Koor & Orkest Collegium Vocale Gent olv. Philippe Herreweghe

On 31st October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the trade in indulgences on the door of the castle chapel in Wittenberg (Saxony): this signalled the start of the Reformation. 31st October became a regular holiday in Saxony. Bach was confronted with this 'Reformation Day' in Leipzig. He came up with a festive instrumentation in 'Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild': in addition to the strings and continuo, it also involved two oboes, two horns and timpani. Many years later, on the basis of material from his Weimar period, Bach composed the renowned cantata 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott'.
'Christ lag in Todesbanden' is one of the first cantatas Bach wrote. For this impressive, sombre and forbidding work of his younger years, he used the seven verses of Martin Luther's Easter song.