Luogo e data di registrazione		Amsterdam (Holland) - Giugno 1976
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		Wolf Erichson
	Prima Edizione LP		Telefunken "Das Alte Werk" | SKW 17/1-2 | 2 LPs - durata 33' 20" - 44' 25" | (p) 1977 | ANA
	Edizione CD		Teldec Classics | LC 6706 | 8.35335 ZL | 2 CDs - durata 33' 20" - 44' 25" | (c) 1988 | 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 65 e BWV 68 a cura del Concentus Musicus Wien diretto da Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

INTRODUCTION by Ludwig Finscher “Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen” (BWV 66) probably also belongs to Bach’s first Leipzig annual cantata set, and was thus prepared for Easter Monday, 1724. Admittedly it was not newly composed; for in its essentials the music goes back to a Köthen birthday cantata, the text of which has been retained. The unknown Leipzig author in 1724 had the thankless task of inventing an Easter Monday text to Bach’s music. Undoubtedly it is due to the difficulties of this task that the text does not deal more precisely with the epistle or the gospel of the day, but rather tends to circumscribe the general Eastertide jubilation. In the detailed work, however, it makes clever use of some possibilities of emotional description and word painting. The whole work is attuned to festive exultation and powerful contrasts, as was appropriate to a congratulatory cantata. The broadranging introductory chorus is conspicuously similar to that of the Christmas Oratorio: very expansive da capo settings, instrumental and vocal brilliance in the main section, tonal reduction and at this point extraordinarily bold chromatics in the middle section. The duet passages of the last mentioned were probably sung in solo form in the secular original, i.e. by the allegorical persons “Glückseligkeit Anhalts” and “Fama”. A brief accompagnato leads on to the bass aria, which in time, key and cadence is related to the chorus. Then “Furcht” (fear) and “Hoffnung” (hope) speak their piece, initially in a grand, rhetorically very carefully worked out recitative-arioso duet-recitative block, and then in an elegant, wide-ranging homophonic duet with concertante violin. The conclusion is formed by a simple cantionale style chorale. “Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ” (BWV 67) was composed for the first Sunday after Easter, thus following BWV 66 after an interval of one week; as opposed to the latter, however, it is an original composition. The text, once more anonymous, develops with drastic vividness from the gospel (the story of doubting Thomas) the contrast between the Christians who are continually under attack and the redeemer in his unceasing struggle on their behalf. This culminates in the absolutely dramatic “appearance” of Christ (“Friede sei mit euch” = peace be with ye) and the congregation’s concluding acknowledgement of Christ as the provider and guardian of external and internal peace. Bach did not close his eyes to the suggestiveness of this unusually clever text. The cantata is one of the most magnificent works of the first Leipzig annual set, and from a formal and technical point of view one of the most original Bach cantatas altogether. The introductory chorus spreads the text over two themes which are simultaneously emotional and descriptive; from the chorale-like, stylised injunction “Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ” the word “Halt” ist also split off as the emphatic cry of the chorus. In form the movement is an ingenious, complicated entity in which symmetry and intensifying passages intermingle with each other: Sinfonia - chorus with independent instrumental movement - choral fugue - sinfonia with chorus - chorus with independent instrumental movement - choral fugue with instruments - sinfonia with chorus. Tenor and contralto take over the following solo numbers. The tenor aria in which the attacks begin is answered by the contralto recitative with encouragement, which is reinforced by the inserted chorale; the immediately following second contralto recitative again conjures up the picture of the oppressing enemies. In the succeeding choral aria, which is almost unique in Bach’s creative output, the “action” reaches its climax: the tumultuous battle of the string prelude is answered by the “vox Christi” (bass) with a threefold gesture of blessing, accompanied by mysterious woodwind sounds; the chorus then takes up the battle, singing its hymn verses into the tumult of the strings, constantly strengthened by the words of peace of vox Christi, with which the splendid piece concludes. The chorale which winds up the work acknowledges Christ as the bringer of peace.