description

Work Group G presents a chronological listing of works written for celebrations given by or in honor of members of the princely houses of Saxony and Anhalt, together with compositions for official celebrations of the University of Leipzig, the Thomas School, weddings, and other special occasions of various kinds.

According to the obituary (Dok III, no. 666, p. 86; Bach Reader, p. 221.), Bach wrote "many dramata and serenades, along with works for birthdays, name-days, and funerals ... as well as a few comical works for voice." When the estate was divided in 1750, it appears that all the materials associated with any given work of this sort were bequeathed to a single heir, in contrast to the procedure followed for the cycles of cantatas (→ Work Group A). This helps to explain the unusually high proportion of works for which no material has survived in any form. The missing works that can be documented provide only an inkling of the full extent of these losses. Nevertheless, the so-called secular cantatas that have survived reflect a broad spectrum of works, regarding both music and texts, ranging from comic dialogue ("Cantate burlesque"; → G31, G48) to serenade (e.g. → G4, G5, G9) and "Cantata" (→ G39, G40), German or Latin ode (→ G33, G34), German or Italian solo cab.tata (→ G41, G44, G45, G50, G51), and scenically conceived "Dramma per musica" with allegorical characters, a type of work that in form and content resembles an act of an opera (→ G18, G37, G46).

Most of the works. known to have been composed before 1723 are "ex officio" compositions; only a small n~ber of later works (G39, G40, G49), by contrast, can be said to be of this type. Commissions from a variety of sources - student organizations, members of noble and bourgeois families - can be either documented or postulated for works from the Leipzig period. Not infrequently, however, only Bach himself could have been the initiator.

Works written before 1723 would have been performed almost exclusively by the musical ensembles of the various courts with which Bach was affiliated. The locales of these performances, in turn, would have been restricted largely to the. court's castles or other residences. During the Leipzig period, the most important ensemble between 1729 and approximately 1740 was the "Bachisches Collegium Musicum". For the other years in Leipzig, there were ad hoc ensembles, consisting of students and amateurs, as well as Bach's family and private pupils. Town musicians could also be called upon, for a supplemental fee. The panorama of performance locales included Zimmermann's Coffee House or Coffee Garden for regular concerts rordinaire Concerte") of the Collegium Musicum; the Market Place, the Catharinenstrasse, and other Leipzig streets and squares for the "extraordinaire Concerte" of the Collegium Musicum, for student processions, and for music in honor of specific individuals; and finally, the houses of the nobility, the bourgeoisie, and the Leipzig Thomas School, including Bach's own living quarters there.

Synopsis - List by Group and BC Number - Work Group G

BC

BWV

BGA

NBA

Year

Title / Comments

For Members of Princely Cours

Sachesen-Weißenfels

G 1

208

XXIX

I/35

1713

Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (Jagdkantate - Hunt Cantata, 1^st version) → A 86, A 181, B 9, G 3, G 27

[G 2]

249a

II/7

1725

Entflieht, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen (Patoral Cantata, incomplete) → D 8a/b, G 28

Sachesen-Weimar

G 3

208

XXIX

I/35

1713

Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (Jagdkantate - Hunt Cantata, 2^nd version) → A 86, A 181, B 9, G 1, G 27

Anhalt-Köthen

[G 4]

66a

-

-

1718

Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück (music lost) → A 56

G 5

134a

XXXIV

I/35

1719

Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht → A 59

[G 6]

Anh 6

-

1720

Dich loben die lieblichen Strahlen der Sonne (music lost)

[G 7]

Anh 7

-

1720?

Heut ist gewiß ein guter Tag (music lost)

G 8

184a

-

1720/21

Cantata fragment (text & occasion unknown) → A 88, G 18

G 9

173a

XXXIV

I/35

1717

Durchlauchtster Leopold → A 85, A 89

[G 10]

Anh 8

-

1723

Congratulatory cantata (text & music unknown)

G 11

194a

<1723

Cantata fragment (text & occasion unknown) → A 91a/b, B 31

[G 12]

36a

-

-

1726

Steigt freudig in die Luft (music lost) → A 3a/b, G 35, G 38

Anhalt-Zerbst

[G 13]

Vorwort

Birthday cantata (text & music lost)

Sachsen-Polen

[G 14]

Anh 9

-

1727

Entfernet Euch, Ihr heitern Sterne (music lost) → E 1

[G 15]

193a

-

1727

Ihr Häuser des Himmels, ihr scheinenden Lichter (music lost) → B 5, E 2

[G 16]

Anh 11

-

1732

Es lebe der König, der Vater im Lande (music lost) → E 1, G 18, G 21, G 31, G 32

[G 17]

Anh 12

-

1733

Frohes Volk, Vergnügte Sachsen → D 9, G 39

G 18

213

XXXIV

I/36

1733

Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen → A 88, D 7, G 8, G 16

G 19

214

XXXIV

I/36

1733

Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! → D 7

[G 20]

205a

-

-

1734?

Blast Lärmen, ihr Feinde (incomplete) → A 24, G 36, G 43, G 47

G 21

215

XXXIV

I/37

1734

Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen → D 7, E 1, G 16

G 22

207a

XX/2
XXXIV

I/37

1735

Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten → G 37, O 5

G 23

206

XX/2

I/36

1734

Schleicht, spielende Wellen, und murmelt gelinde → (1^st version) → G 26

[G 24]

Anh 13

-

1738

Willkommen, Ihr herrschenden Götter der Erden (music lost)

[G 25]

-

-

Homage cantata (text & music lost)

G 26

206

XX/2

I/36

1734

Schleicht, spielende Wellen, und murmelt gelinde → (2^nd version) → G 23

[G 27]

208a

KB I/37

Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd (Jagdkantate - Hunt Cantata, 3^rd version) → A 36, A 181, B 9, G 1, G 3

For Members of the Nobility

[G 28]

249b

-

-

1726

Verjaget, zerstreuet, zerrüttet, ihr Sterne (music lost) → D 8a/b, G 2

G 29

210a

XXIX

I/39

1738

O angenehme Melodei (3 versions, incomplete) → G 31, G 44

[G 30]

Anh 10

-

1731

So kämpfet nur, ihr muntern Töne (music lost) → A 190, G 7

G 31

30a

V/1
XXXIV

I/39

1737

Angenehmes Wiederau → A 178, G 16, G 29, G 44

G 32

212

XXIX

I/39

1742

Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet (Bauernkantate - Peasant Cantata) → G 16, G 46

For University-related Events

Orations

[G 33]

Anh 20

-

1723

Latin Ode (text & music lost)

G 34

198

XIII/3

I/38

1727

Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (Trauerode - Funeral Ode) → B 24, D 4

Homage to members of the faculty

G 35

36c

XXXIV

I/39

1725

Schwingt freudig euch empor → A 3a/b, G 12, G 38

G 36

205

X1/2

I/38

1725

Zerreißet, zersprenget, zertrümmert die Gruft (Der zufriedengestellte Aeolus - The pacified Aeolus) → A 24, G 20, G 43, G 47

G 37

207

XX/2

I/38

1726

Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten → G 22, O 5

G 38

36b

XXXIV

I/38

1735

Die Freude reget sich (incomplete) → A 3a/b, G 12, G 35

For Thomas School Events

G 35

36c

XXXIV

I/39

1725

Schwingt freudig euch empor → A 3a/b, G 12, G 38

[G 39]

Anh 18

-

1732

Frohe Tag, verlangte Stunden (music lost) → D 9, G 17

[G 49]

-

Wo sind meine Wunderwerke (music lost)

[G 40]

Anh 19

-

1734

Thomana saß annoch betrübt (music lost)

For Wedding Ceremonies

G 41

202

X1/2

I/40

1718-23

Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten

[G 42]

-

Auf! süß-entzückende Gewalt (music lost) → D 9, E 1

G 43

216

-

I/40

1728

Vergnügte Pleißen-Stadt (incomplete) → G 36, G 45, G 47

G 44

210

XXIX

I/40

1742

O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit → G 29, G 31

For Various Occasions

G 45

204

X1/2

I/40

1726-27

Ich bin in mir vergnügt (Von der Vergnügsamkeit - Of satsifaction) → G 43, G 47

G 46

201

X1/2

I/40

1729

Geschwinde, ihr wirbelnden Winde (Der Streit zwischen Phoebus und Pan - The contest between Phoebus and Pan) → G 30, G 32, G 40

[G 47]

216a

-

-

>1728

Erwählte Pleißenstadt (music lost) → G 36, G 43, G 45

G 48

211

XXIX

I/40

1734-35

Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (Kaffee-Kantate - Coffee Cantata)

G 49

Vorwort

-

-

Cantata draft (possibly belonging to: Wo sind meine Wunderwerke)

G 50

209

XXIX

I/41

1708-17

Non sa che sia dolore

G 51

203

X1/2

I/41

1718-23?

Amore traditore

G 52

Vorwort

-

-

Ihr Wallenden Wolken

Source: Bach Compendium - Volume 1, Part 4: Vocal Works IV (contains the works of groups E, F, G and H),
Leipzig 1989, ISBN 3-369-00051-2 or Frankfurt / M. 1989, ISBN 3-876-26084-1, pp 1449, 1452-1454
Prepared by Aryeh Oron & David O. Berger [Concordia Seminary Library, St. Louis, MO, USA] (September 2009)