List of church cantatas by liturgical occasion


The following is a list of church cantatas, sorted by the liturgical occasion for which they were composed and performed. The genre was particularly popular in 18th-century Lutheran Germany, although there are later examples.
The liturgical calendar of the German Reformation era had, without counting Reformation Day and days between Palm Sunday and Easter, 72 occasions for which a cantata could be presented. Composers such as Telemann composed cycles of church cantatas comprising all 72 occasions. Such a cycle is called an "ideal" cycle, while in any given liturgical year feast days could coincide with Sundays, and the maximum number of Sundays after Epiphany and the maximum number of Sundays after Trinity could not all occur.
In some places, of which Leipzig in Johann Sebastian Bach's time is best known, no concerted music was allowed for the three last Sundays of Advent, nor for the Sundays of Lent, so the "ideal" year cycle for such places comprised only 64 cantatas.
As the bulk of extant cantatas were composed for occasions occurring in the liturgical calendar of the German Reformation era, including Passion cantatas for Good Friday, that calendar is followed for the presentation of cantatas in this section. Most cantatas made reference to the content of the readings and to Lutheran hymns appropriate for the occasion. The melodies of such hymns often appeared in cantatas, for example as in the four-part settings concluding Bach's works, or as a cantus firmus in larger choral movements. Other occasions for church cantatas include weddings and funeral services. Thus below also readings and hymns associated with the occasion are listed, for the hymns for instance based on Vopelius' Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch. Data such as readings and hymns generally apply to Bach's Leipzig: differences may occur in other places, or other times, as indicated.

Occasions of the liturgical year

;Advent : Advent is celebrated on the four Sundays before Christmas. Sometimes, as in Leipzig, there was a tempus clausum for the last three Sundays of Advent.
;Christmas to Epiphany
;Sundays after Epiphany : Depending on the date of Easter, a variable number of Sundays occurred between Epiphany and Septuagesima, the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The sixth Sunday after Epiphany is extremely rare: in the first half of the 18th century cantatas for this Sunday were only composed in "ideal" cantata cycles, but for instance not by composers such as Bach and Graupner who generally only composed what was to be performed under their direction.
;Pre-Lenten Season : There were three Sundays in the Pre-Lenten Season: Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima
;Lent : During Lent, the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter, "quiet time" was observed in Leipzig. Only the feast of Annunciation was celebrated with a cantata, even if it fell in that time. On Good Friday, a Passion was performed, in most cases rather considered an Oratorio than a cantata. In Graupner's Darmstadt there was also a cantata on Maundy Thursday.
;Easter to Pentecost
;Trinity and the Sundays after Trinity: Trinity is the Sunday after Pentecost. A variable number of Sundays occurs between Trinity and the first Sunday in Advent, a maximum of 27, if Easter is extremely early.
;Marian feasts : There are three Marian feast days that are usually observed in the German Reformation era: Purification on 2 February, Annunciation on 25 March and Visitation on 2 July
;Feast of John the Baptist : St. John's Day was celebrated on 24 June, with cantatas written by, among others, Bach and Telemann.
;Feast of St. Michael: St. Michael's Day was celebrated on 29 September with, for instance, cantatas by Bach and Telemann, but in Graupner's Darmstadt there was apparently no demand for such cantatas.
;Feast of St. Stephen : Saint Stephen's Day falls on 26 December, the second day of Christmas, so generally not counted as a separate occasion.
;Reformation Day : Reformation Day is celebrated on 31 October and for instance Bach and Graupner wrote cantatas for the occasion. Reformation Day is however not always seen as one of the feasts of the liturgical year: for instance in Telemann's and Picander's ideal cantata cycles the feast day is not mentioned.
Telemann's ideal cycle thus consists of four Sundays of Advent; Seven occasions from Christmas to Epiphany; Nine Sundays between Epiphany and Lent; Six Sundays of Lent; 14 occasions from Easter to Trinity; 27 Sundays after Trinity; Three Marian Feasts, St. John's Day and Michaelmas – totalling 72 occasions for which he provided a cantata.
Graupner's church cantatas do not include the sixth Sunday after Epiphany, nor cantatas for St. John's Day or Michaelmas, however there are cantatas for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which totals 71 occasions from GWV 1101 to 1171, with GWV 1173 indicating Reformation Day cantatas.
;Libretto cycles

First Sunday of Advent (Advent I)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Sunday of Advent (Advent II)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Sunday of Advent (Advent III)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fourth Sunday of Advent (Advent IV)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Christmas (25 December)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Day of Christmas (26 December: Christmas 2)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Day of Christmas (27 December: Christmas 3)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

First Sunday after Christmas (Christmas I)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

New Year (1 January)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Sunday after New Year (New Year I)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Cantatas

Epiphany (6 January)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Cantatas

First Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany I)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany II)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany III)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany IV)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

[|Purification] (2 February)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany V)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany VI)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Sunday before Lent (Septuagesima)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Sunday before Lent (Sexagesima)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Last Sunday before Lent (Estomihi)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

First Sunday of Lent (Invocabit)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Sunday of Lent (Reminiscere)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Sunday of Lent (Oculi)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fifth Sunday of Lent (Judica)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

[|Annunciation] (25 March)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Palm Sunday

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Maundy Thursday

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Good Friday

;Occasion
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Easter

;Occasion:
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Easter Monday (Easter 2)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Easter Tuesday (Easter 3)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

First Sunday after Easter (Quasimodogeniti)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Sunday after Easter (Misericordias Domini)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Sunday after Easter (Jubilate)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fourth Sunday after Easter (Cantate)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fifth Sunday after Easter (Rogate)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Ascension

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Sunday after Ascension (Exaudi)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Pentecost

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Pentecost Monday (Pentecost 2)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Pentecost Tuesday (Pentecost 3)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Trinity

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

First Sunday after Trinity (Trinity I)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Second Sunday after Trinity (Trinity II)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

St. John's Day (24 June)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Third Sunday after Trinity (Trinity III)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fourth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity IV)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Fifth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity V)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

[|Visitation] (2 July)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns and canticles
;Cantatas, including Magnificat settings performed as Visitation cantata

Sixth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity VI)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Seventh Sunday after Trinity (Trinity VII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Eighth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity VIII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Ninth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity IX)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Tenth Sunday after Trinity (Trinity X)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

11th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XI)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

12th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

13th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XIII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

14th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XIV)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

15th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XV)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

16th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XVI)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

17th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XVII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

St. Michael's Day (29 September)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

18th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XVIII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

19th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XIX)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

20th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XX)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

21st Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXI)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

22nd Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Reformation Day (31 October)

;Occasion
;Readings
;Cantatas

23rd Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXIII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

24th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXIV)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

25th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXV)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

26th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXVI)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

27th Sunday after Trinity (Trinity XXVII)

;Readings
;Hymns
;Cantatas

Other occasions

Consecration of church and/or organ

;Readings
;Cantatas

New council

The election or inauguration of a new town council was celebrated with a service. Normally this was an annual event. The cantata written for such celebrations were indicated with the term "Ratswechsel" or "Ratswahl".
;Cantatas

200th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession

25 June 1730 was 200 years after the Augsburg Confession. In Leipzig the occasion was remembered by a three-day festival. Picander wrote three cantata librettos, one for each day of the celebration. Johann Sebastian Bach set these librettos. The music of these settings is however largely lost:
  1. Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190a
  2. Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120b
  3. Wünschet Jerusalem Glück, BWV Anh. 4a

    Wedding

Music for weddings includes sacred cantatas for wedding ceremonies and secular cantatas for wedding celebrations. Telemann's music for weddings includes wedding anniversary cantatas. BWV 202, 210 and 216 are examples of secular cantatas for weddings by J. S. Bach.
;Sacred cantatas for weddings

Anniversary

Christoph Graupner:
Georg Christoph Bach:
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel wrote birthday cantatas for his employer, Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg:
Georg Philipp Telemann wrote cantatas for funerals.
Christoph Graupner:
In addition to funeral motets and secular cantatas for memorial services Johann Sebastian Bach wrote church cantatas for funerals:
Johann Sebastian Bach or Georg Melchior Hoffmann:
Georg Philipp Telemann wrote chorale cantatas intended for communion in a.

Occasion not specified

Chorale cantatas

Georg Philipp Telemann :
Johann Sebastian Bach :
Felix Mendelssohn:
  • Christe, du Lamm Gottes, MWV A5
  • Jesu, meine Freude, MWV A6
  • Wer nur den lieben Gott läβt walten, MWV A7
  • O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden, MWV A8
  • Vom Himmel hoch, MWV A10
  • Wir glauben all an einem Gott, MWV A12
  • Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, MWV A13

    In ogni tempore

"Et in ogni tempore" was specified by Bach for his cantatas BWV 21 and 51. It may apply for other cantatas with an unknown designation.

Occasion not known or uncertain

Johann Christoph Bach?:
Johann Ludwig Bach:
For several of Georg Philipp Telemann's church cantatas no occasion is indicated.
Also several of Johann Sebastian Bach's church cantatas have an unknown or uncertain designation:

Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn wrote several sacred cantatas, many of these at least in part a tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach.

20th century

Arthur Honegger

In 1953 Arthur Honegger composed Une cantate de Noël.