Lutheran Church Year
Dates of "Mariä Reinigung" (Feast of Purification of Mary)

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus, and falls on or around 2 February. In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, the Presentation is the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante (lit., 'Meeting' in Greek). Other traditional names include Candlemas, the Feast of Purification of Mary [Feast of the Purificatuion of the Virgin, Feast of Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Prification of St Mary the Virgin]], and the Meeting of the Lord. In many Western liturgical churches, Vespers (or Compline) on the Feast of the Presentation marks the end of the Epiphany season. In the Church of England, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple is a Principal Feast.
Date: Fixed date - February 2

Readings: Epistle: Malachi 3: 1-4; Gospel: Luke 2: 22-32

Musical Context of Bach Cantatas: Motets & Chorales for Feast of Purification of Mary

Dates in the Lifetime of J.S. Bach

All dates are in ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD.
Abbreviations of German weekdays: Sonntag, Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag.

1685-02-02 Fr
1686-02-02 Sa
1687-02-02 So Sexagesimae
1688-02-02 Mo
1689-02-02 Mi
1690-02-02 Do
1691-02-02 Fr
1692-02-02 Sa
1693-02-02 Mo Rosenmontag
1694-02-02 Di
1695-02-02 Mi
1696-02-02 Do
1697-02-02 Sa
1698-02-02 So Sexagesimae
1699-02-02 Mo
1700-02-02 Di
1701-02-02 Mi
1702-02-02 Do
1703-02-02 Fr
1704-02-02 Sa
1705-02-02 Mo
1706-02-02 Di
1707-02-02 Mi
1708-02-02 Do
1709-02-02 Sa
1710-02-02 So 4.So.n.Epiph.
1711-02-02 Mo
1712-02-02 Di
1713-02-02 Do
1714-02-02 Fr
1715-02-02 Sa
1716-02-02 So 4.So.n.Epiph./Letzter So.n.Epiph.
1717-02-02 Di
1718-02-02 Mi
1719-02-02 Do
1720-02-02 Fr
1721-02-02 So 4.So.n.Epiph./Letzter So.n.Epiph.
1722-02-02 Mo
1723-02-02 Di
1724-02-02 Mi - Cantata BWV 83 Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde (1^st performance, Leipzig)
1725-02-02 Fr - Cantata BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (1^st performance, Leipzig)
1726-02-02 Sa - J.L. Bach: Cantata Mache dich auf, werde licht, JLB-9 (1^st performance, Leipzig)
1727-02-02 So (4.So.n.Epiph./Letzter So.n.Epiph.) - Cantata BWV 82 Ich habe genug (genung) (solo bass version, 1^st performance, Leipzig) + Cantata BWV 83 Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde (2^nd performance, Leipzig)
1728-02-02 Mo - Cantata BWV 157 Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn! (1^st performance, Leipzig) (or later)
1729-02-02 Mi
1730-02-02 Do
1731-02-02 Fr - Cantata BWV 82 Ich habe genug (genung) (solo soprano version, 2^nd performance, Leipzig)
1732-02-02 Sa
1733-02-02 Mo
1734-02-02 Di
1735-02-02 Mi
1736-02-02 Do
1737-02-02 Sa
1738-02-02 So Septuagesimae
1739-02-02 Mo
1740-02-02 Di
1741-02-02 Do
1742-02-02 Fr
1743-02-02 Sa
1744-02-02 So Sexagesimae
1745-02-02 Di
1746-02-02 Mi
1747-02-02 Do
1748-02-02 Fr
1749-02-02 So Septuagesimae
1750-02-02 Mo

Vocal works with no definite date

(Weimar years, 1713-1717) - Cantata BWV 158 Der Friede sei mit dir (possibly Leipzig, but originally Weimar) (or for Osterdienstag)
(1723-1735?) - G.P. Telemann: Cantata BWV Anh 157 Ich habe Lust zu scheiden, TVWV 1:836 (1^st performance, Leipzig; w/ bc by J.S. Bach)
(1735) - Cantata BWV 82 Ich habe genug (genung) (solo soprano version, 3^rd performance, Leipzig)
(1735-1740) - Cantata BWV 125 Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin (2^nd performance, Leipzig)
(c1742) - Cantata BWV 200 Bekennen will ich seinen Namen (1^st performance, Leipzig; incomplete)
(1746-1747) - Cantata BWV 82 Ich habe genug (genung) (solo bass version, 4^th performance, Leipzig)
(1747-1748) - Cantata BWV 82 Ich habe genug (genung) (solo bass or mezzo-soprano version, 5^th performance, Leipzig)
(Leipzig period) - Cantata BWV 161 Komm, du süße Todesstunde (2^nd performance, Leipzig)

Sundays and Holidays in the Lifetime of J.S. Bach

Prepared by Aryeh Oron (March 2010)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2010)
Please direct any questions or comments to: Dr. Georg Fischer