The opening chorus draws on imagery of eternal fire, represented in the strings. This is followed by a short secco bass recitative ending on an imperfect B minor cadence. The third movement exists only in reconstructed forms; it likely opened with strings and continuo. Its structure oddly alternates between aria and recitative episodes. The chorus appeals for peace.
| Original Name | O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe |
| Librettist | Anonymous (Nos.1-2, 5-6) Psalm CXXVIII: 4-6 (Nos.3-4) Numbers 6: 24-26 (No.7) (partly lost; revised as BWV 34) |
| Date of composition | 1726 |
| Premiered | 1725 in Leipzig, Germany |
| First published | 1894 (BGA) |
| Dedicated to | Cantata for a Wedding |
| Type | Secular Cantata |
| Tonality | D Major |
| Catalogue | BWV 34a |
| Spoken language | German |
| Instruments |
4x
Voice
Chorus/Choir Orchestra |
| Links | |
| Autotranslations beta |
Jean-Sébastien Bach: O eternal fire, o source of love en ré majeur, BWV 34a Johann Sebastian Bach: O eternal fire, o source of love in re maggiore, BWV 34a Johann Sebastian Bach: O eternal fire, o source of love D-dur, BWV 34a |