Freue dich, erlöste Schar (Rejoice, ransomed throng), BWV 30, is a sacred cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.

It was composed in Leipzig in or around 1738 for the feast of St. John the Baptist, which falls yearly on 24 June, date of the work's premiere. The underlying secular cantata, BWV 30a, was composed in 1737 in Leipzig to celebrate the acquisition of the manor and estate at Wiederau by Johann Christian von Hennickes, who was one of Graf Brühl's protégés.

The prescribed readings for the day are Isaiah 40: 1-5 and Luke 1: 57-80.

The text of the chorale movement is by Johann Olearius; Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander) has been proposed as the author of the remaining poetry.

The chorale theme is Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele, which was codified by Louis Bourgeois when setting the Geneva Psalm 42 in his collection of Pseaumes octante trios de David (Geneva, 1551). Bourgeois seems to have been influenced by the secular song Ne l’oseray je dire contained in the Manuscrit de Bayeux published around 1510.


Scoring and structure
The piece is scored for oboe d'amore, oboes I/II, flauto traverso I/II, violins I/II, viola, and basso continuo, along with four vocal soloists (soprano, altus, tenor, bass) and four-part choir. It is in twelve movements, divided in two parts:

1. Coro: "Freue dich, erlöste Schar" for choir, flauti traversi, oboes, strings, and continuo.
2. Recitativo: "Wir haben Rast" for bass and continuo.
3. Aria: "Gelobet sei Gott, gelobet sein Name" for bass, strings, and continuo.
4. Recitativo: "Der Herold kömmt und meldt den König an" for altus and continuo.
5. Aria: "Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sünder" for flauto traverso, strings, and continuo.
6. Chorale: "Eine Stimme lässt sich hören" for choir and orchestral tutti colle parti.
7. Recitativo: "So bist du denn, mein Heil, bedacht" for bass, oboes and continuo.
8. Aria: "Ich will nun hassen" for bass, oboe d'amore, violino solo, strings, and continuo.
9. Recitativo: "Und obwohl sonst der Unbestand" for soprano and continuo.
10. Aria: "Eilt, ihr Stunden, kommt herbei" for soprano, violins, and continuo.
11. Recitativo: "Geduld, der angenehme Tag" for tenor, and continuo.
12. Coro: "Freude dich, geheilgte Schar" for choir, orchestral tutti, and continuo.

Text

Recordings

• Bach Cantatas Vol. 1: City of London - Sopr.: Joanne Lunn; Alt.: Wilke te Brummelstroete; Ten.: Paul Agnew; Bass: Dietrich Henschel; Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor. Label: Soli Deo Gloria
• Bach Cantatas Vol. 3 - Ascension Day, Whitsun, Trinity - Sopr.: Edith Mathis; Alt.: Anna Reynolds; Ten.: Peter Schreier; Bass: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Münchener Bach-Chor/Münchener Bach-Orchester; Karl Richter, conductor. Label: Archiv Produktion
• Bach Cantates De Saint-Jean Baptiste - Sopr.: Suzie LeBlanc; Alt.: Daniel Taylor; Ten.: Charles Daniels; Bass: Stephan MacLeod; Montréal Baroque; Eric J. Milnes, conductor. Label: ATMA Classique
• Bach Edition Vol. 15 - Cantatas Vol. 8 - Sopr.: Ruth Holton; Alt.: Sytse Buwalda; Ten.: Nico van der Meel; Bass: Bas Ramselaar; Holland Boys Choir/Netherlands Bach Collegium; Pieter Jan Leusink, conductor. Label: Brilliant Classics
• Die Bach Kantate Vol. 9 - Sopr.: Costanza Cuccaro; Alt.: Mechthild Georg; Ten.: Aldo Baldin; Bass: Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächinger Kantorei/Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; Helmuth Rilling, conductor. Label: Hänssler
• J.S. Bach: Cantata No. 30 - Sopr.: Benita Valente; Alt.: Mary Burgess; Ten.: Seth McCoy; Bass: Leslie Guinn; Brattleboro Bach Festival Chorus & Orchestra; Blanche Honegger Moyse, conductor. Label: Ars Nova/Ars Antigua
• J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 22 - Sopr.: Sandrine Piau; Alt.: Bogna Bartosz; Ten.: James Gilchrist; Bass: Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir (Choir Master: Ulrike Grosch); Ton Koopman, conductor. Label: Antoine Marchand
• J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 2 - Alt.: Paul Esswood; Ten.: Kurt Equiluz; Bass: Max van Egmond; Wiener Sängerknaben & Chorus Viennensis (Chorus Master: Hans Gillesberger)/Concentus Musicus Wien; Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor. Label: Teldec
• J.S. Bach: Kantaten - Sopr.: Edith Mathis; Alt.: Cornelia Kallisch; Ten.: Hans Peter Blochwitz; Bass: Thomas Quasthoff; Windsbacher Knabenchor/Münchner Bachsolisten; Karl-Friedrich Beringer, conductor. Label: Bayer Records
• Les Grandes Cantates de J.S. Bach Vol. 26 - Sopr.: Emiko Iiyama; Alt.: Barbara Scherler; Ten.: Theo Altmeyer; Bass: Bruce Abel; Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn/Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; Fritz Werner, conductor. Label: Erato

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