• Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity
• Epistle: Ephesians vi. 10-17 (Put on the armour of God)
• Gospel: John iv. 46-54 (The nobleman's son healed)
• Rating: 3+

This is a short chorale cantata (around fifteen minutes long) with a simple structure (chorus, recitative, aria, recitative, aria, missing concluding chorale). The opening chorus is a very straightforward elaboration of the chorale melody, with few of the orchestral parts having much independent interest. The soprano aria, despite some help from the solo oboe, is uninteresting and the final bass aria would be too, if it were not for the violin accompaniment which supplies the only interesting musical feature of the cantata. There are two other cantatas that share this title (BWV 99 and BWV 100) both of them far better than this work.

Copyright © 1996 & 1998, Simon Crouch.