Composition: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76 (Bach, Johann Sebastian)
| Title | Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes |
| Alternative title | The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God |
| Creators | Johann Sebastian Bach (composer) and Martin Luther (librettist) |
| Opus | BWV 76 |
| Instrumentation | soprano, alto, tenor, bass, mixed chorus and orchestra |
| Number of movements | 14 |
| Keys | C major |
| Composed | 1723 |
| First published | 1870 |
| Dedication | — |
| Tempo markings | — |
| Metronome markings | — |
| Time signatures | — |
| Average duration (sec) | 2100 |
| Number of measures | — |
| Composition types | Sacred cantatas |
| Language | German |
| Period | Baroque |
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View |
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Sections
| Title click for details |
Metronome | Key | Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chorus: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes | — | C major | — |
| 2. Recitativo (tenor): So läßt sich Gott nicht unbezueget! | — | A minor | — |
| 3. Aria (soprano): Hört, ihr Völker, Gottes Stimme | — | G major | — |
| 4. Recitativo (bass): Wer aber hört | — | E minor | — |
| 5. Aria (bass): Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft! | — | C major | — |
| 6. Recitativo (alto): Du hast uns, Herr, von allen Straßen | — | E minor | — |
| 7. Choral: Es woll uns Gott genädig sein | — | E minor | — |
| 8. Sinfonia | — | E minor | — |
| 9. Recitativo (bass): Gott segne noch die treue Schar | — | B minor | — |
| 10. Aria (tenor): Hasse nur, hasse mich recht | — | A minor | — |
| 11. Recitativo (alto): Ich fühle schon im Geist | — | F minor | — |
| 12. Aria (alto): Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat! | — | E minor | — |
| 13. Recitativo (tenor): So soll die Christenheit | — | C major | — |
| 14. Choral: Es danke, Gott, und lobe dich | — | E minor | — |
Arrangements
| Details | Section | Arranged for | Arranger |
|---|---|---|---|
| view | Chorus: 'Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes' (No.1) | 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos | Russ Bartoli |
| view | Aria: 'Hört, ihr Völker, Gottes Stimme' (No.3) | 2 violins and cello violin, viola and cello violin and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang |
| view | Aria: 'Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft!' (No.5) | 3 violins, 2 violas and cello 3 violins, viola and 2 cellos 2 violins, 3 violas and cello 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang |
| view | Aria: 'Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft!' (No.5) | 2 violins, 2 violas and cello 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang and Russ Bartoli |
| view | Sinfonia (No.8) | oboe damore, viola and cello oboe damore and 2 cellos oboe, viola and cello oboe and 2 cellos violin, viola and cello violin and 2 cellos 2 violas and cello viola and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang |
| view | Aria: 'Hasse nur, hasse mich recht' (No.10) | violin and cello viola and cello 2 cellos violin and viola 2 violas |
Peter Lang |
| view | Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' (No.12) | oboe damore, violin, viola and cello oboe damore, violin and 2 cellos oboe damore, 2 violas and cello oboe damore, viola and 2 cellos 2 violins, viola and cello 2 violins and 2 cellos violin, 2 violas and cello violin, viola and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang |
| view | Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' (No.12) | violin, viola and cello | Peter Lang and Russ Bartoli |
| view | Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' (No.12) | trumpet and organ | Michel Rondeau |
Scores
| Details | Section | Type | Publisher | Date | File (click to view) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| view | Complete | — | Manuscript | 1700 | Complete Score |
| view | Complete | — | Manuscript | — | Complete Score |
| view | Complete | — | — | — | Complete Score Complete Score Color Cover |
| view | Complete | — | — | — | Complete Score |
| view | Complete | — | — | — | Complete Score |
| view | Complete | — | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell | 2021 | 1. Chorus: 'Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes' 2. Recitativo: 'So läßt sich Gott nicht unbezueget!' 3. Aria: 'Hört, ihr Völker, Gottes Stimme' 4. Recitativo: 'Wer aber hört' 5. Aria: 'Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft!' 6. Recitativo: 'Du hast uns, Herr, von allen Straßen' 7. Choral: 'Es woll uns Gott genädig sein' 8. 'Sinfonia' 9. Recitativo: 'Gott segne noch die treue Schar' 10. Aria: 'Hasse nur, hasse mich recht' 11. Recitativo: 'Ich fühle schon im Geist' 12. Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' 13. Recitativo: 'So soll die Christenheit' 14. Choral: 'Es danke, Gott, und lobe dich' Engraving files (MuseScore) |
| view | Complete | parts | — | — | Oboe 1, 2, Oboe d'amore Trumpet (C) Violins I Violins II Violas Continuo (Cellos/Basses/Viola da gamba) |
| view | Complete | vocal score | Breitkopf und Härtel | — | Complete Score |
| view | Chorus: 'Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes' (No.1) | Arrangement for 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang | 2016 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Hört, ihr Völker, Gottes Stimme' (No.3) | Arrangement for 2 violins and cello violin, viola and cello violin and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang | 2014 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft!' (No.5) | Arrangement for 3 violins, 2 violas and cello 3 violins, viola and 2 cellos 2 violins, 3 violas and cello 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang | 2015 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Fahr hin, abgöttische Zunft!' (No.5) | Arrangement for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang | 2015 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Sinfonia (No.8) | Arrangement for oboe damore, viola and cello oboe damore and 2 cellos oboe, viola and cello oboe and 2 cellos violin, viola and cello violin and 2 cellos 2 violas and cello viola and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang | 2015 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Hasse nur, hasse mich recht' (No.10) | Arrangement for violin and cello viola and cello 2 cellos violin and viola 2 violas |
Peter Lang | 2013 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' (No.12) | Arrangement for oboe damore, violin, viola and cello oboe damore, violin and 2 cellos oboe damore, 2 violas and cello oboe damore, viola and 2 cellos 2 violins, viola and cello 2 violins and 2 cellos violin, 2 violas and cello violin, viola and 2 cellos |
Peter Lang | 2014 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' (No.12) | Arrangement for violin, viola and cello |
Peter Lang | 2017 | Complete Score and Parts |
| view | Aria: 'Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat!' (No.12) | Arrangement for trumpet and organ |
— | — | Complete Score and Trumpet Part Engraving files (Finale & XML) |
Recordings/Performances
| Details | Type | Section | Performers | Arranged for | Files (click to listen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| view | — | Ingeborg Reichemt (soprano) and Hertha Töpper (alto) and Helmut Krebs (tenor) and Franz Kelch (performer) and Reinhold Barchet (performer) and Walter Gleissle (performer) and Fritz Werner (conductor) | — | Complete Recording | |
| view | Synthesized | Aria: Liebt, ihr Christen, in der Tat! (No.12) | For Trumpet and Organ (Rondeau) | Synthesized Performance |
©2026 David P. Anderson