Bach composed the cantata while living in Leipzig. He retained a role as court composer to Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, for whom he had worked full-time in the period 1717–1723. The cantata was written for the 24th birthday of the prince's second wife, Princess Charlotte Friederike Amalie of Nassau-Siegen on 30 November 1726, the likely date of the work's premiere, albeit undocumented.
| Original Name | Steigt freudig in die Luft |
| Librettist | Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander) |
| Date of composition | 1726 (based on BWV.36c; lost) |
| Premiered | 1726, November 30th in Köthen, Germany |
| Dedicated to | for the 24th birthday of the prince's second wife, Princess Charlotte Friederike Amalie |
| Type | Secular Cantata |
| Catalogue | BWV 36a |
| Autotranslations beta |
Jean-Sébastien Bach: Soar joyfully in the air, BWV 36a Johann Sebastian Bach: Soar joyfully in the air, BWV 36a Johann Sebastian Bach: Soar joyfully in the air, BWV 36a |