Cantata Information
Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!, BWV 208
Created 23 February 1713, Weimar period. Occasion: Birthday of Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.
BWV2 (1990 catalogue): BWV 208.1.
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Birthday of Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels
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From the Bach Archiv Leipzig, this website offers scientifically sound information on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach as well as on the transmission of sources for this body of works up to around 1850, in accordance with the most up-to-date research.
A vast, long-running online resource created and curated by Aryeh Oron. It offers an unparalleled collection of information on J.S. Bach’s cantatas and other vocal works — including texts, translations, discographies, performer biographies, and historical notes — making it one of the most comprehensive Bach reference sites on the internet.
This Swiss foundation has set itself the unique task of performing the entire vocal works of Bach within a period of around 25 years. With great musical passion and historical performance practice, the choir and orchestra, conducted by Rudolf Lutz, interpret Bach's works to the highest standard. In their Bachipedia section you can find notes on all cantatas they have performed. In German, English and Spanish.
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This Dutch Bach scholar created a website with information on all cantatas and other vocal works, with the librettos translated into Dutch, links to videos, other websites and much more. Since Eduard's death in 2024 I'm assisting his widow Ria to maintain the site, because such a wonderful resource must be preserved. In Dutch.
Emmanuel Music Boston has English translations for many cantatas.
The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a digital library of public-domain music scores, available either as a subscription-based service or free without registering.
A website with the texts and instrumentations of J. S. Bach's cantatas, motets, masses, passions, oratorios, and chorales.
Discogs (short for "discographies") is an online database and marketplace for audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Its user-generated database aims to catalogue every physical music release ever made. As of 2025, it contains over 18 million entries.
Videos with this cantata
Bach-Stiftung
Published 20 March 2020NICHT VÖ - J.S. Bach - Cantata BWV 208
Bach-Stiftung workshop
Published 20 March 2020Bach erklärt: Workshop zur Kantate BWV 208 "Was mir behagt" (J.S. Bach-Stiftung)
Helmut Rilling (1-12)
Published 18 June 2013J. S. Bach - BWV 208 - Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd - No. 1-6
Helmut Rilling (13-16)
Published 18 June 2013J. S. Bach - BWV 208 - Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd - No. 13-16
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Published 3 March 2013Bach - Cantate BWV 208 - Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!
Ton Koopman
Published 2 September 2016J. S. Bach – Cantatas: BWV54, BWV161, BWV208 – T. Koopman (Vol3 CD3)