The following is a list of church cantatas, sorted by the liturgical occasion for which they were composed and performed. The genre was particularly popular in 18th-century Lutheran Germany, although there are later examples.
The liturgical calendar of the German Reformation era had, without counting Reformation Day and days between Palm Sunday and Easter, 72 occasions for which a cantata could be presented. Composers such as Telemann composed cycles of church cantatas comprising all 72 occasions (e.g. Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst). Such a cycle is called an "ideal" cycle, while in any given liturgical year feast days could coincide with Sundays, and the maximum number of Sundays after Epiphany and the maximum number of Sundays after Trinity could not all occur.
In some places, of which Leipzig in Johann Sebastian Bach's time is best known, no concerted music was allowed for the three last Sundays of Advent, nor for the Sundays of Lent (apart when Annunciation fell on a Sunday in that period, or in Holy Week), so the "ideal" year cycle (German: ) for such places comprised only 64 cantatas (or 63 without the cantata for Reformation Day).Günther Zedler. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach: Eine Einführung in die Werkgattung. Books on Demand, 2011. , p. 24–25
As the bulk of extant cantatas were composed for occasions occurring in the liturgical calendar of the German Reformation era, including Passion cantatas for Good Friday, that calendar is followed for the presentation of cantatas in this section. Most cantatas made reference to the content of the readings and to Lutheran hymns appropriate for the occasion. The melodies of such hymns often appeared in cantatas, for example as in the four-part settings concluding Bach's works, or as a cantus firmus in larger choral movements. Other occasions for church cantatas include weddings and funeral services. Thus below also readings and hymns associated with the occasion are listed, for the hymns for instance based on Vopelius' Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch.Gottfried Vopelius. "Kirchen-Ordnung dieser Christlichen lieder" (= first register), pp. 1105–1117 in Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch. Leipzig: Christoph Klinger. 1682. Data such as readings and hymns generally apply to Bach's Leipzig: differences may occur in other places, or other times, as indicated.
Occasions of the liturgical year
Advent Advent is celebrated on the four Sundays before Christmas. Sometimes, as in Leipzig, there was a tempus clausum (silent time: no cantatas performed) for the last three Sundays of Advent. Christmas to Epiphany The Christmas season was celebrated from Christmas Day through Epiphany. Three days were observed for Christmas, with a Christmas cantata performed every day. The next feast days were New Year and Epiphany. Sundays may occur between the third day of Christmas and New Year and/or between New Year and Epiphany: thus the period had at least five occasions, or at most seven. For the Christmas season of 1734–35 Bach composed the Christmas Oratorio in six parts, to be performed as the cantata in the service on the six feast days, three days of Christmas, New Year, the Sunday after New Year and Epiphany (there was no Sunday between the third day of Christmas and New Year in 1734). Sundays after Epiphany Depending on the date of Easter, a variable number (up to six) of Sundays occurred between Epiphany and Septuagesima, the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The sixth Sunday after Epiphany is extremely rare: in the first half of the 18th century cantatas for this Sunday were only composed in "ideal" cantata cycles, but for instance not by composers such as Bach and Graupner who generally only composed what was to be performed under their direction. Pre-Lenten Season There were three Sundays in the Pre-Lenten Season: Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima (the last one also known as Estomihi) Lent During Lent, the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter, "quiet time" was observed in Leipzig. Only the feast of Annunciation was celebrated with a cantata, even if it fell in that time. On Good Friday, a Passion was performed, in most cases rather considered an Oratorio than a cantata. In Graupner's Darmstadt there was also a cantata on Maundy Thursday. Easter to Pentecost Eastertide comprises the time up to Pentecost, starting with three days of Easter. There are five Sundays between Easter and Ascension. Ascension is followed by one Sunday before the three feast days of Pentecost. The Sundays between Easter and Pentecost have Latin names, derived from the beginning of the prescribed readings. For example, the first Sunday after Easter is called Quasimodogeniti. Some sources name the Sunday after Easter the second Sunday in Easter, counting Easter Sunday as the first. Trinity and the Sundays after Trinity Trinity is the Sunday after Pentecost. A variable number of Sundays occurs between Trinity and the first Sunday in Advent, a maximum of 27, if Easter is extremely early. Marian feasts There are three Marian feast days that are usually observed in the German Reformation era: Purification on 2 February, Annunciation on 25 March and Visitation on 2 July Feast of John the Baptist St. John's Day was celebrated on 24 June, with cantatas written by, among others, Bach and Telemann. Feast of St. Michael St. Michael's Day was celebrated on 29 September with, for instance, cantatas by Bach and Telemann, but in Graupner's Darmstadt there was apparently no demand for such cantatas. Feast of St. Stephen Saint Stephen's Day falls on 26 December, the second day of Christmas, so generally not counted as a separate occasion. Reformation Day Reformation Day is celebrated on 31 October and for instance Bach and Graupner wrote cantatas for the occasion. Reformation Day is however not always seen as one of the feasts of the liturgical year: for instance in Telemann's and Picander's ideal cantata cycles the feast day is not mentioned.
Telemann's ideal cycle thus consists of four Sundays of Advent; Seven occasions from Christmas to Epiphany; Nine Sundays between Epiphany and Lent; Six Sundays of Lent; 14 occasions from Easter to Trinity; 27 Sundays after Trinity; Three Marian Feasts, St. John's Day (24 June) and Michaelmas – totalling 72 occasions for which he provided a cantata.
Graupner's church cantatas do not include the sixth Sunday after Epiphany, nor cantatas for St. John's Day or Michaelmas, however there are cantatas for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which totals 71 occasions from GWV 1101 to 1171, with GWV 1173 indicating Reformation Day cantatas.
Libretto cycles Several cantata libretto cycles were published in the first half of the 18th century: Erdmann Neumeister: Geistliche Cantaten (1702) Anonymous (Ernst Ludwig I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen?) Sonn- und Fest-Andachten (Meiningen 1704) Benjamin Schmolck: Das Saiten-Spiel des Hertzens (1720) Picander: Sammlung Erbaulicher Gedanken (1724–25) Cantaten auf die Sonn- und Fest-Tage durch das gantze Jahr (1728–29)
First Sunday of Advent (Advent I)
Occasion Advent Sunday, first of the four Sundays of Advent, which are the four Sundays preceding Christmas Readings , night is advanced, day will come , the Entry into Jerusalem Hymns "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" by Martin Luther (Erfurt Enchiridion, 1524) and its Latin model "Veni redemptor gentium" by Ambrose"Advents Lieder" pp. 1–23 in Neues vollständiges Eisenachisches Gesangbuch. Eisenach: Rörer, 1673 "Von Adam her so lange Zeit" by Michael WeißeVon Adam her so lange Zeit at Hymnary.org "Menschenkind merk eben" by Michael WeißeMenschenkind, merk eben, was da sei dein Leben at Hymnary.org by Michael Weiße or Sortable Index of the Chorales by J.S. Bach at "Als der gütige Gott" (text by Michael Weiße, hymn tune by Johann Crüger) (text by Peter Abelard)Josiah Miller. Singers and Songs of the Church: Being Biographical Sketches of the Hymn-writers in All the Principal Collections with Notes on Their Psalms and Hymns. 2nd edition: Longmans, Green, 1869, p. 25 "Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott" (text by Michael Weiße, hymn tune by Johann Crüger)Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott at Hymnary.org "Gott durch deine Güte"
"Gläubiges Herze, freu dich heut" by Michael Altenburg and its Latin model "Conditor alme siderum"
by "Gott Vater uns sein Sohn fürstellt" "Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ, Daß du vom Himmel kommen bist" by Bartholomäus HelderWir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ, Daß du vom Himmel kommen bist at Hymnary.org "Macht hoch die Tür" by Georg Weissel (after Psalm 24:7-10) Cantatas Georg Böhm: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland Georg Philipp Telemann:"1er dimanche de l'Avent" section at Georg Philipp Telemann, Catalogue TWV 01: Cantates d'église, Temps de l'Avent () Saget der Tochter Zion, TWV 1:1234 (1716–17 cantata cycle) , TWV 1:1074 (1722?; staged in Leipzig ; BDW ) Erwachet zum Kriegen, TWV 1:481 (Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst, 1725-1726) Christoph Graupner (see also List of cantatas by Christoph Graupner § GWV 1101): Machet die Tore weit, GWV 1101/27 (1727) Johann Sebastian Bach (see also Church cantata (Bach) § Advent I):New Bach Edition (Bärenreiter). Volume 1: Adventskantaten in Series I: Cantatas Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61 (; ) Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62 (chorale cantata, ) Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36 (early version: 1725-30; final version: ) Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel:Category:Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich at IMSLP website O Herr hilf o Herr laß wohl gelingen, H. 339 (1738)Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: 12 Kantaten; V (X), Coro, orch, bc, 1750 (1750c) at Berlin State Library website Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: 12 Cantatas Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: O Herr hilf o Herr laß wohl gelingen Saget der Tochter Zion siehe dein Heil kommt, H. 348Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich; Telemann, Georg Philipp: 17 Kantaten; V (X), Coro, orch, bc, 1760 at Berlin State Library website Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: 17 Cantatas Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: Saget der Tochter Zion siehe dein Heil kommt Komm herein du Gesegneter des Herrn, H. 349 Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: Komm herein du Gesegneter des Herrn Küsset den Sohn daß er nicht zürne, H. 350 Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: Küsset den Sohn daß er nicht zürne Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Lasset uns ablegen die Werke der Finsternis, (, BDW )
Second Sunday of Advent (Advent II)
Occasion Second Sunday in Advent Readings , call of the Gentiles , coming of the Son of man Hymns (in addition to those listed for Advent I) "Es ist gewißlich an der zeit" (text by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt) Cantatas Georg Philipp Telemann:"2è dimanche de l'Avent" section at Georg Philipp Telemann, Catalogue TWV 01: Cantates d'église, Temps de l'Avent () Huetet euch, dass eure Herzen, TWV 1:811 (1716–17 cantata cycle) Endlich wird die Stunde schlagen, TWV 1:440 (Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst, 1725-1726) Christoph Graupner: see List of cantatas by Christoph Graupner § GWV 1102 Johann Sebastian Bach (see also Church cantata (Bach) § Advent II): Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! BWV 70a () Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel: Es danken dir Gott die Völker, H. 340 (1737) Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich: Es danken dir Gott die Völker
Third Sunday of Advent (Advent III)
Occasion Third Sunday of Advent, a.k.a. Gaudete Sunday Readings , the ministry of faithful apostles , John the Baptist in prison Hymns (in addition to those listed for Advent I) "Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen"Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen at Hymnary.org Cantatas Georg Philipp Telemann:"3è dimanche de l'Avent" section at Georg Philipp Telemann, Catalogue TWV 01: Cantates d'église, Temps de l'Avent () Mein Kind, willtu Gottes Diener sein, TWV 1:1129 (1716–17 cantata cycle) Das ist je gewißlich wahr, TWV 1:183 (1719 or 1720, based on 1 Timothy 1:15; misattributed to Bach as BWV 141, BDW )