Bach digital -

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685–1750)

Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt

BWV 68; BC A 86^GND

Whit Monday, Cantata Cycle II (1724/1725)

Genre

Sacred cantata

Proper

Scoring

Sopran solo, Bass solo, Sopran, Alt, Tenor, Bass, Corno, Cornetto, Trombone I, Trombone II, Trombone III, Oboe I, Oboe II, Taille, Violine I, Violine II, Viola, Violoncello piccolo, Basso continuo

Date of origin, Work history

vor dem 21. Mai 1725

First performance on May 21, 1725; subsequent performance around 1736–1740 (Kobayashi BJ 1988). Movement 2 (in a heavily edited form) and Movement 4 are parodies of BWV 208/13 and 7. In the autograph score of BWV 59 (D-B: P 161), the fugal theme of the final chorus was sketched (NBA Suppl., page 146, P. Wollny, 2011)

Early performances

1725-21-05, Leipzig, St. Thomas Church (Premiere) (Link to event)
Die Erstaufführung dieser Kantate fand im Frühgottesdienst der Thomaskirche mit Predigt von Urban Gottfried Sieber, und am gleichen Tag im Vespergottesdienst der Nikolaikirche statt, hier mit Predigt von Friedrich Werner.
WA um 1736—1740

relation to other works:

is part of BWV diverse [Jg. 2]

Link to videos:

Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68 (J. S. Bach Stiftung St. Gallen)
Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68 (Stiftsbarock Stuttgart, K. Johannsen)

Author Libretto

Ziegler, Christiane Mariane von (1695–1760)

Libretto

C. M. von Ziegler. Movement 1: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt (S. Liscow, 1675), stanza 1; Movement 5: John 3:18. Printed text: Ziegler 1728, page 262 (textual variations compared to Bach’s setting)

Link to lyrics

Chorale