J.S. Bach: Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig, BWV 26 - The Church Cantatas, Vol. 146

BWV26 for 19 November 1724 is based on the chorale `Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig’. A text apt to fire Bach’s imagination. The transitoriness of life is shown by musical lines fleeting away into the mist. The homophonous passages hammer the message home. The tenor aria (the longest aria Bach wrote) alternates flute and flute/violin passages in an interesting way. The rushing water to which our life can be compared provides the idea for the music. Words like Schnell and Eilen are as always taken up for musical illustration. A recitative for alto follows, and then a fascinating bass aria, in which the woodwind play a sarcastic dance macabre: the temptation of concentrating on earthly goods will lead to ruin. A soprano recitative and four-part chorale round off this great work. Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach Artists: Netherlands Bach Collegium, Pieter Jan Leusink (conductor), Holland Boys Choir, Nico van der Meel (Tenore), Sytse Buwalda (Alto), Bas Ramselaar (Basso) & Ruth Holton