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In the following lists you can find where Bach has used of the terms "Concerto", "J.J." and "SDG" in his sacred music. The lists were put together based on everything that could be found in the NBA KBs.
List by BWV Number [PDF]
List by Year of Composition [PDF]
Some important points about the content of the lists:
1. Only Bach's own designations and invocations as found on existing autograph scores and written in his handwriting are considered valid and entirely reliable.
2. A few autograph scores are fragmentary or incomplete and some have had a portion of the title clipped or it was partially destroyed by deterioration of the paper, thus a missing "J.J." is a possibility for a few of the scores where it is listed as missing.
3. An "x" in the "J.J." category means that "Jesu Juva" was used as an invocation.
4. There are variants for the "SDG" that is frequently noted at the end of the completed score.
5. When the use of "Fine" or the closing invocation "SDG" (or its equivalent) is missing, one likely explanation is that Bach was pressed for time as he quickly handed over the final page of the score to his copyist(s).
6. "Concerto" as part of the title is an abbreviated form of "Concerto da Chiesa" = "Kirchenmusik". It can describe the reduced instrumental forces (strings only) of some cantatas as well as festive sacred music using trumpets, timpani, oboes, etc. performed on Feast Days. Bach appears to use "Concerto" as a generic term for sacred music that includes more instruments than simply a continuo part to accompany a choir.
7. In a number of instances (less than a dozen), Bach's title runs out of space at the top of the first page of the score. He then uses "etc." which might imply either the continuation of the long name of the cantata and/or the designation "Concerto" which is often placed at the end of the title.
8. Bach uses invocations in his titles as well as at the conclusion of the score. They appear to have been used beginning with his earliest cantatas until some of the late Leipzig cantatas; however, during the Weimar and Köthen Periods, Bach appears not to have used the "J.J." and "SDG" invocations at all. Bach begins using them rather consistently during the early Leipzig period, particularly after 1724.
9. BWV 244 should read:
J. J. Passio D. N. J. C. secundum Matthaeum and
J. J. Pars 2da Passionis Xsti secundum Mattheum
of which the "J. J." is the invocation for each part of the Passion and the D.N.J.C. = Domini nostri Jesu Christi = of our Lord Jesus Christ is part of the title.
10. For abbreviations used by Bach, see: Terms & Abbreviations with Bach connection |
