Composed for the Feast of the Trinity from either 1726 or 1727, Bach's Cantata No. 129, "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott" (Praise the Lord, my God, BWV 129) sets a five-verse chorale text by Johannes Olearius from 1665. Each of the five movements sets a verse of the text, and each is based on a cantus firmus taken from the chorale. The cantata is scored for bass, soprano and alto soloists, chorus, a trio of trumpets with tympani in the outer movements, transverse flute, a pair of oboes, oboe d'amore, strings, and basso continuo. "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott" is in dazzling D major with its first and final movements in the tonic, its second movement in the major dominant of A major, its third in the supertonic of E minor, and its fourth in the major subdominant of G major. The cantata's first movement is a huge chorale fantasia with a massive orchestral ritornello and florid settings of lines from the first verse of Olearius' chorale. The second movement is the first of three arias (unusually, the cantata has no recitatives); the first is for bass soloist over a vigorous continuo. The third movement is the second aria, this time in the form of a trio sonata with soprano soloist, transverse flute, solo violin, and florid continuo. The fourth movement is the third aria, a pastoral in 6/8 time for alto soloists, oboe d'amore, and organ continuo. "Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott" concludes with a second chorale fantasia with a virtuoso first trumpet part accompanied by full orchestra interspersed with lines from the final verse of Olearius' chorale. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide
