J.S. Bach: Easter Oratorio

This video celebrates Easter with one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s most festive and joyful works: the Oster-Oratorium (Easter Oratorio). As with much of Bach’s music, this piece has a fascinating history of transformation and renewal—fitting themes for the Easter season.

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Artists: Motettenchor Pforzheim
Südwestdeutsches Kammerochester Pforzheim
Rolf Schweizer conductor

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Originally composed as a secular cantata in 1725 to honor the birthday of Duke Christian of Saxony-Weissenfels, the music was soon repurposed. Just over a month later, Bach adapted the work for Easter Sunday, rewriting the text and adding new recitatives. It wasn’t until 1735, after further refining the structure and instrumentation, that Bach finally gave it the title Oratorium.

Spanning eleven movements, the Easter Oratorio opens with two brilliant instrumental pieces drawn from an earlier concerto. A lively duet follows—later turned into a choral number—which may have originally served as the finale of that same concerto. The remaining sections draw on the style of Baroque dance suites, all wrapped in a jubilant orchestration featuring trumpets and drums.

This vibrant Easter offering—Bach’s first of three oratorios—is brought to life in this video by the Motettenchor and the Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester of Pforzheim, conducted by Rolf Schweizer.

Tracklist:
Oster-Oratorium, BWV 249:
00:00:00 I. Sinfonia
00:04:13 II. Adagio
00:08:25 III. Duetto and Chorus. Kommt, eilet und laufet
00:13:26 IV. Recitativo. O kalter Männer Sinn
00:14:25 V. Aria. Seele, deine Spezereien (Soprano)
00:25:36 VI. Recitativo. Hier ist die Gruft
00:26:20 VII. Aria. Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer (Tenor)
00:32:54 VIII. Recitativo. Indessen seufzen wir (Soprano, Alto)
00:33:51 IX. Aria. Saget, saget mir geschwinde (Alto)
00:40:51 X. Recitativo. Wir sind erfreutt
00:41:30 XI. Chorus. Preis und Dank
00:44:04 XII. Chorale. Es hat mit uns nun keine Not

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