Bach composed the cantata "O God, from heaven look on us" BWV 2 for the 2nd Trinity Sunday 1724 as the second cantata of the annual cycle of chorale cantatas. It is based on Martin Luther’s rewriting of Psalm 12. The opening movement is one of a group of cantata opening movements which are not concertante but kept entirely in the motet style, with the instruments serving only to reinforce the singers. The archaic character of this movement is heightened by the addition of a trombone quartet. The concertante style is all the more significant in the first aria for contralto, solo violin and continuo. The first secco recitative represents a special feature: two fragments of the chorale are woven as arioso into the recitative, both in text and melody; futhermore, they are also taken up canonically by the continuo.
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Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
| 1685-1750Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most important composers of Western music history. He came from a widely ramified musical dynasty, which produced numerous musicians and organists in the Thuringian-Saxon area.
Bach vocal
Ever since Carus-Verlag was founded in 1972, publishing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach has been a special focus for us. In the 2017 Reformation anniversary year we completed the Bach vocal project. Bach's complete sacred vocal works are now available in modern Urtext editions, together with performance material. A complete edition of all the full scores is also available in a high quality box set. Personal details
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Editor
Reinhold Kubik
| 1942
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Songwriter / Librettist
Martin Luther
| 1483-1546
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Continuo realization
Reinhold Kubik
| 1942
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Preface writer
Hans-Joachim Schulze
| 1934Hans-Joachim Schulze, Jahrgang 1934, war Direktor des Bach-Archivs-Leipzig und lehrte an der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg und an der Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig. Er ist Autor zahlreicher Publikationen zu Bach und seiner Zeit Personal details