(Eternity, thou thundrous word) for alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe I-III, tromba da tirarsi, trumpet, bassoon, strings and basso continuo

Cantata BWV 20, the first work in Bach’s second Leipzig cycle, was composed in 1724 for the First Sunday after Trinity. Based on a hymn by Johann Rist (1642), the libretto explores the theme of eternal damnation as told in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), thus providing Bach with the framework for a veritable “music of terror” that torments the listener with the prospect of God’s eternal punishment while dramatically charging us to reform our ways and reject worldly pleasures.