• Fifth Sunday After Trinity
• Epistle: 1 Peter iii. 8-15 (Be patient in affliction)
• Gospel: Luke v. 1-11 (The miraculous draught of fishes)
• Rating: 2

A chorale cantata with a nice symmetric form: Chorale fantasia to start and chorale to end with a duet (which was later to be transcribed as the Schubler chorale, BWV 647) as a central pillar. Between these, two recitative-aria pairs. This is one of those cantatas that is clearly beautifully formed and well written (!) but it just doesn't quite grab me. The high points are the opening chorale fantasia, the final (soprano) aria, with it's sparkling oboe accompaniment and the central duet, but even this latter seems better to me as the Schubler Chorale.

Copyright © 1996 & 1998, Simon Crouch.