Composed for the Feast of the Circumcision, which fell on New Year's Day 1726, Bach's Cantata No. 16, "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" (Lord God, we praise you) (BWV 16) sets a text by George Christian Lehm. The opening chorale is taken from Martin Luther's Deutsches Te Deum from 1529, and the closing chorale is by Paul Eber, from 1580. The cantata is scored for bass, alto, and tenor soloists and chorus, a pair of oboes with oboe da caccia, strings, basso continuo, and in the first, third, and sixth movements a corno da caccia. "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" starts in E minor, with its first movement beginning in the tonic but ending in the relative major of G major with a plagal cadence. Its second movement starts on the submediant major of C major, but ends in the relative major of G major, thereby recapitulating the plagal cadence that closed the previous movement. Its third and fourth movements are in submediant major of C major, its fifth movement in the flat supertonic major of F major, and its sixth a chorale in the minor subdominant of A minor with a picardy third in the final cadence. Unusually, the first movement is a brief Vivace setting of Luther's chorale for chorus and full orchestra. The second movement is a secco recitative for bass soloist and continuo. The third is marked aria, but the actual aria for bass soloist is contained within a brilliant choral fantasia for chorus and full orchestra, including a dazzling solo corno da caccia. The fourth is a passionate secco recitative for alto soloist and continuo. The fifth, the heart of the cantata, is a triple-time da capo aria in the form of a trio sonata for tenor soloist, unison oboe da caccia, and violetta (or viola) plus continuo. "Herr Gott, dich loben wir" concludes with a chromatic harmonization of Eber's chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide
