Birthday of Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony

Birthday of Maria Josepha, Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony

8 December 2023 – Today's cantata is part of a collection of celebratory cantatas Bach wrote in 1733-1734 for members of the royal house of Saxony. More specifically, this cantata was created for the birthday of Maria Josepha, wife of King Augustus III of Poland, Elector of Saxony.

Maria Josepha more than likely never heard this cantata written in her honour. It was performed by the Collegium Musicum in the Café Zimmermann, but the score was sent to her court so at least she knew about it.

Bach reused parts of this cantata a year later for the first and third cantata of the Weihnachtsoratorium, so this music will sound very familiar, and you'll hear it again with a different libretto in about two weeks. It is very likely that Bach already knew he would do that when he wrote this cantata.

Music for today

• Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, BWV 214
  (first performance 7 december 1733, Leipzig period)