Text No. 1, 6
Philipp Nicolai, 1599

Text No. 2–5
Arranger unknown

First performance
The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
25 March 1725

The opening choir, whose character sets the tone for the entire work, makes both effective and sensitive use of the rich orchestration. Written in a swaying 12⁄8 time, the concertante violins – effectively capturing the essence of the shining morning star – provide a decidedly gentle and decorative introduction. Inspired by the first lines of the chorale, their dance-like motif pervades the development of the entire movement. In the process, the individual instruments are not restricted to their own idiomatic material; instead, the various motifs roam through the entire orchestra – the typical long tones of the horns, for example, are first heard in the strings. In keeping with his approach for chorale cantatas, Bach weaves the lines of the hymn into this soundscape, intertwining the soprano melody with particularly imaginative pre-imitation in the lower voices. The obvious shift in the verse upon the words “lovely, kindly” is underscored by a change in the musical structure. Here, the initial chordal construction passes over to hymn-like rising figures that beautifully express the closing line “high and most richly exalted”.
Following this movement of heavenly sphere and peace is an equally enchanting recitative that textually bridges the events between the Annunciation and Christmas. The ensuing aria, an elegantly flowing movement, features a solo soprano voice over a pizzicato bass – the contrasting use of these two extreme registers is particularly striking. The addition of an oboe da caccia lends the movement a singularly intimate character, its warm and mellow tone translating perfectly the textual “flames both celestial and divine” that blaze only in the hearts of the faithful.
After the joyful and open-minded atmosphere of the bass recitative, the tenor aria, composed in a minuet-like 12⁄8 time, is reminiscent of a final movement of a double concerto for two violins and orchestra. The scoring for strings and voice is hardly surprising considering the wording of the text: “let our voice and strings resound”. Here, the tenor voice functions more as a third concertante part than as a soloist, and it is only in the extended middle section which speaks of “bringing honour with song” that the tenor voice comes clearly to the fore.
In the closing chorale, the sixth verse of Philipp Nicolais’s famous hymn from 1599, both horns figure again prominently. While the first horn doubles the soprano voice, the second horn sounds a magnificent countermotif – fittingly jubilant for the cantata’s finale.