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Unabashed joy describes this short and sweet cantata, which Bach wrote at age 23 for a wedding. In its sparkling finale, some mysteries hide. A curiously unexpected tonality sets off the happy declamation of "ihr seid" (you are), with emphasis on "seid"; according to Bach we ARE blessed by God, rather than "us" being special.

Then what do we make of the ending? Even in an early cantata which generally sounds like 1600s Lutheranism, some new special effects are hidden. Bach surprises us with his piano marking along with some Haydn/Mozart-like figurations. It's hard to listen to this level of happiness without cracking a smile.

Der Herr denket an uns (BWV 196) mvt. 5 "Ihr seid..." as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

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