Give the hungry ones thy bread
Cantata for the 1st Sunday after Trinity BWV 39, 1726
The 1st Sunday after Trinity marked the beginning of the school year in Leipzig and thus for the Thomascantor the start of a new annual cantata cycle – completely breaking with the traditions of the time. This also explains the large-scale opening chorus of the cantata Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (Give the hungry ones Thy bread) written for the 1st Sunday after Trinity in 1726, whose orchestral accompaniment is entirely characterized by a sense of “breaking”: Punctuated chords wander through the voices. In complete contrast to the opening chorus, the rest of the cantata adopts a chamber-music style. All arias dispense with the string tutti; the central and most important of these, “Wohlzutun und mitzuteilen vergesset nicht” (Do thou good and help thy neighbour), is even composed as a simple continuo aria.
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Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
| 1685-1750Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most important composers of Western music history. He came from a widely ramified musical dynasty, which produced numerous musicians and organists in the Thuringian-Saxon area.
Bach vocal
Ever since Carus-Verlag was founded in 1972, publishing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach has been a special focus for us. In the 2017 Reformation anniversary year we completed the Bach vocal project. Bach's complete sacred vocal works are now available in modern Urtext editions, together with performance material. A complete edition of all the full scores is also available in a high quality box set. Personal details
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Editor
Ulrich Leisinger
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Translator
Henry Drinker
Reviews
Johann Sebastian Bach: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot BWV 39
Johann Sebastian Bach: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot BWV 39
Vorliegende Kantate erklang nach heutigem Wissenstand zum ersten Mal am 23. Juni 1726 in Leipzig. Näheres ist im Vorwort zu erfahren, das auch mit der Legende aufräumt, Bach habe diese Kantate 1732 für einen Festgottesdienst zugunsten der aus Salzburg vertriebenen Protestanten geschrieben. Dass diese zweiteilige Kantate mit ihrem 218 Takte langen Eingangschor zu den besonders anspruchsvollen Kantaten gehört, braucht wohl nicht eigens betont zu werden.
Quelle: Musica Sacra 4/1999, S. 298