On the Cantatas of J.S. Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach, considered the greatest composer of Western music, explored in his cantatas the manifestations of the human condition. Like many of us, Bach contends with fundamental human concerns such as self-worth, the courage of trust, satisfaction with life, the hope found in joy, suffering amidst the essential beauty of the world, the misery of loss, and the majesty of redemption.

The third volume of the Bach Cantatas series is concerned with the cantatas for Trinity XVII to XXVII, which include those for Michaelmas and Reformation Day. The topics that this third section of the Trinity cantatas principally consider include the following: the humility of purposelove divine and mortalgood and evilthe journey of renewalblind attractionsunbelief and beliefthreat and mercyfalsity and friendshipfear and hopethe Last JudgmentThese 34 cantatas constitute the final section of all the Trinity Sundays and associated feast days, which span October and November in the Lutheran liturgical year. The didactic liturgy then yields to the liturgy of life of Christ, which begins with Advent and concludes at Trinity Sunday.