Bach Cantata 4 choir notes

Notes from rehearsals for Bach Cantata 4, Oct-Nov 2025.

NB Some of the notes will apply in places other than the one stated.

	Movement	Bar(s)	Part(s)	Comment
FROM 17/10/2025
	2		All	Speed I’m aiming at: crotchet = 82
		67	All	No slow up at all!
		68ff	All	mp (it will inevitably get louder later, which is fine, but keep it light).
	5		All	Speed I’m aiming at: crotchet = 88
			A	Always forte
			S/T/B	Light all the way through.
		35-end	S/T/B	Louder – end loud.
	8		All	There will be a modicum of ‘flexi-time’, don’t take the speed for granted!
FROM 12/10/2025
	2		All	Words like ‘Banden’ end with a neutral shwa
			A/T/B	General feel is light
		5	Bass	Apologies for the confusion about this bar yesterday! We will do as it is written (G natural / E sharp)
		5	Alto	Careful of A natural (not sharp)
		10	Alto	Get your E from the tenors – then careful of the C natural in 11 (not C sharp)
		13-14	Alto	Louder and more legato on the crotchets (and similar places – essentially where you get the tune)
		15-16	Tenor	As alto above
		17-18	Bass	As alto above
		46	Sop	Real minim (longer than other parts)
		58-end	All	’Halleluja’ – ‘H’ is sounded.
		58-end	All	’Halleluja’ – always lighten the end of the word (diminuendo to last note)
		67-68	All	No slow-up in 67, then exactly double speed
		68-end	All	Accent the first note of ‘Halleluja’ then diminuendo to the end of the word – whatever the rhythm.
		93	Sop	Slow up quite a bit on the 1st three notes, then a gap.
		93	A/T/B	Quaver rest will be longer than it looks!
	5	12	Tenor	Strong on ‘das Leben …’ (it’s verse 2)
		24	Bass	Strong on ‘die Schrift …’ (it’s verse 3)
		24ff	S/T/B	Careful of word underlay as it’s not what you might expect
		35-36	S/T/B	’Ein Spott’ – staccato
	8		All	All pauses happen
		4	All	Add a pause to ‘… den’ – and change the note to a minim.
		11-12	All	Will be slower.