Luogo e data di registrazione		Doopsgezinde Kerk, Haarlem (Holland) - Gennaio 1984
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		Wolf Erichson
	Prima Edizione LP		Teldec "Das Alte Werk" | 6.35654 EX | 2 LPs - durata 49' 24" - 51' 33" | (p) 1985 | DIGITAL DMM
	Edizione CD		Teldec Classics | LC 6706 | 8.35654 ZL | 2 CDs - durata 49' 24" - 51' 33" | (p) 1985 | DDD
	Cover		Johann Sebastian Nach, einige Jahre vor seiner Ernennung zum Kantor in Leipzig. Gemälde con JJ. Ihle (1720) Bach Museum Eisenach.
	Note		In questo volume sono presenti anche La Cantate BWV 147 e BWV 148 a cura del Concentus Musicus Wien diretto da Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

INTRODUCTION by Gerhard Schuhmacher »Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg« (BWV 149), written for the Feast of St. Michael, is based on a text by Picander of 1728. The Saint’s victory over Satan inspired Bach to borrow the final movement of the Hunting Cantata, BWV 208, for the opening chorus. The two hunting horns were replaced by three heraldic trumpets and timpani, otherwise the scoring was left intact. The transposition from F to D, although in accordance with character and tuning of the instruments, resulted in the »feel« of the movement being altered. Apart from the general resemblance in mood, words of similar meaning or derived from the same root, e. g. »freudige Stunden« (»joyful hours«) replacing the earlier »Mit Freuden« (»joyfully«), provided the material for an adequate setting of the text in addition to an effective »parody«. The instrumental and vocal figuration of the bass aria (No. 2) reveal a vision of apocalyptic power, in contrast to the dancing soprano aria »Gottes Engel weichen nie« (»God’s angels never leave me«) which is a tone picture of security. In the duet »Seid wachsam, ihr heiligen Wächter« (»Be vigilant, ye holy watchmen«) a bassoon, otherwise hardly ever used by Bach as a solo instrument, represents the sentinels on their rounds. A simple chorale concludes the cantata, with the trumpets entering quite unexpectedly at the end. »Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, (BWV 150), being written for an unspecified occasion, has often had its authenticity called in question. However, certain features, such as the brief Sinfonia, the scoring and its resemblance to other works suggest that it was composed in 1708/09. The choral movements (Nos. 2 and 4) are structured in short passages in the style of a motet, No. 4 »Leite mich« (»Lead me«), in which the voices take over from one another, containing remarkable word painting. The choral movement »Meine Augen sehen stets zu dem Herrn« (»My eyes always look to the Lord«) is in two sections, the first one acting as a prelude to the fugue which follows. The final movement is a Ciacona, a form derived from purely instrumental music, which so impressed Johannes Brahms when the complete edition of Bach’s works was published in 1844 that he used the bass line, with slight modifications, for the last movement of his Fourth Symphony, which is also a Chaconne. »Süßer Trost, mein Jesu kömmt« (BWV 151), set to a text by the Darmstadt poet Georg Christian Lehms, was written for the third day of Christmas. As in other cantatas for the third day of a feast, Bach only used the choir of St. Thomas’s, who had been hard at work, in the simple chorale. The opening aria, which has been particularly highly regarded ever since it became known in the 19th century, dominates and casts a glow over the whole work. The tension between inner joy and consolation, the molto adagio and sempre piano of the first part, and the vivace of the central section create an espressivo, the polarities of which Bach usually allotted to two separate arias (e. g. in BWV 147- 149). Here the spacious melodic phrases and tone colours evocative of chamber music (woodwind and strings) determine its intimate character, which carries over into the alto aria. The symbolism of the two recitatives matches the expressive lines of the arias.