Bach 1724/25
The second year of Bach’s Leipzig cantata cycle is characterized by the forty choral cantatas which he produced between the First Sunday after Trinity in 1724 and the Annunciation of Mary on March 25, 1725. For some unknown reason the cantata for that day, BWV 1, was the final one in the uninterrupted series of newly composed cantatas.
It is not known whether the second version of the St John Passion BWV 245.2 with its large-scale chorale-choruses was already planned for Good Friday or whether it was a fallback solution.
On Easter Sunday the older choral cantata BWV 4.2 was performed again, along with the earliest version of the Easter Oratorio.
The cantata cycle then continued from Easter Monday to Misericordias Domini with three cantatas based on texts of unknown origin, followed from Jubilate to Trinity Sunday by a series of nine cantatas on texts by the Leipzig poet Christiane Marianne von Ziegler.
1724 also saw the earliest origins of the B Minor Mass with the Christmas Day performance of the Sanctus in D (BWV 232.1) for six vocal parts including three soprano lines, a unique setting for Bach.
| Day / event | Date 1724 | Date 2024 | Work |
| 1st Sunday after Trinitatis | 11.6. | 2.6. | O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV 20 (Carus 31.020) |
2nd Sunday after Trinitatis | 18.6. | 9.6. | Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein BWV 2 (Carus 31.002) |
St John's Day | 24.6. | 24.6. | Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam BWV 7 (Carus 31.007) |
| 3rd Sunday after Trinitatis | 25.6. | 16.6. | Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder BWV 135 (Carus 31.135) |
Visitation of Mary (4th Sunday after Trinitatis) | 2.7. | 2.7. | Meine Seel erhebt den Herren BWV 10 (Carus 31.010) |
4th Sunday after Trinitatis | 2.7. | 23.6. | 1724 = Visitation of Mary, therefore no cantata for Sunday |
5th Sunday after Trinitatis | 9.7. | 30.6. | Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten BWV 93 (Carus 31.093) |
6th Sunday after Trinitatis | 16.7. | 7.7. | No evidence of a cantata performance |
| 7th Sunday after Trinitatis | 23.7. | 14.7. | Was willst du dich betrüben BWV 107 (Carus 31.107) |
| 8th Sunday after Trinitatis | 30.7. | 21.7. | Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält BWV 178 (Carus 31.178) |
| 9th Sunday after Trinitatis | 6.8. | 28.7. | Was frag ich nach der Welt BWV 94 (Carus 31.094) |
10th Sunday after Trinitatis | 13.8. | 4.8. | Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott BWV 101 (Carus 31.101) |
11th Sunday after Trinitatis | 20.8. | 11.8. | Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut BWV 113 (Carus 31.113) |
12th Sunday after Trinitatis | 27.8. | 18.8. | No evidence of a cantata performance |
Council election (Monday after Bartholomew (24.8.)) | 28.8. | 26.8. | Cantata not preserved |
13th Sunday after Trinitatis | 3.9. | 25.8. | Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 33 (Carus 31.033) |
14th Sunday after Trinitatis | 10.9. | 1.9. | Jesu, der du meine Seele BWV 78 (Carus 31.078) |
| 15th Sunday after Trinitatis | 17.9. | 8.9. | Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan BWV 99 (Carus 31.099) |
16th Sunday after Trinitatis | 24.9. | 15.9. | Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben? BWV 8.1 (Carus 31.008) |
| Michaelmas | 29.9. | 29.9. | Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir BWV 130.1 (Carus 31.130) |
17th Sunday after Trinitatis | 1.10. | 22.9. | Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost BWV 114 (Carus 31.114) |
18th Sunday after Trinitatis | 8.10. | 29.9. | Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn BWV 96 (Carus 31.096) |
19th Sunday after Trinitatis | 15.10. | 6.10. | Wo soll ich fliehen hin BWV 5 (Carus 31.005) |
20th Sunday after Trinitatis | 22.10. | 13.10. | Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele BWV 180 (Carus 31.180) |
21st Sunday after Trinitatis | 29.10. | 20.10. | Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir BWV 38 (Carus 31.038) |
22nd Sunday after Trinitatis | 5.11. | 27.10. | Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit BWV 115 (Carus 31.115) |
| 23rd Sunday after Trinitatis | 12.11. | 3.11. | Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott BWV 139 (Carus 31.139) |
24th Sunday after Trinitatis | 19.11. | 10.11. | Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig BWV 26 (Carus 31.026) |
25th Sunday after Trinitatis | 26.11. | 17.11. | Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ BWV 116 (Carus 31.116) |
1st Advent | 3.12. | 1.12. | Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 62 (Carus 31.062) |
| 2nd to 4th Advent: tempus clausum | No cantata performances | ||
Christmas Day | 25.12. | 25.12. | Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ BWV 91 (Carus 31.091), Sanctus in D BWV 232.1 (Carus 31.232/50) |
| 2nd Christmas Day | 26.12. | 26.12. | Christum wir sollen loben schon BWV 121 (Carus 31.121) |
3rd Christmas Day | 27.12. | 27.12. | Ich freue mich in dir BWV 133 (Carus 31.133) |
| Sunday after Christmas | 31.12. | 29.12. | Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122 (Carus 31.122) |
| 1725 | 2025 | ||
New Year's Day | 1.1. | 1.1. | Jesu, nun sei gepreiset BWV 41 (Carus 31.041) |
Epiphany | 6.1. | 6.1. | Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen BWV 123 (Carus 31.123) |
1st Sunday after Epiphany | 7.1. | 12.1. | Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht BWV 124 (Carus 31.124) |
| 2nd Sunday after Epiphany | 14.1. | 19.1. | Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid BWV 3 (Carus 31.003) |
| 3rd Sunday after Epiphany | 21.1. | 26.1. | Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit BWV 111 (Carus 31.111) |
Septuagesima | 28.1. | 16.2. | Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn BWV 92 (Carus 31.092) |
Purification of Mary | 2.2. | 2.2. | Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin BWV 125 (Carus 31.125) |
Sexagesima | 4.2. | 23.2. | Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort BWV 126 (Carus 31.126) |
Quinquagesima | 11.2. | 2.3. | Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott BWV 127 (Carus 31.127) |
Quadragesima to Palm Sunday: tempus clausum. | No cantata performances – except for the Annunciation | ||
Annunciation | 25.3. | 25.3. | Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern BWV 1 (Carus 31.001) |
Good Friday | 30.3. | 18.4. | Johannes-Passion BWV 245.2 (Carus 31.245/50) |
Easter Sunday | 1.4. | 20.4. | Kommt, gehet und eilt BWV 249.3 (first sacred version of the Shepherd's Cantata BWV 249.1, at the same time the original form of the Easter Oratorio BWV 249.4–5 (Carus 31.249)) Christ lag in Todes Banden BWV 4.2 (repetition, Carus 31.004) |
| Easter Monday | 2.4. | 21.4. | Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden BWV 6 (Carus 31.006) |
Easter Tuesday | 3.4. | 22.4. | No evidence of a cantata performance |
| Quasimodogeniti | 8.4. | 27.4. | Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbaths BWV 42 (Carus 31.042) |
| Misericordias Domini | 15.4. | 4.5. | Ich bin ein guter Hirt BWV 85 (Carus 31.085) |
Jubilate | 22.4. | 11.5. | Ihr werdet weinen und heulen BWV 103 (Carus 31.103) |
Cantate | 29.4. | 18.5. | Es ist euch gut, dass ich hingehe BWV 108 (Carus 31.108) |
Rogate | 6.5. | 25.5. | Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten in meinem Namen BWV 87 (Carus 31.087) |
| Ascension of Jesus | 10.5. | 29.5. | Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein BWV 128 (Carus 31.128) |
Exaudi | 13.5. | 1.6. | Sie werden euch in den Bann tun BWV 183 (Carus 31.183) |
| Pentecost | 20.5. | 8.6. | Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten BWV 74 (Carus 31.074) |
| Whit Monday | 21.5. | 9.6. | Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt BWV 68 (Carus 31.068) |
| Whit Tuesday | 22.5. | 10.6. | Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen BWV 175 (Carus 31.175) |
| Trinity Sunday | 27.5. | 15.6. | Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding BWV 176 (Carus 31.176) |