Die Freude reget sich, BWV 36b

History and text#

Bach wrote several works for celebrations of the Leipzig University, Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern. The text pays homage to , who was appointed Rector of Leipzig University in October 1735, and the cantata was likely written for his ceremonial appointment as the highest-ranking professor of the Faculty of Law at the University of Leipzig in May 1739. Picander was probably the author of the adaptation for the university celebration.

Scoring and structure#

The cantata is scored for four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and bass, a four-part choir, flauto traverso, two oboes d’amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo. # Chorus: # Recitative (tenor): # Aria (tenor): # Recitative (alto): # Aria (alto): # Recitative (soprano): # Aria (soprano): # Chorus and recitative (tenor, alto, soprano):

Music#

As in BWV 36.1, the first movement is cheerful in nature, and the tenor aria includes a significant oboe d’amore line. The final movement is a “jolly chorus with interpolated recitative”. The cantata is unusual in being a secular work which was parodied as a sacred work and then, some five years later again as a secular work. Bach’s parodies are usually secular to sacred rather than sacred to secular. The explanation given for the prevalence of secular to sacred parodies is that occasional secular works such as birthday cantatas had a single use and then Bach was able to reuse them as sacred works.

Recordings#

• Bach Kantaten, Wolfgang Unger, Leipziger Universitätschor, Pauliner Barockensemble, Linda Perillo, Matthias Koch, Nils Giesecke, Thorofon
• Edition Bachakademie Vol. 139 – Congratulatory and Hommage Cantatas, Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Christiane Oelze, Ingeborg Danz, Marcus Ullmann, Hänssler

Sources#

Scores * General * Cantata BWV 36b Die Freude reget sich history, scoring, sources for text and music, translations to various languages, discography, discussion, Bach Cantatas Website * BWV 36b Die Freude reget sich English translation, University of Vermont * BWV 36b Die Freude reget sich text, scoring, University of Alberta