Bach composed the cantata in his second year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig for the Sunday after Christmas.[1][2] The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the Galatians, "through Christ we are free from the law" (Galatians4:1–7), and from the Gospel of Luke, Simeon and Anna talking to Mary (Luke2:33–40).[1]:133[2] The chorale cantata is based on a hymn with the same title by Cyriakus Schneegaß (1597).[1][3] This hymn is extremely short, with three stanzas of only four lines each, and reflects the turn of the year more prominently than the birth of Jesus mentioned in the first line. This was suitable as the Sunday after Christmas fell on the last day of the calendar year in 1724.[1] The unknown librettist[2] made no effort to connect to the Gospel reading.[1]
Bach first performed the cantata on 31 December 1724.[1][2]
In the following table of the movements, the scoring, keys and time signatures are taken from Alfred Dürr's standard work Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, using the symbol for common time (4/4).[2] The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.
The opening chorus is a chorale fantasia with a long opening and closing ritornello[1] framing a chorale theme with four entries and lengthy interspersed episodes. The three lower voices imitate the soprano thrice in the chorale phrases and then move into a fast ascending figure.[1][5]
The second movement is a long and chromatic bass aria discussing sündigt (sinning).[6] This is the longest movement of the cantata. The continuo accompanying the vocal line was described ss "tortuous and chromatically convoluted".[5]
The soprano recitative is accompanied by a simple recorder trio, a combination designed to represent the "aura of the angels".[5] As this is the only movement to include the recorders, the parts were likely performed by the oboe and taille players.[5]
The fourth movement is a trio of the soprano, alto and tenor voices; the alto sings the chorale line with the strings while the soprano and tenor perform a duet aria.[1][6] The movement is in D minor and 6 8 time.[5]
The bass recitative begins in major before modulating to the G minor of the final movement. It is accompanied by high chordal strings and a continuo line.[5]
The closing chorale is fast and short.[5] It is in block form.[7]
The "rather muted" music of the first chorus and the bass aria (the opening line of which translates as "O mortals, ye who sin daily") have been described by one writer as giving listeners a "moral hangover" after the possible overindulgence of the Christmas holidays.[6]
Publication
The cantata was published in 1878 with other church cantatas as part of the first complete edition of Bach's works (Joh. Seb. Bach's Werke). The editor was Alfred Dörffel.[2]
Recordings
Wiener Kammerchor / Vienna State Opera Orchestra. J. S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 122 and BWV 133. Vanguard Bach Guild, 1952.
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