J. S. BACH - ERFREUT EUCH, IHR HERZEN - CHORUS - BAROQUE MUSIC

“Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen“ (1724) Cantata BWV 66 1 - Chorus - (Alto - tenor) “Lasset dem Höchsten ein Danklied erschallen“ Johann Sebastian Bach Orquestra Barroca Luís Otávio Santos Photos: Berlin by Simone Gomes “Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen (Rejoice, you hearts), BWV 66.2, is a church cantata for Easter by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it for the Second Day of Easter in Leipzig and first performed it on 10 April 1724. He based it on his congratulatory cantata Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück, BWV 66.1, first performed in Köthen on 10 December 1718. Bach structured the cantata in six movements, an exuberant choral opening, a set of recitative and aria for bass, another such set for alto and tenor, and a closing chorale taken from the medieval Easter hymn “Christ ist erstanden“. A Baroque instrumental ensemble included trumpet, two oboes, bassoon, strings and continuo. The music expresses moods o