Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and over three hundred cantatas of which approximately two hundred survive. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.

While Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, he was not widely recognized as an important composer until a revival of interest in his music during the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

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Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 (1726)

1. Aria (Bass): Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen (0:00)
2. Recitative (Bass): Mein Wandel auf der Welt (8:42)
3. Aria (Bass): Endlich, endlich wird mein Joch (10:53)
4. Recitative and Arioso (Bass): Ich stehe fertig und bereit (17:36)
5. Chorus: Komm, o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder (19:37)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, bass and the Münchener Bach-Chores/ Münchener Bach-Orchester conducted by Karl Richter

Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen ("I will the cross-staff gladly carry" or "I will gladly carry the Cross", BWV 56,[a] is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the solo cantata for bass in Leipzig for the 19th Sunday after Trinity Sunday and first performed it on 27 October 1726. The cantata is regarded as part of Bach's third annual cycle of cantatas for all occasions of the liturgical year, and one of few works for which Bach himself used the term cantata.

The text by Christoph Birkmann reflects life of the Christian as a voluntary journey "carrying the cross" as a follower of Jesus. The text refers indirectly to the prescribed gospel reading which tells that Jesus traveled by boat, which on the other hand refers to a navigational instrument called Kreuzstab, the Jacob's staff. The poet used the imagery to liken life to a sea voyage, finally reflecting a yearning for death to reach the ultimate destination. The yearning for death is re-enforced by the choice of a closing chorale, the stanza "Komm, o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder" (Come, o death, you brother of sleep) from Johann Franck's 1653 hymn "Du, o schönes Weltgebäude" which also relates to the ship voyage imagery. Bach, who composed the cantata in his fourth year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, structured the cantata in five movements, alternating arias and recitatives for a bass soloist and closing with a four-part chorale, and chose an ensemble of Baroque instruments of three woodwind instruments (two oboes and taille) playing mostly with three string instruments (two violins and viola), and continuo, with an obbligato cello in the first recitative and an obbligato oboe in the second aria, resulting in different timbres for the four movements for the same voice part.

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