In the church year

Bach Cantatas for Sundays and Holidays during the Liturgical Year

Johann Sebastian Bach composed numerous sacred cantatas for Sundays, feast days, and commemorative days for throughout the church year. Here you can find a comprehensive overview of his cantatas classified according to the liturgical calendar.
More information about the works can be found on the respective product pages of the cantatas or Christoph Wolff, Bach vocal. Ein Handbuch, Stuttgart 2021 (Carus 24.073).

Key to symbols:

    * = revivals and revisions of older own works
    {} = subsequent additions to the annual cycle
    [] = cannot be reconstructed

Pre-Leipzig period: 1707 to summer 1723
1st year: 1st Sunday after Trinity 1723 until Trinity 1724
2nd year: 1st Sunday after Trinity 1724 until Trinity 1725
3rd year: 1st Sunday after Trinity 1725 to Trinity 1726

 

 

Liturgical Use Pre-Leipzig 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 4th/5th year Other Cantatas
 
1st Sunday of Advent
 BWV 61 BWV 61* BWV 62 BWV 36    BWV 36.5
2nd Sunday of Advent
 [BWV 70a] no cantata performances due to tempus clausum  

3rd Sunday of Advent

 BWV 186a no cantata performances due to tempus clausum  

4th Sunday of Advent

 BWV 132
BWV 147a		 no cantata performances due to tempus clausum  
Christmas Day
 BWV 63 BWV 63* BWV 91 BWV 110

BWV 197.1

BWV 197

2nd Day of Christmas
   BWV 40 BWV 121 BWV 57
    
3rd Day of Christmas
   BWV 64 BWV 133 BWV 151    
Sunday after Christmas BWV 152   BWV 122 BWV 28    
New Year   BWV 190 BWV 41 BWV 16   BWV 171
Sunday after New Year   BWV 153   BWV 58    
Epiphany   BWV 65 BWV 123      
1st Sunday after Epiphany
   BWV 154 BWV 124 BWV 32    

2nd Sunday after Epiphany

 BWV 155 BWV 155*

BWV 3

 BWV 13    

3rd Sunday after Epiphany

   BWV 73 BWV 111 BWV 72

BWV 156

4th Sunday after Epiphany

   BWV 81

{BWV 14}

    
Septuagesimae   BWV 144 BWV 92 BWV 84

*BWV 84 

Sexagesimae BWV 18.1 BWV 181
BWV 18.2*		 BWV 126      
EstomihiBWV 22
BWV 23.2
 BWV 22*
BWV 23.2
 BWV 127 

BWV 159
BWV 23.3

Invocavit   no cantata due to tempus clausum  
Reminiscere   no cantata due to tempus clausum  
Oculi BWV 80a
BWV 54 		no cantata due to tempus clausum  
Laetare   no cantata due to tempus clausum  
Judica   no cantata due to tempus clausum  
Palm Sunday BWV 182 BWV 182* BWV 182*      
Easter Sunday
 [BWV 4.1]
[BWV 31.1]		 BWV 4.2
BWV 31.2

BWV 4.2
BWV 249.3

    

BWV 249.4
BWV 249.5

Easter Monday
   BWV 66.2 BWV 6      
Easter Tuesday
   BWV 134.2    

BWV 158
BWV 134.3

Quasimodogeniti   BWV 67 BWV 42      
Misericordias Domini
BWV 104 BWV 85     BWV 112
Jubilate BWV 12 BWV 12* BWV 103 BWV 146    
Kantate   BWV 166 BWV 108      
Rogate   BWV 86 BWV 87      
Ascension   BWV 37 BWV 128 BWV 43   BWV 11
Exaudi   BWV 44 BWV 183      
Pentecost Sunday

BWV 172.1
BWV 172.2
BWV 59

BWV 172*
BWV 59*

 BWV 74    

BWV 34.2
BWV 172.3

2nd Day of Pentecost
   BWV 173.2* BWV 68  

 BWV 174

3rd Day of Pentecost
  BWV 184.2* BWV 175      
Trinity
 BWV 165 BWV 194.3*
BWV 165* 		BWV 176
 

 {BWV 129}
BWV 194.4

1st Sunday after Trinity
   BWV 75 BWV 20 BWV 39    

2nd Sunday after Trinity

  BWV 76 BWV 2      

3rd  Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 21.3 BWV 135      

4th Sunday after Trinity

 BWV 185.1 BWV 24
BWV 185.2
   

 {BWV 177}

5th Sunday after Trinity

  
BWV 93 BWV 88    

6th Sunday after Trinity

  

BWV 170  

{BWV 9}

7th Sunday after Trinity
BWV 186 BWV 107 BWV 187    

8th Sunday after Trinity
BWV 136 BWV 178 BWV 45    

9th Sunday after Trinity
BWV 105 BWV 94 BWV 168    

10th Sunday after Trinity
BWV 46 BWV 101 BWV 102    

11th Sunday after Trinity

 BWV 199 BWV 179
BWV 199.3		 BWV 113      

12th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 69.1
BWV 35     {BWV137}

13th Sunday after Trinity
BWV 77 BWV 33 BWV 164    

14th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 25 BWV 78 BWV 17    

15th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 138 BWV 99     BWV 51

16th Sunday after Trinity

 BWV 161 BWV 95 BWV 8.1 BWV 27    BWV 8.2

17th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 148 BWV 114 BWV 47
 

18th Sunday after Trinity

     BWV 96 BWV 169    

19th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 48 BWV 5 BWV 56    

20th Sunday after Trinity

 BWV 162.1
 BWV 162.2 BWV 180 BWV 49    

21st Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 109 BWV 38 BWV 98 BWV 188  

22nd Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 89 BWV 115 BWV 55*    

23rd Sunday after Trinity

 BWV 163 BWV 163* BWV 139 BWV 52    

24th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 60 BWV 26      

25th Sunday after Trinity

   BWV 90 BWV 116      

26th Sunday after Trinity
BWV 70.2        

27th Sunday after Trinity

    
     {BWV 140}
             
Purification (February 2)
BWV 83 BWV 125 BWV 82.1 BWV 157

BWV 157.2
BWV 158
BWV 82.2
BWV 82.3
BWV 161

Annunciation (March 25)
   BWV 182* BWV 1      
St. John's Day (June 24)
   BWV 167 BWV 7     BWV 30
Visitation (July 2)
BWV 147*
 BWV 10      
St. Michael's Day (September 29)
  
BWV 130.1 BWV 19

BWV 149
BWV 50
BWV 130.2

Reformation (October 31)
 
BWV 79
BWV 80.2
BWV 80.3

 

Occasional cantatas

Cantatas and movement without specific purpose
BWV 21 · BWV 50 · BWV 51 · BWV 97 · BWV 100 · BWV 117  · BWV 143 · BWV 190 · BWV 192 · BWV 193 · [BWV 223]

 

Cantatas for the council:
BWV 29 · BWV 69 · BWV 71 · BWV 119  · BWV 120 · BWV 190  · BWV 193*

 

Wedding cantatas
[BWV 34a] · [BWV 120a] · BWV 195 · BWV 196 · BWV 197 · BWV 250-252

 

Funeral cantatas
BWV 106 · BWV 131 · BWV 150 · BWV 198 · BWV 1083

 

Other occasional cantatas
[BWV 120b] · [BWV 190a] · BWV 194