The merry chase, the hunt is my delight BWV 208

“A joyful dispute of the gods” is how Johann Sebastian Bach’s librettist Salomon Franck described the Birthday Cantata for the court of Saxony-Weißenfels, now generally known as the “Hunting Cantata” BWV 208. The work was probably first performed with the composer present on 23 February 1713, Duke Christian’s 31st birthday. On that occasion the choir may have been comprised only of the four soloists, but it can of course be larger. Bach also went on to perform this colorful and varied work, comprising 15 short movements, several times.

As the cantata begins with a recitative, there is an opportunity to precede it with an instrumental movement. A suitable piece is the opening movement of the 1st Brandenburg Concerto BWV 1046 with its hunting horn sounds, which Bach also used later in other works such as the church cantata BWV 52. The edition includes this movement from BWV 1046a (the oldest version) as a performance suggestion.