Luogo e data di registrazione		Amsterdam (Holland) - Febbraio / Maggio 1974
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		Wolf Erichson
	Prima Edizione LP		Telefunken "Das Alte Werk" | SKW 11/1-2 | 2 LPs - durata 39' 46" - 54' 44" | (p) 1975 | ANA
	Edizione CD		Teldec Classics | LC 6706 | 8.35269 ZL | 2 CDs - durata 39' 46" - 54' 44" | (c) 1987 | ADD
	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 41 e BWV 42 a cura del Concentus Musicus Wien diretto da Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

INTRODUCTION by Alfred Dürr “Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot” (BWV 39) was performed for the first time on 23rd June, 1726, and thus, contrary to what earlier researchers believed, was not composed for the Protestants driven out of Salzburg. Nevertheless there is still the possibility that the cantata, particularly appropriate in this respect, saw another apposite performance six years after its composition. The poetic text, which can be understood as two-part (introduced each by a biblical quotation from the Old or New Testament) or also as a symmetric grouping around a New Testament quotation, shows the same construction encountered when examining Cantata No. 17 (see SKW 5) and points to connections with Bach’s cousin in Meiningen, Johann Ludwig Bach. Among the movements of this mature Bach composition, the introductory chorus stands out because of the expansiveness of its concept. In structure, the multi-part feature is just as pleasing as the independent instrumental treatment of the instrumental concerto, and the text-construing imagery of the figuration school. Its form has many parts: the fugal section “Alsdenn wird dein Licht herfürbrechen”, which introduced the third (last) major part, is the same subject as the concluding section “Und die Herrlichkeit des Herrn... .”. In this way Bach succeeds in rounding off the form of the final section, just as he had managed to do so in the opening section by repeating the same texts as the beginning. Where the instruments are dealt with independently they also serve to interpret the text, especially significantly at the beginning, by distributing the chords among the recorder, oboes and strings, whereby the “distributing” of bread to the hungry is illustrated. In conspicuous contrast to this is the setting of the New Testament text in the continuo movement as a symbol of God’s personal preoccupation with man in the new union through Christ. For this reason the text is also given to the bass (as the “vox Christi” of the passion tone) and the meagreness of the instrumentation permits of inexhaustible richness of plastic text declamation. In their arrangement the other movements are more conventional, but nevertheless rich in inspiration: the Bach cantata reached its climax. “Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes” (BWV 40) combines in its text general thoughts of Christmas with a specific reference to the reading of the Gospel on St. Stephen’s Day (St. Matthew 23, 34-39; compare verse 37 with section 7) which coincides with the second day of Christmas. The 26th December, 1723, for which this cantata was composed, appears to have been celebrated in the church service as a commemorative day of the first Christian martyr. Furthermore, the unknown text writer incorporated a comparatively large number of choral sentences in his text, while Bach did not use the opportunity for varying compositional treatment. As with the previously examined cantatas, the generous arrangement of the introductory movement is noteworthy which has an especially festive effect due to the addition of two horns. Admittedly the short Bible text permits of a briefer and formally more compact structure than in Cantata No. 39. Both in the mainly chordal outer sections and in the fugal middle section the text is sung in full. In this connection the contrast of “Son of God - Devil” is also emphasised musically, particularly in the two themes of the chorale fugue (combined with each other after the exposition of the first), in their graphically opposing design (song-like - declamatory; tranquil - animated). The text of sentences 4 and 5 is only comprehensible with reference to the word of God to the serpent (1st book of Moses, 3, 15) “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel ...” Christian theology understood these words to be the first reference to Christ: he will bruise the head of the diabolical serpent. Rocking, uninterrupted semiquaver figures are in both sentences the picture of the serpent; Appropriately  they descend into the bass pitch of the continuo only on the words “Der dir den Kopf als ein Sieger zerknickt” (sentence 4). Probably victory over Satan still had to be achieved (pointed rhythms in sentence 4); but it is now certain; this is indicated by the dancelike rhythm of the first and also the horn signals of the second aria, with which the joyful character of the introductory movement is reestablished.