Cantata BWV 48, Rudolf Lutz & J.S. Bach-Stiftung, St. Gallen, compared to other four main HIP recordings.

This is my first contribution to the discussion group. I have previously posted a general commentary on the complete Lutz cycle at:

My name is Frits V. Herbold, I am an 80 years old Dutch citizen; grew up in the Netherlands and Brazil and studied in Germany, where I sung my first cantatas as bass in a small local choir and reside in Nashville, TN, USA since 2014. As a big fan of J. S. Bach’s cantatas and his other vocal works, I have been hearing and studying the cantatas during the last 60 years of my life, which allows me to compare the many great recordings made available in this time period. I started to appreciate the new Rudolf Lutz cycle with the J.S. Bach-Stiftung, St. Gallen on DVD since its launch in 2006.

BWV 48 is the first cantata of his cycle, recorded live at the Evangelic Church in Trogen. Strangely, the booklet mentions two different recording dates: October 20,? 2006, two days before the 19th Sunday after Trinity and June 5, 2008 (printing error?). See also the Bachipidia link with links to the concert (YouTube), workshop and reflexion. The names of all performers, including all choristers can also be found there.

His minimal choir and orchestration follows the original scoring of the NBA, see with one exception: the preserved sources of both original score and parts (see NBA: I/24) clearly prescribe a trumpet (‘tromba’ in the score or ‘clarino’ in the part). During the workshop that accompanies the DVD editions, Lutz announces the use of a ‘tromba da tirarse’ as brass instrument to play the instrumental chorale melody in the opening movement. Something must have gone wrong here, because during the concert he only uses the two oboes (Kerstin Kramp and Meike Gueldenhaupt) as wind instruments. The BC is performed following Bach’s most usual combination of (chest) organ (Ives Bilger), contrabass (Iris Finkbeiner), violoncello (Martin Zeller) and bassoon (Susann Landert). The two violins are played by Renate Steinmann (concertmaster) and Livia Wiersich and the single viola by Joanna Bilger. Lutz does not use the great church organ. In a private e-mail exchange, he justifies (freely translated from German): ‘It would have been nice (German: “sch?n”) to use the great organ; this (instrument) though, is romantically arranged and would not match the sound of the old? a’= 415 (Hz) instruments. Also, it (the organ) is tuned well-tempered; however, we use the Vallotti and Young (temperaments)’.

The relatively small choir is composed of 3 sopranos, 3 altos, 3 tenors and 3 bases and their excellent performance is successfully proven in the cantata’s very elaborate first movement (Chorus)

Bearing in mind that this is the first performance of the choir in this cycle, they master the below described complexities by A. Dürr with great attention and perfect entries, supported by the fact that Rudolf Lutz conducts this cantata in standing, without playing the organ or harpsichord himself, as in many following cantatas. Both other chorale movements 3 and 7 are equally performed with great clarity.

The alto movements 2 (Recitative) and 4 (Aria), are sung by the invited German mezzo-soprano Ruth Sandhoff (see . She recorded the first version of Bach's Magnificat BWV 243a, singing the soprano II part, with Helmuth Rilling in March 2000 and participated in other 5 Lutz recordings as Mezzo-soprano. In my opinion, she uses too much vibrato and doesn't match the level of other women’s altos in the Lutz cycle like Margot Otzinger, Michaela Selinger or Claude Eichenberger. The accompaniment of oboe and minimal strings (violin 1 and 2, one viola) in the aria is very delicate, transparent and well played.

The voice of German tenor Johannes Kaleschke (see ) in Movements 5 (Recitative) and 6 (Aria) at the other hand is perfect. Kaleschke's repertoire includes all the oratorios of J.S. Bach and his active collaboration with the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart and concert tours in Germany and abroad round out his musical activities. He performs in 14 other cantatas with Rudolf Lutz. His diction is clear and his voice very confident with the right timbre and volume in both lower and higher registers. The delicate and minimal instrumental accompaniment is equally good as in movements 2 and 4.

I am comparing movements 1, 4 and 6 with 4 other HIP recordings: Ton Koopman, ?Masaaki Suzuki, John E. Gardiner and Philippe Herreweghe concerning details such as tempo, soloists, choirs, and orchestras.

Regarding tempo (total playing time in minutes) of 13:53 this recording comes close to Herreweghe with 13:30 min. Interestingly, Gardiner – who mostly is faster than other performances is the slowest here with ?15:56 min. Both Koopman with 14:40 and ?Suzuki 14:33 are average in tempo.

These are total times; individual movements can differ – but the main tempo differences are in movement 1.

Movement 1 (Chorus)

?‘… Bach was here able to establish a connection with the concluding chorale, whose first verse can just as well be linked with the instrumental quotation. In structure, the opening movement is three-layered. The introduction, played by strings and continuo, is thematically independent. Its opening phrase also forms a counterpoint to the vocal theme, which is developed after twelve bars in an imitative texture. This theme, which opens with a striking leap of a sixth, pervades the entire movement in manifold exchanges of parts and canonic formations. Alongside it, the trumpet and unison oboes deliver the chorale melody line by line in canon at the lower fourth.’ (Dürr, Alfred. The Cantatas of J. S. Bach (p. 574). OUP Oxford. Kindle Edition.)

Koopman (October 1998): among the 5 recordings, his tempo of 5:10 (as is Suzuki’s) is average, although I feel it is still too slow after having heard Lutz and Herreweghe. The size of his mixed choir is the largest (total 20 choristers) in comparison to all other recordings, but still very transparent. His strings with 5 first, 4 second violins and 2 violas is huge compared to the other interpretations, except Gardiner (see below).The continuo is performed with 2 cellos, 2 double-basses, bassoon, lute and chest organ (the recitatives and arias are also accompanied by cembalo played by Koopman himself). The instrumental chorale melody is played according to the score with a trumpet and 2 oboes in unisono. I like this very balanced interpretation.

Suzuki (February 2000): with 5:57 minutes, his tempo is even slower than Koopman, but his choir with a total of 12 choristers (3 per each voice) and reduced string section of 3 first, 3 second violins and 2 violas is closer to my taste in terms of transparency. The continuo with 2 cellos, 1 double bass, bassoon and chest organ is well balanced, but the instrumental chorale melody played by a trumpet and two oboes is too loud at some points.

Gardiner (October 2000): with 6:12 minutes, this is the slowest recording, and I don’t like this tempo at all. A similar case are both Gardiners recordings of the sinfonia of BWV 4, 1980 and 2000, which is strange, since Gardiner mostly uses quick tempos. His choir is similar in size to Suzuki, but his orchestra is even bigger than with Koopman. Continuo and instrumental chorale citation with trumpet and 2 (or 3?) oboes is similar to Suzuki. I do not understand why Koopman and Gardiner use three oboes, as I cannot hear or see any difference in their performance. I guess that 2 of 3 oboists play in this movement and the third (best) player performs the solo part in movement 4, see below.

Herreweghe (February 2013): I like this tempo with 4:56 minutes better that the other recordings discussed above (exception: Lutz). Both choir and orchestra are as small as Suzuki’s, leading to ?a very transparent and brilliant sound. Also, his continuo with 2 cellos, 1 double bass, bassoon and chest organ is comparable to both Suzuki and Gardiner. For the instrumental chorale melody, he uses a ‘trombone da tirarsi’ instead of a trumpet ‘which is a deviation from the original scoring (see above) but sounds fine, together with the 2 oboes, one of them being the top player Marcel Ponseele (see ).

My personal preference: (1) Herreweghe – (2) Lutz – (3) Suzuki – (4) Koopman – (5) Gardiner. Remark: I would have given both Herreweghe and Lutz a first place; Lutz gets a second place because of the lack of a brass instrument in this movement.

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Movement 4 (Aria, alto with solo oboe and BC)

‘The following aria, no. 4, takes us aback with its melodic charm. No threatening sentence of punishment, no contrition is uttered here, but rather a childlike meekness in the prayer that at least the soul should be spared. The obbligato oboe melody, with its almost dance-like swing, is also taken over by the voice, so that alto and oboe form a homogeneous duet over an unthematic continuo part. (Dürr, Alfred. The Cantatas of J. S. Bach (p. 574). OUP Oxford. Kindle Edition.)

Remark: tempos for this movement don’t vary substantially among all 5 recordings. Focus for this movement are the quality of the alto part as well as the oboe solo playing.

Koopman (October 1998): the Austrian Bernhard Landauer (see ) is a fine counter-tenor with a clear diction and a silvery, clear, light and pleasant timbre. The excellent solo oboe part (probably played by ?Patrick Beaugireaud) and the very intimate continuo (according to the BCW with cembalo, but clearly also with organ) makes this one of my favorite interpretations.

Suzuki (February 2000): the English counter-tenor, Robin Blaze is not as his best in this aria. His voice sounds shrill and has a slight vibrato on ‘sündlichen’ and ‘Wille’. The oboe solo part (probably played by Masamitsu San'nomiya) and the continuo are comparable to Koopman, but I clearly prefer the other interpretations

Gardiner (October 2000): the English counter-tenor, William Towers (see comes closer to Bernhard Landauer with Koopman; his lower range is good, but I hear some insecurity with higher notes. The oboe solo part (probably played by Xenia L?ffler) and the continuo are comparable to Koopman and Suzuki. Not bad, but not my first choice.

Herreweghe (February 2013): the French counter-tenor, Damien Guillon is clearly my favorite in many alto recitatives and arias, but I don’t think he is at his best in this movement. The excellent oboe part played by Marcel Ponseele and the also very intimate continuo makes this interpretation my second choice after? Bernhard Landauer.

My personal preference: (1) Koopman– (2) Herreweghe– (3) Gardiner – (4) Suzuki– (5) Lutz.

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Movement 6 (Aria, tenor with strings, oboe I, oboe II and BC.)

‘ The second aria, no. 6, separated from the first only by a brief secco recitative, resembles it in its rhythmic swing, which is here still more perceptible in the constant alternation between hemiola 3/ 4 (a disguised form of 3/ 2) and standard 3/ 4 time. The compact string texture (with oboe I doubling violin I) lends the aria a confident character that accords with the text and stands out in relief against the tenderness of the previous aria.’ Dürr, Alfred. The Cantatas of J. S. Bach (p. 574). OUP Oxford. Kindle Edition.

Remark: tempos for this movement don’t vary substantially among all 5 recordings. Focus for this movement are the quality of the tenor part as well as the oboes and strings.

Koopman (October 1998): the very experienced German tenor, Christoph Prégardien (see ) is technically very proficient, and his voice has ?the right timbre, also proven as ‘Evangelist’ in St. Matthew recordings with Harnoncourt and Herreweghe. I like the balanced and delicate playing of soloist, strings (although too many?), oboes and BC and the average tempo used here..

Suzuki (February 2000): the German tenor, Gerd Türk (see ) is a well-known Bach tenor who studying baroque singing and interpretation with René Jacobs and Richard Levitt at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. This interpretation though, is disappointing for me. In the higher registers he sounds even shrill sometimes. Also, the tempo is too fast IMHO and lacks the delicate and balanced playing I appreciated so much with Koopman. Not my first choice.

Gardiner (October 2000): the English tenor, James Gilchrist (see ) has received critical acclaim in particular for his performances of J.S. Bach and George Frideric Handel. I like his performance in this aria and the balance of the accompanying instruments as well as the tempo. Very similar to Koopman.

Herreweghe (February 2013): the English tenor, Thomas Hobbs (see: ) reminds the voice of the above discussed James Gilchrist with Gardiner but is not my first choice. Herreweghe’s tempo is fast and almost jumpy, reminding a dance movement or the ‘rhythmic swing ‘ described above by A. Dürr that sets it apart from the other 4 recordings.

My personal preference: (1) Lutz– (2) Koopman– (3) Herreweghe – (4) Gardiner– (5) Suzuki.

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Final remarks and ranking

I like this cantata mainly because of the many choir movements (1, 3 and 7). The playing of Bach’s chorales in his cantatas has risen many discussions in this group and is very much a matter of taste. Comparing the chorale movements 3 and 7 for these 5 recordings, and considering the above comments, my final ranking is as follows:

(1) Herreweghe and (2) Lutz, but both a very close first, mainly because of the transparence obtained with the minimal choirs and instruments, although Lutz’s 1.st movements lacks the brass instrument and his alto aria is not good. (3) Koopman, (4) Suzuki and (5) Gardiner are all three very close to a third place.

Frits V. Herbold, Nashville, TN, April 2025

The three-day festival of Easter was initially observed in the Heinrich Schütz Resurrection History:? Historia der Auferstehung Christi, SWV 50, his first Historiae of 1623, with the Resurrection story (John 20:1-18), the Walk to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and the Upper Room meeting of Jesus and His Disciples (Luke 24:36-49).? In 1725, during his second (chorale cantata) cycle, Bach ceased composing and presenting chorale cantatas on Easter Sunday with Cantata 4.2 (), although Bach selectively added per omnes versus chorale cantatas to fill selected services (see :? scroll down to "Later additions to the chorale cantata cycle").? Tradition shows that in Bach's time in Leipzig, Easter Tuesday as a feast day was not observed while his closest competitor, Telemann in Hamburg, composed Easter oratorios for two oratorio cycles in the early 1730s and one sacred oratorio, Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, TWV 6:6 (, in 1760.

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The Easter Vigil, held in darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day, is a vespers of prayer and liturgy ().? Holy Saturday uses the gospel of Matthew 27:57-66 (Burial of Jesus, ).? This is appropriate for both Bach's one-year lectionary and today's three-year Revised Common Lectionary, observes John S. Setterlund.? His preferred work for this day is Cantata 156 (3rd Sunday after Epiphany, , .? The Christian Worship lectionary of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (2021, ) prefers the St. Matthew Passion closing (parts 62-68, see ) or Cantata 106 (funeral music, , ). While the three day festival of Easter is not observed much today, other observances are, such as Easter Sunrise outdoor vigil (), using the gospel of John, 20:1-18 (Resurrection of Jesus, ), reading preferred in the one- and three-year lectionaries:? Year C, 20 April 2025, preferred Easter Oratorio, BWV 249.3 (, ), alternate Cantata 67 (Quasimodogeniti Sunday, , ); Year A, 5 April 2026, preferred Cantata 66 (Easter Monday, , ), alternate Cantata 31.2 (Easter Sunday, , ), Bach's one-year lectionary, preferred Easter Oratorio, BWV 249.3 (see above, Year C); Year B, 27 march 2027, preferred Cantata 4 (Easter Sunday, , ), alternate Cantata 137 (12th Sunday after Trinity, , ).

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Easter Day:? Year C, 20 April 2025, gospel Luke 24:1-12 (Resurrection of Jesus, ), or John 20:1-18 (Resurrection of Jesus, ), preferred Cantata 137 (12th Sunday after Trinity, , ), alternate Cantata 66 (Easter Monday, , ); Year A, 5 April 2026, gospel Matthew 28:1-10 (Resurrection of Jesus, ) or John 20:1-18, Resurrection of Jesus, ), preferred Cantata 149 (Michael's Feast Day, , ), alternate Cantata 158 (Purification of Mary or 3rd Day of Easter, , ); Year B, 28 March 2027, gospel Mark 16:1-8 (Resurrection of Jesus, ) or John 20:1-18 (Resurrection of Jesus, ), preferred Cantata 31.2 (Easter Sunday, ), alternate Easter Oratorio BWV 249 (Easter Sunday), );?

Bach's one-year lectionary, gospel Mark 16:1-8 (see above, Year B).

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Easter Evening:? Year C, 20 April 2025, gospel Luke 24:13-49 (Walk to Emmaus) or John 20:1-18 (Resurrection of Jesus),? preferred Cantata 158 (see above, Easter Day, Year A alternate), alternate Cantata 130.1 (Michael's Feast Day, , ); Year A, 5 April 2026, gospel Luke 24:13-49, Walk to Emmaus, 0, preferred chorale Cantata 4, (Easter Sunday, , ), alternate Cantata 42 (Quasimodogeniti [lst Sunday after Easter, , ); Year B, 28 March 2027, gospel Luke 24:13-49 (Walk to Emmaus, 0), preferred Cantata 6 (Easter Monday, , ), alternate Cantata 149 (see above, Easter Day, Year A).

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Easter Monday (same as Easter Evening or 1st Sunday after Easter (Quasimodogeniti), gospel John 20:19-31 (Jesus appears to His Disciples, or Easter Tuesday), Year C, gospel Matthew 28:9-15 (Jesus appears to His Disciples, ), preferred Cantata 134.3 (Easter Tuesday, , ); for Easter Monday, Bach in his own one-year lectionary composed Cantatas BWV 66 and 6, according to Supplement:? "Bach's Own Lectionary," according to John S. Setterlund (Ibid.:? 173).

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Easter Tuesday, gospel Luke 24:36-49 (Jesus appears to His Disciples, ); preferred?

Cantatas 134 (see above, Easter Monday Year C preferred) and 158 (see above, Easter Evening Year C preferred), Bach composed both cantatas in his own one-year lectionary, says Setterlund (Ibid.:? 173).

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Easter Wednesday (), gospel John 21:1-14 (Jesus appears to 7 Disciples, ) and in Bach's one-year lectionary, or Matthew 26:14-25 (Judas agrees to betray Jesus, ), preferred "chorale" Cantata 93 (5th Sunday after Trinity, , ), alternate Cantata 134 (see above, Easter Monday Year C).

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ENDNOTES

¹ John S. Setterlund, Bach Through the Year: The Church Music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Revised Common Lectionary, 2nd ed. (Burnsville MN: Kirk House Publishers, 2024:? 148), .

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To Come:? 1st Sunday after Easter (Quasimodogeniti, as new-born babes)

As with Protestant German Passion Musical accounts, Holy Week in Leipzig in Bach's time produced a plethora of Passion versions which he realized through all four gospel accounts with multiple versions of the three according to John (BWV 245), Matthew (BWV 244), and Mark (BWV 247), as well as extensive use of Passion chorales primarily in the format of the Oratorio Passion form with the full gospel versions, as well as the Passion Oratorio form of a poetic paraphrase, best known in the development of the Brockes Passion (), as well as similar poetic forms such as Gottfried Heinrich St?lzel 's Gotha Passion, "Ein L?mmlein geht und tr?gt die Schuld" ( which Bach premiered on Good Friday, 23 April 1734, in the St. Thomas Church.? A third distinct form was the Passions-Pasticcio developed by Bach in the 1740s, a mixture of various Passion-style music involving the "Keiser"/Handel Pasticcio, BWV 1166.3, 31 March 1747 (), and the "Beitr?ge (Contributions) zur Passionsmusik" of Carl Heinrich Graun's "Kleiner Passion," ?12 April 1748, BWV 1167 (). ?

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Before these three forms were developed in the 18th century, the Lutheran Tradition established the gospel readings of the Passion accounts as follows:? Palm Sunday, St. Matthew, Chapters 26 and 27; Tuesday, St. Mark, Chapters 14 and 15; Wednesday, St. Luke, Chapters 22 and 23; and Good Friday, St. John, Chapters 18 and 19. In Leipzig in Bach's favored chorale book, the Gottfried Vopelius' Passion chorales in Das Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch (NLGB) of 1682 (), Johann Walther's setting of Matthew (NLGB 83) was presented on Palm Sunday () and John (NLGB 84) on Good Friday ().?

Lutheran tradition built on this with congregational chorales that emphasized both the theology and the biblical accounts, most notably in the multi-stanza settings Passion Gospel harmony of Siebald Heyden's 23-stanza 1530 "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gro?" (O man, weep for your great sins, ), emphasizing the Stations of the Cross, as ell as the satisfaction atonement sacrificial model, Paul Stockmann's 34-stanza 1633 "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod" (Jesus suffering, pain, and death, ), the Johannine Christus Victor concept.? Bach favorite composer Paul Gerhardt ( ) composed two extended Passion chorale narratives:? the 10-stanza ""Ein L?mmlein geht und tr?gt die Schuld" (), and the 16-stanza, "O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben" ().? By Bach's time, Passion musical settings ranged from the Brockes poetic oratorio Passion gospel harmony versions, beginning in Hamburg in 1712 and popular throughout Germany, to various municipal liturgical Passion settings of chorales, similar to Johann Kuhnau's 1722 Leipzig St. Mark Passion and the Bach apocryphal St. Luke Passion.? ?

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While Bach composed music only for the Good Friday services in Leipzig, his vocal music is appropriate for the other days of Holy Week, using the gospel of John, as found in John S. Sutterlund's study of the current three-year Revised Common Lectionary.¹? Liturgically in Bach's time, the Gospel readings for Monday to Thursday were: Monday, John 12:1-11 (Mary annoints Jesus, ); Tuesday, John 12:20-36 (Jesus speaks of his death, ); Wednesday, John 13:21-32 (Jesus foretells his betrayal, ); Maundy Thursday, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 (Jesus washes disciples feet, ); Good Friday, John 18:1-19:42 (Jesus arrest, trials, crucifixion). The single gospel readings in today's lectionary are virtually the same, except for Wednesday in Holy Week, where Luke's gospel is replaced today by John 13:21-32 (Jesus predicts his betrayal). Manudy Thursday in Bach's Leipzig was a unique day when a full communion service with music was presented with the Hymn of the Day being Martin Luther's "Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der von uns."? Setterlund's Holy Week suggestions are as follows: Monday in Holy Week, preferred Motet BWV 227, "Jesu, meine Freude" (, :? scroll down to "Discussions in the Week of June 19, 2016 (4th round); alternate Cantata 39, “Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot” (1st Sunday after Trinity, , ); Tuesday in Holy Week, preferred Cantata 22 (Quinquagesima Estomihi, , ); alternate? Cantata 159 (Quinquagesima Estomihi, , ); Wednesday in Holy Week, preferred Cantata 12 (Jubilate Sunday, , ); and alternate Cantata 44, "Sie werden euch in den Bann tun I" (Exaudi Sunday, , ); Mundy Thursday, preferred Cantata 180 (20th Sunday after Trinity, , ), alternate Cantata 184.2 (3rd Day of Pentecost, , ); Good Friday, preferred BWV 245.2 John Passion (), alternate Cantata 159 (Quinquagesima Estomihi, , ).

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ENDNOTES

¹ John S. Sutterlund, Bach Through the Year: The Church Music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Revised Common Lectionary (Minneapolis MN: Lutheran University Press, 2013: 47ff).

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To Come:? Easter Music.

The Gospel of John plays a major role in the last two Sundays in Lent (Laetare and Judika, as well as the days of Holy Week, and the Sundays after Easter, most notably the third (Jubilate) to Pentecost Sunday embracing Jesus' Farewell Discourse to his Disciples. These works in 1725 replaced the chorale cantata cycle with the Johannine saga, says Eric Chafe,¹ of the Good Friday St. John Passion second version, BWV 245.2, with additional hymns, the Easter Sunday Italianate Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, lacking hymns and biblical narrative but with dramatic characters favored in John's Gospel account of the Resurrection (Jn. 20:1-18, Peter and John at the empty tomb and Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus).

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?Laeteri and Judica Sundays in Lent

The 4th and 5th Sundays in Lent before the final Palm Sunday and Holy Week of the Passion focus on John's Gospel in Bach's single lectionary as well as in today's three-year lectionary, although the readings are different. In Bach's day the Gospel of John readings involved Jesus affirming his identity through the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 with bread and fish (John 6:1-15) on Leateri Sunday, and in his confrontation with the Pharisees saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I AM (John 8:58) on Judica Sunday. This was a "pattern that centers on Jesus's divine identity and his manifesting his glory in the form of 'signs' (miracles) of highly symbolic character," says Eric Chafe (Ibid.:? 102), "associated with the discourse in which Jesus identifies himself as the 'bread of life'" (John 6:25-59, ). These were two of the Jesus "I am" proclamations, that culminated in his final acknowledgement during his Passion where his identity was the central issue, when asked if he was Jesus of Nazareth.?

The 4th Sunday in Lent, Laeteri, emphasizes "Rejoice," from Introit Psalm 122:1, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord" (kjv) in Bach's time as well as the gospel of John, still used in today lectionary but with different Gospel readings. The Johannine emphasis during Lent is on Jesus' life on earth as the mid-point in the Great Parabola of descent (anabasis) through incarnation in his kenosis (emptying, Phil. 2:5-11, ) and the ascent or "lifting up" (catabasis) in glory referred to in today's lectionary Gospel B (John 3:14). His "lifting up" is "the root of the connection between [the St. John Passion] "Herr unser Heerscher" and "Es ist vollbracht"; it is bound up with Jesus's descent/ascent character, hiss coming, from above and oneness with the Father, to whom he ultimately returns," says Chafe (Ibid.: 331).

The Sunday is a time of joy from "Laetare Jerusalem" ("Rejoice, O Jerusalem"), which is from Isaiah 66:10: "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her" (NRSV). Introit Psalm 122 is a psalm of trust, full kjv text . Midway in the six-week Lenten period, Laeteri () signifies a change from sorrow to three-fold joy as a moveable feast through the day's Collect "comfort of God's grace," the Epistle (Galatians 4:21–31, Two Covenants) of the true freedom of the "children born after the spirit," and the Gospel refreshment in the "giving of the bounteous Christ," says Strodach (Ibid.: 121). Laeteri Sunday also is known as "Refreshment Sunday" for the Gospel, John 6:1-15, the Miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 with bread and fish ().²?

Because of the Laeteri and Judica Sundays emphasis on affirmation (see ), Bach's NLGB prescribed the following chorales: Hymn of the Day, "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott" (Lord Jesus Christ, true man and God, NLGB 338, Death & Dying); and the Communion/Pulpit Hymns, "O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht" (O Jesus Christ, my life's light, NLGB 374, Death & Dying), "In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr" (In you I have placed my hope, Lord, NLGB 254, Psalm 31), and "Christe, der du bist Tag und Licht" (Christ, you are the day and light, NLGB 205 Catechism evening song).?

The 5th Sunday in Lent, also known as "Passion Sunday," Judica, takes its name from the first word of the Introit Psalm 43, Judica me, Deus (Judge me, O God), a prayer to God in time of trouble (). The two readings in Bach's time in the one-year lectionary were Hebrews 9:11–15 (Heavenly Sanctuary) and John 8:46–59, Jesus last words in debate with the Pharasees, "Before Abraham was, I am."³ The Gospel (John 8:46-59 is not found in today's three-year lectionary. ?

In contrast to Bach's one-year lectionary of highlights from all four gospels, the current three-year Revised Common Lectionary emphasizes the 1725 Year C gospel of Luke, Year A gospel of Matthew, and Year B, gospel of Mark, says John Setterlund.⁴ Portions of the are read throughout , and are also used for other liturgical seasons including the 4th Sunday in , the 3rd Day of Christmas (St. John's Day), and where appropriate (see opening paragraph).

The 4th Sunday in Lent (Laetare):? Year C, 30 March 2025, gospel Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 (Parable of Lost Sheep, ), preferred Chorale Cantata 5 (19th Sunday after Trinity, , ), alternate Cantata 55 (22nd Sunday after Trinity, , 0; Year A, 15 March 2026, gospel John 9:1-41 (Man born blind get sight, 0), preferred Cantata 38 (21st Sunday after Trinity, , 0, alternate Cantata 23.3 (Estomihi, , ); Year B, 7 March 2027, gospel John 3:14-21 (Son of Man lifted up, ), preferred Cantata 68 (1st Day of Pentecost, , ), alternate Cantata 174 (2nd Day of Pentecost, , ).?
The email column "Which Bach Cantata Today" (), for the 4th Sunday in Lent (Laetare, ), has three undesignated works:? 1.? "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir," BWV 131 (Penitential psalm 130); first performance ?1707 (, ); 2.? Chorale Cantata "Nun danket alle Gott," BWV 192; first performance ?autumn 1730 Reformationfest (, );? 3.? Motet "O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht," BWV 118; first performance ?1736/1737 (funeral, , . ?

The 5th Sunday in Lent (Judica):? Year C, 6 April? 2025 (Mary anoints Jesus 6 days before? burial, ), preferred Motet BWV 227 (funeral, , :? scroll down to "Discussions in the Week of June 19, 2016 (4th round)," alternate Cantata 150 (Memorial, , ); Year A, 22 March 2026, gospel John 11:1-45 (Raising of Lazarus, ), preferred Cantata 156 (3rd Sunday after Epiphany, , ), alternate Cantata 195 (16h Sunday after Trinity, , );

Year B, 14 March 2027, gospel John 12:20-33 (Grain of wheat dying in earth), preferred Motet BWV 1083 (Penitential Psalm 151, ), alternate chorale Cantata 114 (17th Sunday after Trinity, ,?

The email column "Which Bach Cantata Today? () for the 5th Sunday in Lent (Judica, ), has two undesignated works:? 1.? Chorale Cantata 97, "In allen meinen Taten" (first performance ?1734 (, ); and 2.? Cantata "Bekennen will ich seinen Namen," BWV 200 (Purification first performance ?1742; , , ).

The 6th Sunday in Lent/Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday):? Year C, 13 April 2025, gospel Luke 22:14-23:56 (Lord's Supper, ), preferred Cantata 106 (Funeral Music,? , ),? alternate Cantata 22 (Quinquagesima, , ); Year A, 29 March 2026, gospel Matthew 26:14-27:66 (Passion & Death of Jesus, ),? preferred St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (Good Friday Vespers, , ), alternate Cantata 182 (cantata for Palm Sunday and Feast of Annunciation, , ); Year B, 21 March 2027, gospel Mark 14:1-15:47 (Passion and Death of Jesus, ), preferred St. Mark Passion, BWV 247 (Good Friday Vespers, , ), alternate Cantata 56 (19th Sunday after Trinity, , ). ?

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ENDNOTES ? ?

¹Eric Chafe, J. S. Bach's Johannine Theology:? The St. John Passion and the Cantatas for Spring 1725 (Oxford University GB:? Oxford University Press, 20140), .

² Laeteri readings: Epistle (Galatians 4:31-31), English kjv 1612 () Luther German 1545 (); and Gospel (John 6:1-15), , ); Luther Gospel sermon, .

³ Judica readings, Epistle (Hebrews 9:11-15), English, ; German, . Gospel (John 8:46-59), English, ; German, ); Luther's Sermon, ).

⁴ John S. Setterlund, Bach Through the Year: The Church Music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Revised Common Lectionary (Minneapolis MN, Lutheran University Press 2013:? 46f), , ).

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To Come:? Holy Week (Monday to Friday) appropriate cantatas in today''s Revised Common Lectionary.