J.S. Bach, Cantata 4, at Easter

The idea is God’s. The leading role is Christ’s. The supporting cast is all of humanity. The text is Martin Luther’s. The music is Bach’s. The epistle is 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is […]

J.S. Bach, Cantata 54, Oculi (Lent 3), Satan and Sin

From On the Cantatas of J.S. Bach: Epiphany to Lent. Lent is the penitential preparation for Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on the night before Easter Sunday. Lent lasts forty days, hence it is also known as Quadragesima (meaning ‘fortieth’), from which originate the terms Quinquagesima, Sexagesima, and Septuagesima for the preceding Sundays. […]