How did Bach uniquely celebrate the Trinity in his chorale cantata BWV 129? Learn!
Who's behind the notes? Discover Johann Sebastian Bach: Master of Baroque Music
Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129, is a festive chorale cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig for Trinity Sunday, likely first performed on June 16, 1726. Unlike many of his other chorale cantatas from this period, Bach left the text of Johann Olearius's 1665 hymn unchanged, creating a general hymn of praise to the Trinity without a specific connection to the day's Gospel reading. The work is notably scored for a rich ensemble including three trumpets, timpani, and winds, culminating in a grand chorale fantasia, a technique he also used famously in his Christmas Oratorio. It stands as the concluding work of his second annual cycle of cantatas.