This dramatic aria from Bach's cantata BWV 126 features fierce intensity in its vocal delivery and continuo line, reflecting the text's condemnation of pride. Scholar W. G. Whittaker noted it as one of Bach's most vehement expressions of faith-based defiance.
This aria from Bach's cantata BWV 126 features expressive oboe obbligatos and melismatic vocal passages illustrating divine intervention. Composed for Sexagesimae Sunday, it showcases Bach's mastery of sacred music through its prayerful intensity and symbolic word painting.
Composed in 1725 for Sexagesimae Sunday, Bach's cantata BWV 126 opens with a powerful chorus featuring a distinctive trumpet motif derived from the chorale melody. This four-note figure (A-C-A-E) underscores the words "Erhalt uns, Herr" ("Uphold us, Lord"), with the highest note emphasizing "Herr." The cantata reflects Bach's deep religious conviction, using imitative counterpoint and expressive arias to convey themes of divine protection against adversaries, including a particularly fierce aria noted for its righteous indignation.
