Composed for the Feast of Michael the Archangel in 1728, Bach's Cantata No. 149 "Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg" (One Sings with Joy Before the Battle) (BWV 149) is a martial work commemorating the victory of Michael over Satan in the war in heaven. The text after Psalm 118 is for the first six movements by Picander and the cantata concludes with Martin Schalling's chorale from 1571. The cantata is scored for bass, alto, soprano and tenor soloists, and chorus with a large orchestra of three oboes, three trumpets, tympani, strings, and basso continuo. "Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg" starts in brilliant D major and its first, second, and third movements in the tonic, its fourth in the major dominant of A major, and its fifth and sixth movements in the major subdominant of G major. Its sixth movement is in C major, which can be heard in context as the tonic of the fifth movement's dominant G major. The first movement is a re-working of the massive and muscular opening movement of the "Hunting" cantata re-scored for trumpets and drums and transposed from F major to D major. The second movement is an aria for bass soloist, solo cello, and continuo; the third is a brief secco recitative for alto soloist and continuo; and the fourth is a graceful triple-time aria for soprano soloist, strings, and continuo. The fifth movement is a very brief secco recitative for tenor soloist and continuo and the sixth is an aria duet for alto and tenor with a virtuoso solo bassoon part and continuo. "Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg" concludes with a harmonization of Schalling's chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte, with the trumpets and tympani entering with a final flourish in the penultimate bar.

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