Composed for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, which fell on October 22, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 180 "Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele" (Deck thyself, O loving soul) (BWV 180) sets an anonymous text based on a chorale by Johann Franck from 1653. The first, third, and seventh movements' texts are directly taken from Franck, while the other movements are paraphrases of his chorale. The cantata is scored for tenor, soprano, alto, and bass soloists and chorus, strings, and basso continuo and a very colorful orchestra of two flauti dolcei with a transverse flute, an oboe with a pair of oboe ca caccia, a piccolo cello, and a trumpet in the final chorale. "Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele" is in pastoral F major with its first, third, sixth, and seventh movements in the tonic; its second movement in the dominant of C major; and its fourth and fifth movements in subdominant of B flat major. The first movement is an expansive chorale fantasia in gentle 12/8 time with the chorus intoning the chorale tune against a very full orchestra, but Bach scores the movement with such lightness and restraint that the texture almost seems delicate. The second movement is a joyous aria in the form of a trio sonata for florid tenor soloist, sprightly transverse flute, and continuo. The third movement is a combination of a secco recitative for soprano soloist and continuo followed by a highly embellished arioso with the addition of the graceful piccolo cello. The fourth is a recitative for alto soloist, a pair of flauti dolcei, and continuo. The fifth is a confidently cheerful da capo aria for soprano soloist continuo. The sixth is an expressive secco recitative for bass soloist and continuo. "Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele" concludes with a harmonization of chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte.

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