J.S. Bach: Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister, BWV 181 - The Church Cantatas, Vol. 100

BWV181 (13 February 1724) is based on the parable of the sower, one of the readings for this Sunday, and there are references to the story everywhere. The opening aria discusses Jesus’s description of how birds take away the seed of faith, explaining that it is the devil who takes the word out of our hearts. The music is as `leichtgesinnt’ as the `Flattergeister’ who rob themselves of the word of God. The `flatter-’ in `Flattergeister’ may well have connected in Bach’s mind to the fowls of the air of which the parable speaks; the music has an unmistakeable `fluttering’ quality. More somber tones appear when `Belial’ enters, but the musical ideas remain the same: it is Belial who does the robbing. A fine alto recitative full of dissonances is followed by a tenor aria in which the many obstacles on a Christian’s road are present; the triplets as so often are inspired by the word `Feuer’. A straightforward recitative for soprano brings us to the final chorus, a delightful song of comfort. Composer: Johann