Bach's Cantata No. 194 "Höchsterwunschtes Freudenfest" (Welcome, joyous festival day) (BWV 194) was composed for the inauguration of the new organ at Storm-Thal in Leipzig on November 2, 1723. The music apparently is a parody of an early secular cantata Bach had written sometime during his tenure in Cothen. Setting an anonymous text later published in the Leipziger Kirchenmusik of 1731, "Höchsterwunschtes Freudenfest" is one of Bach's largest cantatas. It is in two parts of six movements each and scored for bass, soprano, and tenor soloists and chorus, three oboes, strings, and basso continuo. The first part of "Höchsterwunschtes Freudenfest" begins with a ceremonial French overture for chorus and full orchestra followed by a stern secco recitative for bass soloist and continuo and a pastoral aria for bass soloist, obbligato oboe, strings, and continuo; followed by an anguished secco recitative for soprano soloist and continuo and a gavotte aria for soprano soloist, strings, and continuo; and closes with a lush setting of a chorale by Johann Heermann from 1630 for chorus and full orchestra colla parte. The second part of "Höchsterwunschtes Freudenfest" begins with a heroic secco recitative for tenor soloist and continuo and a gigue aria for tenor soloist and cello-driven continuo, followed by a duet secco recitative for soprano and bass soloist and continuo and a long and lovely minuet duet aria for soprano and bass soloists, a pair of obbligato oboes, strings, and continuo, followed by a brief a secco recitative for bass soloist and continuo. It concludes with a straightforward harmonization of a chorale by Paul Gerhardt for chorus and full orchestra colla parte.

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