“Wie schdn leuchtet der Morgenstern (BWV 1), composed for the Feast ot the Annunciation (25th March) 1725, is the last chorale Cantata of the second Leipzig cantata cycle, Texts for the ensuing cantatas revert to their customary form from Easter onward. Bach’s unknown librettist retained the original wording of Philipp Nicolai’s well-known hymn (1599) in the opening and closing verses, but rewrote the interior verses as recitatives and arias. Nicolai's hymn is only loosely Connected with the Gospel reading for the day, the story of the Annunciation (Luke 1: 26-38). The last verse can most easily be interpreted as referring to the coming of the Savior, and further allusions are woven into the second movement by Bach's librettist. Yet, the profound teeling and "bridal" character of the hymn well suit the subject of the Gospel.
The choice of instruments within the cantata is unusual; whereas the woodw inds, with two natural horns and two oboes da Caccia, emphasize the rniddle register only, the treble register is taken up by two concertante violins whose florid lines invoke the glittering of the "morning star." The opening chorus is a standard example of the form most frequently used in the chorale cantatas: the hymn melody, stated in long notes by the soprano (+ Horn 1) to contrapuntal writing in the other choral parts, is built line by line into an independent orchestral texture.
The recitatives, mainly set out in syllabic declamation, are contrasted with the concertante and joyful exuberation of the two arias in which instruments characteristic of this cantata’s orchestration are once more given prominence: oboe da caccia in the third movement, concertante violins with solo-tutti contrasts in the fifth, The simple setting of the final chorale is enriched by the independant part for the second horn.
Ach Gott, vom Himml sieh dareirr (BWV 2), the second work in the chorale Cantata year, was composed for June 18, 1724. It is based on Martin Luther’s paraphrase of Psalm 12, an old hymn for this Second Sunday after Trinity vvhich, with its lament on man's turning away from God, is well matched to the Gospel reading, the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14: 16-24). The author retained the first and last verses verbatim and rewrote each of the intervening verses as a reeirative or aria movement, though not without incorporating more or less literal quotations from Luther”s hymn.
In the form of the opening movement, Bach's intention of emphasizing the cyclical character of this year's set of chorale cantatas becomes evident. The "overture" of the series in the preceding week (BWV 20) is now followed by another form, the chorale motet with each line of the hymn fugally prepared. In the previous cantata the hymn melody was sung by the soprano; it is now heard - after its preparation by the other parts - in long notes in the alto, and in the cantatas following this one it wanders into the tenor (BWV 7) and the bass (BWV 135). The continual growth of each line of the hymn up to its full number of parts imparts the cantata movement with a characteristic dynarnic pattern. The instrumentation of 4 trornbones, 2 oboes and strings doubling the vocal parts along with the motetic writing togcther produce an archaic and austere effect, as does the hymn melody itself.
The recitatives of this Cantata frequently approach an arioso quality, especially in the chorale-related lines of the text. In contrast to the strictness of the opening chorus, the “modern” style dominates the arias, as can be seen in the concertante writing with obhligato solo violin in the first aria and the chordal and periodic character to be heard in the dance-like second arla. The final chorale represents the usual type of simple choral writing with instrumental reinforcement.
Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid (BWV 3), composed for the January 14, 1725 in the chorale cantata year, only refers in very general terms to the Gospel reading for the day - the Wedding at Cana (John 2: 1-11). The 18-verse hymn by Martin Moller (1587), after the Latin "Jesu dulcis meinoria,” speaks of Jesus as consoling and helping those in need. Bach’s librettist, who paraphrased the middle verses very freely indeed - only verse 2 is included word for word in the second movement - has done nothing to introduce any more direct references to the Gospel reading into his text.
The opening chorus is an expressive lament. The chorale melody (”O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht”) is not found in the soprano as  usual, but in the bass (+ trombone). The chorale in the vocal parts is embedded in an elegiac instrumental texture in which two oboes d'amore predominate with independent thematic material based on a melodic line descending chromatically within the interval of a fourth. This motif is also taken up by the upper three vocal parts accompanying the chorale.
The inner movements are arranged as a double sequence of recitative and aria, though the first recitative is combined with a plain four-part chorale setting in such a way that the first lines of recitative are inserted as a supplementary text (”trope”) between the lines of the hymn. The somewhat more extensive conclusion of the recitative represents a paraphrase of verses 3 to 5. The unity of the movement is achieved by a frequently recurring continuo motif derived from the first line of the hymn. The second aria has been composed as a duet and the final chorale concludes the work in simple four-part writing.
Christ lag in Todes Banden (BWV 4) is one of the earliest Bach Cantatas known to us. It probably dates from around 1707/1708, certainly before 1714. Although a Chorale cantata - based, as it is, on Luther's hymn of 1524 with unaltered text - it nevertheless does not belong to the type characteristic of the later Bach (with inner movements in recitative and aria form), but to the archaic form of the Chorale variation "per ornnes versus,” i.e. the Chorale melody is retained in all seven verses, sometimes unaltered, sometimes modified. No themes foreign to the chorale appear only accompanying instrumental figures having a motivic character. A brief sinfonia in which the beginning of the hymn is heard is followed by the individual verses of the chorale in the following arrangements:
1. Chorale chorus, melody in soprano, lower parts in imitation, violins in figurative accompaniment; ”Hallelujah” of the last line expanded into motetic writing at a quickened tempo
2. Chorale concerto in a small number of parts (soprano, alto, continuo)
3. Trio movement for violins, tenor and continuo, chorale melody (in tenor, final line freely treated) to elaborate accompaniment
4. Motetic chorus, chorale melody (Dorian B minor within an E minor movement) in the alto
5. String; vvriting with bass and continuo. Each line of the hymn first in the bass, then in the strings (violin l); final line again freely treated
6. Chorale concerto in a small number of parts (soprano, tenor, continuo)
7, Plain four-part chorale setting, doubled by instruments.
Unfortunately we only know the work from the parts of the subsequent performances of 1724 (without cornett and trombones] and 1725; yet the composition does not seem to have undergone any very substantial changes compared with the original version. Striking features are the work's clear symmetry (central axis: verse 4) and the strong connection between text and form which also lets important words stand out pictorially in the musical setting.