Bach's Epiphany Masterpiece: Theological Themes Meet Musical Innovation
Bach wrote it for Epiphany, the feast marking the Magi's visit. BWV 123, "Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen," first performed at Leipzig's St. Nicholas Church on January 6, 1725. It was his 26th cantata of that church year. Bach was producing roughly one new cantata per week at the time — a compositional pace that would break most musicians. The work opens with a chorale fantasia, the congregation's familiar melody stretched across complex counterpoint. Bach completed the entire cantata cycle in 1726. He wrote over 200 of them.
January 6, 1725
301 years ago
What Else Happened on January 6
Mit einer Ansprache an die Prätorianer eröffnet Kaiser Mark Aurel den römischen Feldzug im Ersten Markomannenkrieg.
Pope Stephen II crossed the Alps in winter — the first pope to do so — to meet Pepin III at Saint-Denis on January 6, 754. He re-anointed Pepin as King of the F…
au palais de Ponthion, entrevue entre le roi franc Pépin le Bref et le pape Étienne II.
Eine polnische Delegation kündigt in Allstedt dem ostfränkisch-deutschen König Heinrich II. das Kommen des polnischen Kronprinzen Mieszko II. Lambert an, der ei…
Knud Ier le Grand est proclamé roi d'Angleterre.
Pan American Airlines flew the first scheduled round-the-world commercial flight on January 6, 1947. The route took passengers from New York westward: San Franc…
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