| Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ | |
|---|---|
BWV 91 | |
| by J. S. Bach | |
 Martin Luther, author of the hymn, in 1533 by Lucas Cranach the Elder | |
| Chorale | "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" by Martin Luther |
| Performed | 25 December 1724: Leipzig |
| Movements | 6 |
| Vocal | SATB choir and solo |
| Instrumental |
|
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (Praise be to You, Jesus Christ),[1] BWV 91, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote the Christmas cantata in Leipzig in 1724 for Christmas Day and first performed it on 25 December. It is based on the hymn "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" by Martin Luther which was 200 years old when Bach wrote the work.
The cantata belongs to Bach's chorale cantata cycle, the second cantata cycle during his tenure as Thomaskantor that began in 1723. The cantata text retains the first and last stanza of the chorale unchanged for a chorale fantasiaand a four-part chorale setting, while an unknown librettist paraphrased the inner stanzas into alternating recitatives and arias.
The cantata is scored for four vocal soloists, a four-part choir, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of two horns, timpani, three oboes, strings and basso continuo.