Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn (BWV 152) was composed by the ”Court organist and Cammer-Musicus" Johann Sebastian Bach who, in March l7l4, had ”upon his most humble application” been appointed Konzertmeister (ranking third in the musical establishment) at Weimar, for a performance on December 30 of that year. The Gospel for this, the First Sunday after Christmas (Luke 2: 33-40), on which the Weimar poet and senior church official Salomo Franck based his text, follows immediately alter the Song of Simeon (”Nunc dimittis"). Although on feast days the Duke of Weimar's orchestra was somewhat augmented, Bach adhered, particularly in his Weimar cantatas, to a small group of decidedly chamber-music dimensions. The opening Sinfonia (concerto) of Cantata No. 152, in which a four-bar introduction is followed by a permutation fugue, is played by a recorder, oboe, viola d’amore and viola da gamba. Towards the end of the instrumental movement the fugue subject is played as a stretto by the recorder and viola d'amore and returns eight bars before the end in parallel sixths. In the bass aria in B flat with oboe obbligato the scale figures allude to the ”Glaubensbahn" (Path of Faith). The pass recitative which follows contains a typical example of Bach’s word painting, a leap of a tenth to the low D sharp on the words ”zum Fall," similar to the downward augmented eleventh on the word "grave" in the bass recitative of Cantata No. 78, Jesu, der du meine Seele. After a particularly striking soprano aria and a further bass recitative, the soprano and bass (the faithful soul and the vox Christi) come together in an originally constructed final duet. The two voices are joined again in canon, symbolising the imitation of Christ; the 16-bar instrumental ritornello is played again at the end.
Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind (BWV 153), written for January 2, 1724 to an anonymous text, follows the Gospel for that day, which deals with the flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents (Matthew 2: 13-15). This cantata does not open with a difficult chorus but with a simple four-part Chorale on the hymn tune of "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein.” The explanation is quite straightforward: Beeause the choir of St Thomas's was under continous pressure during the three holy days of Christmas and on New Year's Day, only the previous day, Bach obligingly made fewer demands on them, merely giving them three chorales to sing. These circumstances may also explain the absence of wind instruments. The bass aria ”Fürchte dich nicht" (Be not dismayed - Isaiah 41: 10) and the two strongly contrasting arias, in which the tenor and the alto sing of the enemies of Christian souls and ”ewige Freuden” (eternal salvation) in heaven, are accompanied by strings alone. The taut, dotted rhythm and unison passages determine the mood of the aria in A minor (”Stürmt nur stürmt, ihr Trubsalswetter" - Storm and rage ye seas of troubles); the aria in C, a minuet, may well be a parody of a secular cantata movement.
Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren (BWV 154) was performed on January 9, 1724 and later at least once more in Leipzig after 1735. The cantata may even stent from Bach’s time in Weimar, but conceivably the individual movements date from different periods. In Alfred Dürr's view the hypothesis that this is a parody is given the lie by the first aria’s obvious relevance to the unknown author's text. This deals with the Gospel reading about the twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple (Luke 2: 41-52) but imparts to it universal validity. lt is sinful Man who has lost Christ, though steadfast faith will bring salvation. The highly emphatic tenor aria (which Albert Schweitzer likened to the tenor aria ”Ach mein Sinn” from the St John Passion) is built on a chromatic, falling ostinato continuo. The rapid string chords at the words “O Donnerwort in meinen Ohren” (O Word of Doom and desolation) in turn call to mind the analogous part in the well-known cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort. A secco recitative is followed by a four-part chorale set to the tune of "Werde munter, mein Gemüte." In the following aria in A, Bach dispensed with the continuo bass. The omission is once again to be interpreted as a symbol of innocence ("laß doch meine Sünden keine dicken Wolken sein" - Let my sins not hide Thee, like a thunder cloud from me). An unusual feature is the harpsichord which doubles the upper string parts an octave lower. Another rernarkable feature is the duet for alto and tenor, in which joyous parallel sixths represent the glad awareness that Jesus has been found; in the last section in 3/8 time the canonic treatment of the vocal parts hints at the imitation of Christ (”Ich will dich, mein Jesu, nun nirnrnermehr lassen” - Ah Jesus, rny Jesus, no more will I leave Thee).
Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange (BWV 155) was heard forthe first time in Weimar on January 19, 1716. Salomo FranclK?s text, taken ftrom the collection Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer alludes sporadically to the Gospel for that Sunday, which deals with Christßs miracle at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2: l-1l). This cantata, like others from the Weimar period, is scored for a small instrumental group consisting merely of strings, continuo and bassoon. The latter, however, does not just reinforce the instrumental bass line, as is the case in other Weimar cantatas, but in the duet in A minor "Du mußt glauben, du mußt hoffen" (We must trust Him, we must heed Him) it is given a demanding solo part to play, extending over a very wide range. In the introductory recitative, expectant longing is expressed above a pedal point on D, before the words "Freudenwein" (wine of ioy) and "sinken" (sinking) are exploited with characteristic word painting in the vocal line. In a recitative, almost an arioso, which follows the duet already referred to, the vox Christi promises ”für bitter Zähren den Trost- und Freudenwein” (Thy bitter lamentation will be a happy smile). Thereafter Bach’s string writing becomes positively realistic in his interpretation of the soprano aria in F (”Wirf, mein Herze, wirf dich noch in des Höchsten Liebesarme" - Up my heart and give thyself wholly to the Lord's protection). The cantata ends with a simple chorale set to the 12th stanza of the hymn ”Es ist das Heil uns kommen her.”
Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe (BWV 156) was probably performed for the first time on January 23, 1729. The text by the private tutor and postal officer Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici) relates to the Gospel for the Third Sunday after Epiphany, which tells of Christ healing the sick. Bach later used the opening Sinfonia, containing an important solo part for the oboe with string accompaniment, for the slow movement of his Harpsichord Concerto in F minor (BWV 1056). The aria in F, the layout of which recalls some of his earlier cantatas, is of particular interest. The soprano, singing the first stanza of J. H. Schein's hymn "Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt" (Deal with me Lord, according to Your charity) provides the counterpoint to the tenor solo with its explicit text. The concertino, consisting of an oboe obbligato, violin and continuo, alternates with the alto in the B flat aria "Herr, was du willt, soll mir gefallen” (Lord, by Thy will shall I be guided), and after a bass recitative the work concludes with a chorale on an original melody.