Composed for a wedding ceremony in 1736—1737, Bach's Cantata No. 197 "Gott ist unsre Zuversicht" (God is our confidence) (BWV 197) sets an anonymous text with chorales by Martin Luther from 1524 and by Georg Neumark form 1657. Apparently, many of the movements in this cantata parody pre-existing movements from earlier Bach cantatas, most prominently from the Christmas Cantata No. 197 "Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe" (BWV 197a). The cantata is scored for bass alto and soprano soloists, chorus, a pair of oboe doubling oboe d'amore, strings, and basso continuo plus a trio of trumpets with tympani in the opening movement. "Gott ist unsre Zuversicht" is in two parts of five movements each, the first part played before and the second after the ceremony. The first part opens with an enormous motet-like chorale setting with a richly scored orchestra of trumpets, oboes, strings, continuo, and tympani playing a separate but thematically related ritornello. Its second movement is a stern secco recitative for bass soloist and continuo. Its third is a graceful aria for alto soloist, a pair of obbligato oboe d'amore, strings, and continuo. Its fourth is a grim recitative for bass soloist, emphatic strings, and continuo. The first part ends with a gentle harmonization of Luther's chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte. The second part opens with an expansive triple-time aria in the form of a trio sonata for bass soloist, dueting solo oboe and bassoon, plus strings and continuo. Its second movement is a secco recitative for soprano soloist and continuo becoming a small arioso in its closing bars. The third is an elegant aria in the form of a trio sonata for soprano soloist, obbligato violin, oboes, strings, and continuo. The fourth is a commanding recitative for bass soloist, strings, and continuo. The fifth and final movement of the second part of "Gott ist unsre Zuversicht" is a severe harmonization of Neumark's chorale for chorus and oboe, strings, and continuo colla parte.

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