Late Trinity Time Cantatas; Reformation, Michaelmas Festivals

William L. Hoffman wrote (October 10, 2023)
The Late Trinity Time mini-cycle segment closes the annual cycle of church-year services in Bach's first Leipzig Jahrgang on the teachings of topical thematic patterns of parables, miracles, and other Gospel teachings of the Christian Church. It runs from the 19th Sunday after Trinity (20th Sunday after Pentecost in today's three-year Christian lectionary) to the Last Sunday in the mid-20th Sundays after the Trinityfest. This so-called mini-series embraces the beginning at the Feast of Michael and All Angels, the fixed date of September 29, and ends a month after in the Reformation Festival fixed date of October 31 with some four Sunday Trinity time services remaining to close the church year. These two fixed, festive services provide two of the foundational events in the Life of the Christian Church in the second half or omnes tempore (Ordinary Time) as contrasted to the first half, the seasonal de tempore (Proper Time) on the life and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.

The Feast of Michael and All Angels (Michaelmas) observes the defeat of evil and triumph of human salvation while the Reformation Festival officially began at the Reformation Jubilee on the Centennial of Luther's Posting of his 99 theses, on 31 October 1617, and the establishment of the Christian Church. Two more contemporary, now eschatological observances during this last period are the fixed liturgical feast of All-Saints Day, November 1, liturgical observance of All-Souls Day, November 2 (see Simply Catholic), and the moveable Christological celebration of Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the Church Year (Wikipedia, BCW). At the end of Late Trinity Time, Bach turned to the Christological de tempore first half of the church year, beginning with the Leipzig minor feast day of the 1st Sunday in Advent, observing Jesus incarnation. During the remainder closed period of the final three Sundays in Advent he completed his first major vocal work the Magnificat in E-Flat, BWV 243a=243.1 with the four Christmas interpolations (YouTube).

Michael, All-Angels Feast

The Feast of Michael and All Angels was the Lutheran Reformation core expression of the themes of religious freedom, defeat of evil and the redemption and ultimate human salvation, as found in the motets and poetic chorales based on the Book of the Revelation of John, the last book in the New Testament. Poetically from Reformation theologian Philipp Melanchthon in 1539 to Enlightened poet Johann Gottfried Herder in 1770, musically from Heinrich Schütz and the Praetorius brothers on the cusp of the Baroque era to Sebastian Bach and his sons Johann Christoph and Emmanuel at the transition to the Enlightenment, the meanings of the angelic heavenly victory of the Blood of the Lamb and humanity were established and celebrated. The record for the Michaelis service on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1723, shows no documented performance. Bach could have taken the opportunity to present the Christoph Bach cantata, "Es erhub sich ein Streit," which he had known since childhood (see below, “Bach Family Michaelmas Music”). Other speculation for Michael's Day 1723 involves the double-chorus motet, BWV 50, "Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft," a possible Michael cantata of Georg Philipp Telemann, BWV 218, or a possible pasticcio involving the Johann Christoph Bach work and the motet, BWV 50 (source, BCW). These are the St. Michaels' cantatas associated with Bach: BWV 130, "Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir" (Lord God, we all praise you; 1724, reperformance 1732-35); BWV 19, "Es erhub sich ein Streit" (1726); BWV 149, "Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg" (1728/29); BWV 50, "Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft" (1723-30); BWV 219/TVWV 1:1328, Siehe, es hat uberwunden der Lowe (Behold, the lion has triumphed (Hamburg, 1723) [by Georg Philipp Telemann, no record of Bach performance]. An overview of the themes and emphasis of each work suggests the following: Cantata 130 makes general references to the readings of the day as a tribute to the angels' protection of mankind; Cantata 19, based on the Epistle battle in heaven, stresses divine intervention, protection, and salvation; Cantata 149 builds on Cantata 19 as a celebration of the defeat of evil, the angels' constant presence, the vigilance of the "watchmen," and praise of God; and Cantata 219 is an allegory of Christ's victory over the devil and sin, with an exhortation to personal humility. Chorale Cantata 130 is a paraphrase of the hymn "Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir," from the second anonymous librettist with the largest number of hymn text adaptations (16 of 42) in the second cycle. Cantata 50 is a setting of one line of the Epistle, Revelation 12:11, "Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft" (Now is salvation and strength). Cantatas 19 and 149 are pietistic-flavored texts of Picander, and Cantata BWV 219 is a text of Eisenach poet Johann Friedrich Helbig. Other works appropriate for the Michael Festival that Sebastian Bach possibly presented include: Johann Christoph Bach cantata "Es erhub sich ein Streit" (as early as 1723); Cantata BWV 51, (Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen! (Shout for joy to God in every land!), per ogni tempo (for any time) and the 15th Sunday after Trinity (c.1730); Gottfried Heinrich Stözel Cantata "Wer ist, wie der Herr unser Gott, der sich so hoch gestetzet hat?" (Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high), 1735 [(Benjamin Schmolck String Cycle text, not extant] Psalm 113:5 Laudate pueri (Praise ye the Lord, Roman vespers); and Stözel, Cantata No. 61, no incipit (Schmolck Names of Christ Cycle text, as early as 1736).

(Cycle 1 (1723) Fourth Mini-Cycle, Late Trinity Time; Michael Feast, Reformation Festival

09/29, St. Michael''s Day, ?lost; possibly Johann Christoph Bach (1642– 1703), “Es erhub sich ein Streit”; BWV 50, “Nun is das Heil und die Kraft” (Rev. 12:10), BCW; ? G.P. Telemann: Cantata BWV 219=TVWV 1:1328, "Siehe, es hat uberwunden der Lowe," BCW.
10-03, 19th Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 48, "Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen," Cs w/inst cl., R, A, R. A, Cl (1^st performance, Leipzig, BCW).
10-10, 20th Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 162.2, "Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe," BCW, S. Franck 1715, A-R-A-R-A-Cl repeat.
10-17, 21^st Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 109, ''Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meinem Unglauben!," Form 3/A B-R-A-R-A-cl (1st performance, Leipzig; BCW.
10-24, 22^nd Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 89, "Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim?" Form 3/A B-R-A-R-A-cl (1^st performance, Leipzig; BCW).
10-31, Reformation Day/23^rd Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 80b=80.1, "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott," Weimar expanded, S. Franck 1715 Cl-A-R-A-R-A-Cl;¹ ?BWV 163, "Nur jedem, das Seine" (Trinity 23), Weimar repeat, S. Franck 1715 A-R-A-R-A-Cl. (BCW).
11-07, 24^th Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 60, "O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort," A w/Cl, R, A, R, Cl; (1st performance, Leipzig; BCW).
11-14, 25^th Sunday after Trinity. Cantata BWV 90, "Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende," A, R, A, R, Cl (1st performance, Leipzig; BCW).
11-21 26^th Sunday after Trinity, Cantata BWV 70.2, "Wachet! betet! betet! wach!," Weimar expanded (1st performance, Leipzig).

Trinity Time Last Sundays

The very last Sundays of the Church year, those in Ordinary Time (omnes tempore, BCW) address the gospel and chorale eschatological (Last Time) themes of “Last Days, Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Life" found in the last pages of Bach’s hymnbook, Das neu Leipziger Gesangbuch (NLGB Nos. 390-396). In the Trinity Times ending in the final themes of the Last Time, and Life Eternal is the reward of Catechism “Justification” through grace alone (sola fide) principle of Lutheran Theology (Wikipedia). Other non-liturgical Catechism personal themes are found in the hymns for Morning and Evening prayers, Grace at Meals, and Prayer for Good Weather. For the chorales for the 19^th to 27^th Sundays after Trinity, see BCW, BCW: scroll down, and see details of the final Trinity Time cantatas, BCW).

The gospels for the final eight Sundays after Trinity focuse on one of the three thematic patterns of parables, miracles and teachings: Trinity 20, Matthew 22:1-14, Parable of the marriage of the king’s son; Trinity 21, John 4:46-54, Miracle of the nobleman’s son healed; Trinity 22, Matthew 18:23-35 Parable of the unmerciful servant; Trinity 23, Matthew 22:15-22, Teaching: The Pharisees and the tribute to Caesar; Trinity 24, Matthew 9:18-26 Miracle of the Raising of Jairus’s daughter; Trinity 25, Matthew 24:15-28, Teaching: Christ’s prediction; Trinity 26, Matthew 25:31-46, Teaching: The Last Judgement; Trinity 27, Matthew 25:1-13 Teaching: The wise and foolish virgins. It is documented that Friedemann received both the score and parts for the final seven cantatas presented in late Trinity Time 1723 in the first cycle, presumably because these were most appropriate for his use as music director in Halle in 1750.

Reformation Festival

While Bach created four cantatas for the Feast of St. Michael's (BWV 50, 130, 19, 149; Oxford Bach Soloists: Silence in Heaven) and Cantata 51 (et in ogni tempo), as well as possibly presenting works of Telemann (BWV 219) and Gottfried Heinrich Stözel in the mid-1730s (BCW), the record for the Reformation festival is sparse and uncertain (BCW): chorus Cantata 79, “Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild (God the Lord is sun and shield, Psalm 84:12), 1725, repeat 1730, and chorale Cantata BWV 80,¹ "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott," 1723, 1728-30, 1739. Additional cantatas appropriate for Reformation are: BWV 129, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott," and BWV BWV 192 "Nun danket alle Gott," both pure-hymn works also appropriate for sacred weddings; two partial cantatas, BWV 76II(a)/8-14, "Gott, segne noch die treue Schar" (presented four times on Reformationfest at the Leipzig University St. Paul church), and BWV 194(b), "Sprich Ja zu meinen Taten," both drawn from two-part early Trinity (1 and Festival) cantatas for a double-bill; and two cantatas in single performances, the Christmas Day BWV 63, "Christen, ätzet diesen Tag" in a partial parody for the bicentennial Reformationfest jubilee in Halle in 1717, and Trinity 23/Reformation, BWV 163, "Nur Jedem das Seine!," in 1723 (BCW). In addition Bach presented at least one work by another composer, Johann Friedrich Fasch's "Welt und Teufel, tobt ihr noch?" in 1734. Two other works have possible Reformationfest connections: Telemann Easter motet, "Der Herr ist König" (The Lord is King); TVWV 8:6, and son-in-law Johann Christoph Altnikol's 1748 Motet, Nun denket alle Gott," BWV Anh 164.

Fall 1723 Special Events

Besides presenting special profane events for Leipzig University and festival sacred celebrations at the University Paulinerkirche (Reformation Cantata 80b and BWV 163 (Trinity 13), Bach in the fall of 1723 in Leipzig continued presenting bridal masses at St. Thomas Church on 12 September ("Cantata performed at the marriage of Johann Christoph Krause and Maria Barbara Blechschmidt; composition unknown; NBA I/33, KB, 12), and on 2 November, "Examination and inauguration of the new Hildebrandt organ at the church at Störmthal, near Leipzig, and first performance of Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest (BWV 194), which was reperformed for the Trinity Festival, 4 June 1724.²

ENDNOTES

¹ Cantata BWV 80b=80.1: discussion, BCW, Wikipedia; score-Foreward: 5-7), Carus Media; Bach Digital, Bach Digital.
² Performance dates cited in Robin A. Leaver, Part VI Chronology, 20 Life and Works 1685-1750, in The Routledge Research Companion to Johann Sebastian Bach, ed. Robin A. Leaver (London: Routledge, 2017), Amazon.com.