Bach composed the cantata in his second year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig for the Sunday after Christmas. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Epistle to the Galatians, "through Christ we are free from the law", and from the Gospel of Luke, Simeon and Anna talking to Mary. The chorale cantata is based on a hymn by Cyriakus Schneegaß with the same title as the cantata. The librettist is unknown. Bach first performed the cantata on 31 December 1724.
Scoring and structure
This work is scored for four vocal soloists, a four-part choir, three recorders, two oboes, taille, two violins, viola, and basso continuo with organ. The cantata has six movements:
Chorale: Das neugeborne Kindelein
Aria : O Menschen, die ihr täglich sündigt
Recitative : Die Engel, welche sich zuvor
Aria : Ist Gott versöhnt und unser Freund
Recitative : Dies ist ein Tag, den selbst der Herr gemacht
Chorale: Es bringt das rechte Jubeljahr
Music
The opening chorus is a chorale fantasia with a long opening and closing ritornello bookending a chorale theme with four entries and lengthy interspersed episodes. The three lower voices imitate the soprano thrice in the chorale phrases and then move into a fast ascending figure. The second movement is a lengthy and chromatic bass aria discussing sündigt. This is the longest movement of the cantata. The continuo accompanying the vocal line is "tortuous and chromatically convoluted". The sopranorecitative is accompanied by a simple recorder trio, a combination designed to represent the "aura of the angels". As this is the only movement to include the recorders, the parts were likely performed by the oboe and taille players. The fourth movement is a trio of the soprano, alto and tenor voices; the alto sings the chorale line with the strings while the soprano and tenor perform a duet aria. The movement is in D minor and time. The bass recitative begins in major before modulating to the G minor of the final movement. It is accompanied by high chordal strings and a continuo line. The closing chorale is fast and short. It is in block form. The "rather muted" music of the first chorus and the bass aria have been described by one writer as giving listeners a "moral hangover" after the possible overindulgence of the Christmas holidays.
