Kantate, BWV 76 "Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes"
Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes (English: The heavens are telling the glory of God), BWV 76 in Leipzig for the second Sunday after Trinity of the liturgical year and first performed it on 6 June 1723.
Bach composed the cantata at a decisive turning point in his career. Moving from posts in the service of churches and courts to the town of Leipzig on the first Sunday after Trinity, 30 May 1723, he began the project of composing a new cantata for every occasion of the liturgical year. He began his first annual cycle of cantatas ambitiously with Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, in an unusual layout of 14 movements in two symmetrical parts, to be performed before and after the sermon. Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, performed a week later, has the same structure.
Movements
- Coro (Sopran, Alt, Tenor, Bass) "Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes"
- Recitativo (Tenor) "So läßt sich Gott nicht unbezeuget!"
- Aria (Sopran) "Hört, ihr Völker, Gottes Stimme"
- Recitativo (Bass) "Wer aber hört"
- Aria (Bass) "Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft!"
- Recitativo (Alt) "Du hast uns, Herr, von allen Straßen"
- Choral "Es woll uns Gott genädig sein"
- Sinfonia
- Recitativo (Bass) "Gott segne noch die treue Schar"
- Aria (Tenor) "Hasse nur, hasse mich recht"
- Recitativo (Alt) "Ich fühle schon im Geist"
- Aria (Alt) "Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!"
- Recitativo (Tenor) "So soll die Christenheit"
- Choral "Es danke, Gott, und lobe dich"