Music and Vinyl: J.S.Bach - Cantata BWV 51 "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen"

The 220 or so Cantatas written by J.S.Bach make up over half his output and thus form a central core of music around which his other types of composition circle like planets orbiting a star.

BWV 51 "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen!" (Rejoice unto God in all lands) was written in Leipzig around 1730, and is a Solo Cantata, with just a soprano voice and no choir (one of only twelve which only require a solo voice, and one of only nine that do not have an SATB ensemble - as referenced here.). Subtitled "Cantata for the 15th Sunday after Trinity", Bach added a note "and at any time", thus giving the freedom to perform it for other occasions.

Sean Burton - on the website Bach-Cantatas.com - has written this excellent description of the work:

Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 was most likely composed at some point during the early 1730’s for an occasion not known. Scholars conjecture that this cantata may even have been intended to serve as music for New Year’s. The joyful text made it suitable for other celebrations in the ecclesiastical year such as Michaelmas Day or even an election of the Council in Leipzig. The author of the text in the first three movements is unknown, though some scholars contend it came from the pen of Bach himself. The text of the closing chorale verse is from Johann Gramann’s Nun lob mein Seel.

The opening aria of Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 is a jubilant exclamation in C Major from both the soprano soloist and trumpet. The aria’s middle section, in the relative minor key of A minor, provides an expected harmonic contrast before a return to the triumphant opening. The solemn yet brief recitative following the aria, also cast in A minor, induces a plethora of striking images with Bach’s lithe melody and quick modulation in only sixteen measures. It is in the third movement where Bach’s commitment to faith and sense of urgency breaks forth. The soprano soloist, with only continuo accompaniment, implores the listener to be righteous children of God. Bach’s exploitation of the circle-of-fifths throughout this movement heightens the drama. The fourth movement is a C Major fantasy on Johann Kugelmann’s exquisite choral melody with the cantus firmus sung by the soprano. The cantata concludes with a lively fugal treatment on the word Alleluja including frequent imitation between the soprano and trumpet.

A discussion of the piece with music examples is available here.

This Archiv recording dates from 1959, and features soprano Maria Stader and the Munich Bach Orchestra directed by Karl Richter. Like the Biber recording I posted recently, this comes from the 2013 Classic Recordings box set re-issue.