Of all Bach’s major choral works, the Magnificat is the most concise, yet its compactness contains the full range of the composer’s profound expressiveness, reaching from the most intimate reflection to massed, fervent exuberance.

In setting the Magnificat text, the Latin version of Mary’s song of praise from the first chapter of St. Luke, Bach revelled in his love for musical symbolism: for picturing the words in a tonal equivalent.

Despite the relative brevity of the work, Bach attained astonishing variety and dramatic momentum. The orchestral scoring ranges from the full Bachian brilliance of three trumpets, two flutes, two oboes, bassoon, timpani, strings, and continuo, to the austerity of a continuo-only accompaniment for the bass aria. All of the choruses are for five partt choir, developing their texts with florid melismas, contrapuntal textures, and sturdy chordal declarations.

Cantatas 34, 86 and 74 are three cantatas for Pentecost, written between 1723 and 1729 whilst Bach was working in Leipzig at the Thomaskirche.