Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (BWV 39) was performed for the firsl time on June 23, 1726, and thus, contrary to what earlier researchers believed was not composed for the Protestant driven out of Salzburg. Nevertheless there is still the possibility that the cantata, particularly appropriate in this respect, saw another performance six years after its composition.
The poetic text, which can be understood as a two-part each (introduced by a biblical quotation from the Old or New Testament) or also as a symmetric grouping around a New Testament quotation, shows the same construction encountered when examining Cantata No. l7 and points to connections with Bach's cousin in Meiningen, Johann Ludwig Bach.
Among the rnovements of this mature Bach composition, the introductory chorus stands out because of its expansive layout. In structure, the multi-part feature is just as pleasing as the independent instrumental treatment of the instrumcntal concerto, and the text-construing imagery of the figuration school. Its form has many parts: the fugal section "Alsdenn wird dein Licht herfürbrechen," which introduced the third (last) rnajor part, is the same subject as the concluding section ”Und die Herrlichkeit des Herrn...”. In this way Bach succeeds in rounding off the form of the final section, just as hc had managed to do so in the opening section by repeating the same text as at the beginning.
Where the instruments are dealt with independently they also serve to interpret the text, especially significantly at the beginning, by distributing the chords among the recorder, oboes and strings, wherelay the “distributing” of bread to the hungry is illustrated.
In conspicuous contrast to this is the setting of the New Testament text in the continuo movement as a symbol of God's personal preoccupation with mankind in its new union through Christ. For this reason the text is also given to the bass (as the vox Christi of the passion tone) and the meagerness of the instrumentation permits an inexhaustihle richness of supple text declamation.
In their arrangement the other movements are more conventional, but nevertheless rich in inspiration: the Bach cantata is encountered here at its zenith.
Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes (BWV 40) combines in its text general thoughts of Christmas with a specific reference to the reading of the Gospel on The Feast of St Stephen (Sr Matthew 23, 34-39; compare verse 37 with section 7) which coincides with The Second Day of Christmas. December 26, 1723, the day for which this cantata was composed, appears to have been celebrated in the church service as a commernorative day of the first Christian martyr. Furthermore, the unknovvn author incorporated a comparatively large number of choral verses in his text, while Bach did not use the opportunity for varying compositional treatment. As with the previously examined cantatas, the generous arrangement of the introductory movement is worthy of special notice. It has an especially festive effect due to the addition of two horns. Admittedly the short Bible text allows for a briefer and formally more compact structure than in Cantata No. 39. Both in the mainly chordal outer sections and in the fugal middle section the text is sung in full. In this connection thc contrast of “Son og God - Devil” is also emphasised musically, particularly in the two themes of the chorale fugue (combined with each other after the exposition of the first), in their graphically contradistinct design (songlike - declarnatory; tranquil - animated). The text of sentences 4 and 5 is only comprehensible with reference to the word of God to the serpent (Genesis 3: 15) "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt loruise his heel...” Christian theology understood these words to be the first reference to Christ: he vvill bruise the head of the diabolical serpent. Rocking, uninterrupted sixteenthnote figures are in both sentences the picture of the serpent; appropriately they descend into the bass pitch of the continue only on the words "Der dir den Kopf als ein Sieger zerknickt" (sentence 4). It would follow from the music that victory over Satan still had to be achieved (dotted rhythms in sentence 4). The certainty of final victory is indicated by the dancelike rhythm of the first aria and also the horn signals of the second aria with which the joyful character of the introductory movement is re-established.
Jesu, nun sei gepreiset (BWV 41) for New Years Day of 1725 belongs to the annual cycles of chorale cantatas and, as in several works of this particular cycle, the unknown poet who paraphrased the song by Johannes Herman took as his theme only the content of the song - praise and thanks - without incorporating in his concepts the Gospel reading on the Baptism of Christ. The introductory chorus displays the typical characteristics of Bach's choral movements: the song melody is heard in long sustained notes in the soprano, supported by the mainly lively, imitative foundation of the other vocal parts, all of which is embedded in a concertante orchestral movement. Because of its extreme length, however, Bach divided up the latter part of the stanza (lines 9-l4) into a homophonic adagio section depicting the ”gute Stille” and a motetic presto section (i,e., the pleasant final lines with music taken from the setting of lines 1-2),
While the simple final chorale, in the scoring and themes of the line interludes, reverts to the introductory movement, Bach is able by way of varied instrumentation to impart animating contrasts to the two arias, which are marked by a more intimate tone. The choral melody of the oboe trio in the first is confronted in the second aria by the broadly flourishing gestures of a ”violoncello piccolo” in arpeggiated chords.
Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats (BWV 42) is by an author whose works Bach often set to music in his post-Easter cantatas. Many researchers believe him to have been a theologian, since his writings are markerd less by poetic content and more by a tendency to instruct. Bach’s composition for April 8, 1725 evidently takes into account the burdens imposed upon the choir in the preceding days by the Passion and Easter. It allots to the solo tenor the introductory biblical quotation taken over from the Sunday gospel, then replaces the usual introductory chorus by a six-bar recitative. By way of compensation it precedes the latter with a concerto movement in the style of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and presumably taken from an instrumental composition since lost. In its main section, the first aria (section 3) might very well have originated from the second movement of this concerto as well,whereas the centre section is probably an original composition.
The succeeding duet is, it is true, based upon a chorale text, but the composition does not reveal any noteworthy connections with the melody usually sung (”Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn” - Come on to me, saith the Son og God).
The second aria (section 6) takes its themes from the contrast of instrumental tumult motifs and the tranquil vocal melody, depicting Jesus as a safe haven against assaults bythe enemy. Confirmation of this is provided by observing that the singing voice alone on the word ”Verfolgung” (persecution) likewise rcvcrts to lively sixteen-note coloratura.