Why did Bach compose two versions of his Magnificat? Learn!
Who's behind the notes? Discover Johann Sebastian Bach: Master of Baroque Music
Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat is a musical setting of the biblical canticle Magnificat. The first version, BWV 243a, was composed in E-flat major for Christmas in 1723 and included four Christmas interpolations. Later, around 1733, Bach revised the work, transposing it to D major (BWV 243), removing the Christmas texts, and making alterations to the instrumentation. The movement "Esurientes" is a delicate and graceful aria, often for alto or soprano, that illustrates the text "He has filled the hungry with good things" with its flowing melodic lines.