A cantata is a vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment and comprises many movement. Cantatas were originally written using both sacred and secular texts, but it was in Germany in the Baroque period where they became most associated with the Lutheran Church
It is known that it was written for Reformation Day: a feast day in the Protestant Church celebrated on 31st October
The cantatas were based off of a chorale written by Martin Luther in the 16th century
Baroque Stylistic Features:
Use of ornamented melodic parts
Diatonic and Functional harmony
Use of basso continue
Use of varied musical textures
Use of seqeunces
Use of suspensions
Use of pedal notes
A cembalo is a harpsichord
An organo is a type of organ
A sackbut is a type of early trombone
A heterophonic texture is when the same melody is played on different instruments, may have slight differences
This cantata uses a cantus firmus (a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition). The cantata is based on bars 1-2 of Luther's hymn tune composed in 1529
Chords are diatonic and harmony is functional
Perfect cadences are frequent and are often used to confirm the modulation to a new key
Typical of the Baroque period, suspensions occur
Secondary dominant sevenths and dominant sevenths occur frequently
Most chords are in root position or first inversion, although some second inversions are used
