Unabashed joy describes this short and sweet cantata, which Bach wrote at age 23 for a wedding. In its sparkling finale, some mysteries hide. A curiously unexpected tonality sets off the happy declamation of "ihr seid" (you are), with emphasis on "seid"; according to Bach we ARE blessed by God, rather than "us" being special.
Then what do we make of the ending? Even in an early cantata which generally sounds like 1600s Lutheranism, some new special effects are hidden. Bach surprises us with his piano marking along with some Haydn/Mozart-like figurations. It's hard to listen to this level of happiness without cracking a smile.
Der Herr denket an uns (BWV 196) mvt. 5 "Ihr seid..." as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
Christian's Carnegie Hall invitation details here. Registration portal found here (if closed, email Christian at amomentofbach@gmail.com)
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.