In his Bach monograph of 1883, Philipp Spitta admires the early wedding cantata Der Herr denket an uns (BWV 196) (composed 1707/08), and comments that "the musical world could grow fond of it, if only people would actually perform it." Posterity responded to Spitta's challenge, and was richly rewarded. The cantata is worked like chamber music, and is scored for strings alone. One is struck by the presence here in embryonic form of central elements of the characteristic Bach style: the introductory Sinfonia is developed from the subject of the choral movement that follows. In the latter, contrapuntal writing is mixed with concertante composition. The highly expressive melodic writing in the soprano aria paints a vivid picture of the hand of the Lord outstretched in blessing. The final "Amen" is a double fugue. The duet alone still breathes the spirit of the previous era, the noble spirit of a Giovanni Gabrieli.
Gott ist unsre Zuversicht (BWV 197) was composed as a wedding cantata in 1736/37. Movements written prior to this, however (Nos. 6 & 8), from a Christmas cantata Ehre ser Gott in der Höhe (BWV 197a) among other sources, were reused here - a procedure frequently applied by Bach, correctly called "parodying," which remains the subject of continual rethinking for Bach scholars. The festive instrumentation is in keeping with the nature of the occasion for which the work was written: three trumpets, two oboos d’amore, bassoon, string ensemble and continuo, plus three vocal soloists and a four-part choir. Each of the work’s two sections closes with a chorale: No. 5 with "Du suße Lieb, schenk uns deine Gunst" (1524), No. 10 - the text is missing in the autograph manuscript - with "Sing, bet und geh auf Gottes Wegen" of 1657. The introductory chorus is preceded by an instrumental Sinfonia with which it is linked thematically. Both the three arias and the four recitatives are laid out very differently from one another. The varied da capo aria ”Schläfert allen Sorgenkummer" (No. 3) with obbligato oboe d'amore, with strictly hierarchically structured string writing and the striking, evenly flowing basso continuo, deserves particular attention for the reciprocal connections between the vocal and instrumental spheres.
Though Gottsched lived in the same town as Bach for no fewer than 26 years, the great composer, who was 15 years older; only wrote three settings of texts by the central poet of the German Literary Enlightenment. One of these is the Funeral Ode (BWV 198) notable for its verses written in German, which were intended to show "how well and with what dexterity one can express oneself in the German language.” Gottsched’s unusual choice of language for the ode genre was doubtless influenced by the exceptional popularity of the Queen and Electress Christiane Eberhardine. In a Saxony torn by religious strife, she had adhered to the Protestant faith, whereas her spouse had converted to Catholicism. The citizens of Leipzig showed their gratitude and approval for this steadfastness with an impressive funeral service on October 17, 1727 in the University Church. Bach’s funeral music "in the Italian manner,” the cantata Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahle (BWV 198) was performed here, both before and after the eulogy of praise and mourning given by "the Assessor of the Royal and Electoral Supreme Court of Freiburg, Hans Carl von Kirbach." "In the Italian manner" meant that the recitatives and arias of the cantata were accompanied on the harpsichord, in addition to the obbligato instruments. Of course, Bach had to reshape Gottsched’s ten-stanza ode into a text that satisfied him musically: a remarkable procedure that gives us an insight into Bach's way of thinking as a composer. The resulting ten movements - three choruses, four recitatives and three arias - allowed Bach to compose music rich in associations, and his alternations to the text intensify individual expression and the subjective emotional effect on the listener, and make the whole altogether more vivid. Bach endowed the work with rich scoring, and made skilful use of the variable sound potential thus achieved to give more differentiated expression to the feelings of grief and despair, of admiration and mourning. As in the great Passions, the work is brought to a close by a simple choral movement symbolizing human magnanimity and fidelity of character.
The Gospel text for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity is a confession of sins made with great lament, with many sighs and grief-stricken remorse, all rewarded by God's conciliatory forgiveness. Research has not yet managed to ascertain whether Bach became acquainted with the very graphic text, Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (BWV 199) for this occasion via the liturgical collection Gottgefälliges Kirchen-Opffer, published in 1711 by Georg Christian Lehms. It is entirely possible that Bach was already familiar with the cantata setting of the same text written in 1712 by Johann Christoph Graupner, who occupied a similar post to Bach’s in Darmstadt. We can at any rate he sure that Bach’s composition was heard in public for the first time on August 12,1714, in Weimar. Bach subsequently came back to the work several times, with the result that it exists in three different versions (1714, circa 1720 and 1723) which vary from one another in terms of the instrumental ensemble required. Lehms’s text is indebted to the form "modernized” by Erdmann Neumeister (e.g. there are no Biblical quotations), which is consistently set by Bach as a solo cantata. In order to avoid the monotony that could result - even the chorale is set as a solo movement - he varies the instrunrental accompaniment to the vocal part in each movement. The experimental spirit of the youthful composer is evident from the imaginative, remarkably inventive combinations produced with the small number of instruments (oboe, violins, viola and continuo group). Thus, in nearly all the recitatives the continuo instruments are supported by the strings, enabling Bach in turn to produce a graphic reflection of the extravagant Baroque text in his music. In the arias, especially in No. 2, the vocal melody is anticipated by the introductory instrumental ritornello - a procedure that was to become characteristic of Bach arias. The work is brought to a close in the dancelike manner of a gigue, lightly tripping and altogether succinct: the sins have been forgiven.