Colorado Bach Ensemble: Cantata Insight Series: Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66

"Bach composed Cantata 66, Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen (Rejoice, You Hearts) for Easter in 1724, and the monumental opening chorus, lasting nearly ten minutes, surely befits the celebratory occasion. It opens with a virtuoso orchestral introduction followed by joyful proclamations by the voices. A more sorrowful middle section leads into a recapitulation of the exhilarating first section. Another notable part of this cantata consists of a duet between the tenor and alto, representing a dialogue between 'Hope' and 'Fear'. They represent contrasting viewpoints to the news of the Resurrection of Jesus. A lovely setting of the medieval hymn, 'Christ ist erstanden' rounds out the cantata."