J.S. Bach - Cantata BWV 94 Was frag ich nach der Welt (J.S. Bach Foundation)

The cantata is the ninth work of Bach's second annual cycle in Leipzig, the chorale cantata cycle. He composed it for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the First Epistle to the Corinthians, a warning of false gods and consolation in temptation (1 Corinthians 10:6–13), and from the Gospel of Luke, the parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1–9). The cantata is based on the chorale in eight stanzas of the poet Balthasar Kindermann (1664), on a melody by Ahasverus Fritsch. An unknown poet transformed the chorale into a cantata text, retaining stanzas 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8, expanding 3 and 5 by inserted recitatives, and rewriting 2, 4 and 6 into arias. The cantata text is only generally connected to the readings, referring to the statement in the Gospel "for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light". The poet expresses turning away from the transient world to Jesus. Bach led the first performance of the cantata, with the Thomanerchor, on 6 August 1724. The cantata in eight movements is scored for four vocal soloists—soprano, alto, tenor and bass–and a four-part choir, flauto traverso, two oboes, two violins, viola, organ and continuo. A typical duration is 23 minutes. Chorale: Was frag ich nach der Welt Aria (bass): Die Welt ist wie ein Rauch und Schatten Recitative + Chorale (tenor): Die Welt sucht Ehr und Ruhm Aria (alto): Betörte Welt, betörte Welt! Recitative + Chorale (bass): Die Welt bekümmert sich Aria (tenor): Die Welt kann ihre Lust und Freud Aria (soprano): Es halt es mit der blinden Welt Chorale: Was frag ich nach der Welt!