The celebratory mood of Heut’ triumphieret Gottes Sohn is splendidly appropriate to the feasts of Easter and the Ascension at which it was sung. The melody by Bartholomäus Gesius was published in 1601 with Kaspar Stolzhagen’s text of 1591. Albert Schweitzer, who so often had an apt interpretation of Bach’s pictorial intentions, sees in the pedal part ‘a hero pressing down his enemies’, referring to Christ’s victory over evil at Easter.

from notes by Emma Cleobury © 2016