Christ lag in Todesbanden is Bach's first Easter cantata, probably composed in 1707 during his tenure as organist for the 'New Church' in Arnstadt. Although this position involved some responsibility for choral music, any new work would have required the approval of the Kantor of the Upper Chuch in Arnstadt. The prevailing consensus is that Bach composed this new cantata as part of his audition for a more important position at the Divi Blasii in Mühlhausen. The premiere is believed to have taken place in that church on Easter Sunday (April 24) 1707.
The cantata's structure is more in line with those of the late 17th century - typified in those of Buxtehude - than Bach's cantatas composed after 1714. After Bach's move to Leipzig to assume the post of Kantor for that city's prestigious Thomaskirche, the cantata was revised, with the addition of a cornetto and three trombones to the existing enseble of strings and continuo. The present score is for the revised version of 1725. The cantata remeined popular in Leipzig and elsewhere in Germany, circulating in manuscript for years before its first publication in 1851 (Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA), Vol.1, ed. Moritz Hauptmann).
For this beloved Cantata, the ca.1900 Novello vocal score prepared by the eminent English organist John Ebenezer West was re-engraved by G. Schirmer in the early part of the 20th century with Henry Drinker's English translation added beneath the original German text. The West vocal score was itself based upon the renowned Bach Gesellschaft full score of 1851 edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Now available in an easy-to-use, convenient size designed to fit comfortably in choral folders. Matching full score and parts are also available from Serenissima Music (92493).