Early Sacred Works: Cantatas 150, 4, and 106 (with bonus historical feature)

Most of Bach’s earliest cantatas cannot be tied to specific liturgical occasions or date, so we are purposefully making space for them in our calendar.

These cantatas have a very specific charm of their own–and some of them, such as Cantatas 4 and 106, are among the composer’s most beloved works. These early works see Bach’s boundless ideas and youthful exuberance overflow, often in the search of the best format to shape them-–a process which would only start in earnest when Bach was first exposed to the structure and development techniques in the music of Vivaldi, Corelli, and other Italian composers. Please join us to explore three of Bach’s earliest cantatas, written when he was 22 or 23.

The program will include a special section during which member Val will present to us how the interpretation of one specific movement of cantata 4 has changed over the last 100 years.

Instructions on how to join the meeting will be shared with confirmed attendees one day ahead–the link to the Zoom room is also visible to them on the right of this screen.