Luogo e data di registrazione		Amsterdam (Holland) - Settembre 1978
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Producer		Wolf Erichson
	Prima Edizione LP		Telefunken "Das Alte Werk" | 6.35441 EX | 2 LPs - durata 47' 26" - 43' 06" | (p) 1979 | ANA
	Edizione CD		Teldec Classics | LC 6706 | 8.35441 ZL | 2 CDs - durata 47' 26" - 43' 06" | (c) 1989 | 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 93 e BWV 94 a cura del Concentus Musicus Wien diretto da Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

INTRODUCTION by Ludwig Finscher »Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ« (BWV 91) was written for Christmas Day, 1724 and is marked by the festive character of the occasion. Of the seven verses of the Lutheran hymn, the first and last are unchanged, the second is expanded by means of interpretative insertions, the third and fourth are freely transcribed into an aria, the fifth into a recitative, and the sixth again is an aria. The first verse is a spectacular choral movement in which the melody is developed line by line in the soprano voice, while three instrumental choirs (horns and drums, oboes, strings) accompany with concertante joyful signal motifs and runs. The recitative of the soprano is free poetry (in recitative tone), alternating with the choral lines (occasionally including lightly ornamented line melody). Similarly the choral lines are accompanied by a sostenuto in the continuo, formed by the first line in shortened note values (symbolic of the text statement of the lines: »Des ewgen Vaters einigs Kind«). The tenor aria underlines by its dancing rhythm and unusual instrumentation (oboes without strings) the pastoral sphere of the crib scene. The second recitative, accompanied by strings, leads into an extraordinarily chromatic arioso on »Jammertal« (vale of tears) which, however, since Christ intends of course to lead us through the Jammertal, takes on a C major cadence. The duet transforms the opposing terms of the text into opposing musical figures (poverty and human nature: suspensions and chromatics; eternal salvation, abundance of heavenly treasures and angelic glory: third and sixth parallels and coloraturas). The song-like setting above the final verse emphasises the »Kyrie eleis« by a splendid cadence embellishment of the horns, which at the same time refer back to the wind motifs of the introductory chorus. »Ich hab’ in Gottes Herz und Sinn« (BWV 92) for the Sunday before Sexagesima 1725 (28th January) paraphrases a hymn which has only a very general connection with the Sunday gospel (parable of the workers in the vineyard, signifying that the Christian should patiently endure God’s will for better or for worse). Bach draws from a frequently loquacious and abstract text the utmost in musical illustration and tonal work. The opening chorus does not go into text detail; the 6/8 time melody and the oboes d’amore rather appear to represent the basic mood of cheerfully calm surrender. An over fondness for detail emerges from the recitative of the bass (second hymn verse with recitative insertions), with drastic tone painting and the wildly agitated, extremely difficult tenor aria (free paraphrasing of the fourth verse). The fifth hymn verse is again adopted unchanged, rendered line by line by the contralto (1. e. analogously to the introductory chorus) and encircled by a tightly-knit trio movement which (again as in the first movement) hardly goes into text detail, except for the »sad« chromatics after the last text line (»ob’s noch so traurig schiene«). The two numbers which follow (paraphrases of 6-9) correspond precisely with the first recitative and the first aria with regard to pleasure in detail and drastic tone painting, except that the tasks of the soloists are now juxtaposed (recitative for tenor, aria for bass). The choral movement once more forms the conclusion, but now in richly detailed thoroughly worked song-like setting and with recitative inserts by the four soloists. At the end, the soprano part, calling on Jesus, leads from the B minor of the chorale to D major, in which it starts up the last aria - magical »pastoral music« shaped as a dialogue between soprano and oboe d’amore, to the pizzicato accompanı ment of the strings (without thoroughbass). The conclusion takes the form of a simple singing movement, like the introductory chorus leading B minor to B major.