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Johann Sebastian Bach

Cantata no. 149, Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg, BWV.149

BWV 149 Vocal

Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg (lit.: One sings with joy about victory), BWV 149, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the work in Leipzig for Michaelmas and first performed it in 1728 or 1729. It is the last of his three extant cantatas for the feast.

Picander wrote the cantata's libretto, and published it in a 1728/29 cycle of cantata texts. The libretto opens with two verses from Psalm 118 and closes with the third stanza of Martin Schalling's "Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr". The topic of the libretto aligns with the prescribed readings for the day from the Book of Revelation, Michael fighting the dragon. The closing Lutheran hymn stanza writes about a "sweet little angel", accompanying a soul in anticipation of the Last Judgment.

The cantata has seven movements, and is scored festively with four vocal parts and a Baroque orchestra of three trumpets, timpani, three oboes, bassoon, strings and continuo. Bach derived the music of the opening chorus from his Hunting Cantata, composed already in 1713.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Movements

  1. Coro "Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg"
  2. Aria (Bass) "Kraft und Stärke sei gesungen"
  3. Recitativo (Alt) "Ich fürchte mich vor tausend Feinden nicht"
  4. Aria (Sopran) "Gottes Engel weichen nie"
  5. Recitativo (Tenor) "Ich danke dir, mein lieber Gott, dafür"
  6. Aria (Duetto Alt, Tenor) "Seid wachsam, ihr heiligen Wächter"
  7. Choral "Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein"

Elsewhere

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