In this Advent cantata, Bach juxtaposes the militancy and the vulnerability of the Messiah.

For Lutherans, the festive start to the liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent had a hopeful character. After all, it was almost Christmas time. But this Sunday also heralded a period of austerity and reflection, which lasted until Christmas Day. Bach therefore orchestrated the enthusiastic and expectant opening of this cantata quite modestly. The festive timpani and trumpets are saved for the Nativity, although the chorale melody in the soprano is accompanied by a horn. The words of the cantata are derived from Luther’s Advent chorale Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, which was well-known at the time. The first and the last movement follow Luther’s text literally, and the middle movements are based on it.

The worldly joy in anticipating the birth of Jesus is underlined by an extensive tenor aria in a dancing rhythm. Bach juxtaposes the militancy and the vulnerability of the Messiah. The bass sings a militant aria, whereby the strings play along with the continuo in fiery unison. However, this warlike idiom is immediately softened by a recitative, in which the soprano and alto shyly approach the crib hand in hand.

On his score, Bach wrote down all the elements of the service on the first Sunday of Advent in Leipzig: when the organist had to play what, when there were readings and prayers, and when it was the cantata’s turn, etc. He did the same on his score for BWV 61, which was also a cantata for the first Sunday of Advent. That would seem logical, as he wrote the piece in Weimar, and it was the first Advent cantata that he performed in Leipzig. In that case, it could well have served as a personal prompt. One year later, he was completely at home in the liturgical practice of Leipzig, so he probably no longer needed prompts. Maybe the notes were meant for someone who played the organ and conducted in Bach’s absence. That may have been the case, for instance, when the cantata was revived in 1736 and Bach was away giving an organ recital at the Church of our Lady in Dresden as the newly appointed court composer.