Bach Cantata Notes

BWV 90

Bach Cantata BWV 90 dates from his first season in Leipzig. Written for the end of the Trinity season, the work, like all of the late Trinity pieces, has a strong eschatological caste. The two large arias that make up the body of this work take a different tack on the end of the world. There is nothing in all of Bach that matches the sheer ferocity of the first aria for tenor with strings. The rushing scales and the clangorous open d strings of the violins are in contrast to the halting, yelping tenor part. The sudden pauses and precipitous leaps in the voice part all contribute to the overwhelming sense of panic in the piece. The alto recitative is somewhat calmer. The bass aria with trumpet and strings is more poised than the tenor aria, but gives a ringing and specific picture of the last trumpet. The setting of Vater unser im Himmelreich that ends this cantata contains what is perhaps the most startling deceptive cadence in all of Bach.

©Craig Smith