And in the ev’ning of that very Sabbath BWV 42

Instead of an opening chorus Cantata BWV 42 begins with a magnificent Sinfonia in the style of the Brandenburg Concertos. It is possible that Bach took this movement from a concerto which he had composed earlier.

The first aria, for alto with obbligato oboe and bassoon, could be derived from the middle movement of this concerto. The heroic bass aria, a statement of the certainty of faith, forms a weighty counterpart to the opening movement.

Scoring: Soli SATB, Coro SATB, 2 Ob, Fg, 2 Vl, Va, Bc