Easter Oratorio
BWV 249 · 249.3–5
Oratorio byJ. S. Bach
Title page of the 1738autograph with the title in Latin
Native name	Oster-Oratorium (Kommt, eilet und laufet)
Occasion	Easter
Cantata text	Picander
Based on	Shepherd Cantata, BWV 249a (BWV 249.1)
Performed	1 April 1725 (1725-04-01):Leipzig (cantata) 6 April 1738 (oratorio)
Movements	11
Vocal	SATB soloists and choir
Instrumental	3 trumpets timpani 2 oboes oboe d'amore bassoon 2 recorders flauto tranverso 2 violins viola continuo

TheEaster Oratorio (Latin:Oratorium Festo Paschali; German:Oster-Oratorium),^[1]BWV 249,[a] is anoratorio byJohann Sebastian Bach.^[2] He wrote anautograph score inLeipzig in 1738 under this title, matching hisChristmas Oratorio andAscension Oratorio. Bach had already composed the work in 1725, when he used most of its music for two compositions, the congratulatoryShepherd Cantata, BWV 249a (BWV 249.1), and achurch cantata for Easter Sunday,Kommt, gehet und eilet ('Come, go and hurry'), BWV 249.3, that later became the oratorio. The two 1725 works, premiered a few weeks apart, are bothmusical dramas involving characters: in the secular cantata two shepherds and two shepherdesses, and in the Easter cantata four Biblical figures from the Easter narratives in theGospel of Luke and otherEvangelists. In the oratorio, Bach assigned the music to voice parts instead.

Bach performed theShepherd Cantata on 23 February 1725 for his patronChristian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. Its text was written byPicander, in his first documented collaboration with Bach. Picander may also have adapted his text for the Easter cantata that Bach first performed on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1725, in both a morning service at theNikolaikirche and avespers service at theThomaskirche.

In 1738, Bach revised the Easter cantata as theEaster Oratorio, BWV 249.4. He wrote an autograph manuscript of the score with the titleOratorium Festo Paschali (Easter Oratorio), making only minor changes to text and music. This version is also known asKommt, eilet und laufet ('Come, hasten and run'). Uniquely among Bach's oratorios, it features no original Biblical text, noEvangelist narrator, and nochorale.

The work is structured in elevenmovements. Two contrasting instrumental movements are followed by a duet fortenor andbass, assigned in the cantata to two disciples running to the tomb of Jesus, where they meet two women who followed Jesus (soprano andalto). The middle movements are alternatingrecitatives in conversation, andarias of contemplation. The final movement is a chorus of thanksgiving. The music is scored for a festiveBaroque instrumental ensemble of three trumpets, timpani, a variety ofwind instruments,strings andcontinuo. In the 1740s, Bach again revised the work (BWV 249.5), which he seems to have regarded highly, arranging the third movement partly for choir. He performed the oratorio once more in 1749, the year before his death.

Early Bach scholars, beginning with his biographerPhilipp Spitta, were critical of theEaster Oratorio because of its libretto and its character as a musical drama. When the relation to theShepherd Cantata was discovered in 1940, criticism of theparody music was added. In more recent studies,Christoph Wolff evaluates it as a skillful transformation "from theatrical into devotional music",^[3] and Markus Rathey sees the oratorio as a sequel to theSt John Passion, "continuing the dramatic narrative but also its theological and musical interpretation".^[4]

In 1723, Bach was appointedThomaskantor (director of church music) inLeipzig, where he was responsible for the music at four churches, and for the training and education of boys singing in theThomanerchor. He took office in the middle of theliturgical year, on the first Sunday afterTrinity, 30 May 1723.^[5] Bach decided to compose cantatas for almost all liturgical events for the first twelve months in office; they became hisfirst cantata cycle.^[6] The occasions were Sundays, except for thesilent times ofAdvent (before Christmas) andLent (before Easter), and additional feast days; several feasts of saints were observed in Leipzig, and each of the high holidays was celebrated three days in a row. TheHoly Week and Easter were thus the busiest times.^[7] ForGood Friday of 1724 Bach composed theSt John Passion, an extended dramatic sacredoratorio.^[8] For Easter that year, he performed on SundayChrist lag in Todes Banden, BWV 4, which he had composed much earlier in his career,^[9] and on the following two days Easter cantatas that he could derive from congratulatory cantatas for thecourt of Köthen by justunderlaying the music with new text,Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66, from the serenataDer Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück^[10] andEin Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß, BWV 134, fromDie Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a, a cantata to celebrate theNew Year's Day of 1719 in Köthen.^[11]

The following year, Bach went on to write asecond cantata cycle, now basing each on aLutheran hymn.^[12]Christoph Wolff described the endeavour as "a most promising project of great homogeneity, whose scope he was able to define himself".^[12] Bach kept the format untilPalm Sunday of 1725, which fell on theFeast of the Annunciation that year and therefore required a cantata. He composed and performedWie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1 for the occasion^[12] just one week before the Easter music. Five days later, on Good Friday, he performed the second revised version of theSt John Passion.^[1][13]

In 1725, approaching his second Easter in office, Bach composed a congratulatory cantata,Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen, BWV 249a, more commonly known as theShepherd Cantata, for the 43rd birthday of his patron,Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.^[14][15][16] During Lent, he had the free time to write an extended festive composition, reconnecting to the court.^[17]

Thelibrettist of theShepherd Cantata wasPicander,^[14][18] in his first documented collaboration with Bach.^[19][20][21] It seems likely that Bach had intended from the start to use most of the music for an Easter cantata as well, and that Picander also wrote the text for that purpose.^[1][22][23] Picander would write in 1728 about their collaboration: "I flatter myself that the lack of poetic charm may be compensated for by the loveliness of the music of our incomparable Kapellmeister Bach, and that these songs may be sung in the main churches of our pious Leipzig."^[24][25] They also collaborated on the 1727St Matthew Passion, described by Wolff as Picander's "finest piece of sacred poetry",^[24] and several sacred and secular cantatas.^[24]

Picander wrote the text for adramma per musica in which two shepherds and two shepherdesses interact.^[17] The names of the men, Menalcas and Damoetas, appear inIdylls of Theocritus and Virgil'sEclogues, while the names of the women, Doris and Sylvia, are found in works from the 17th century.^[26] Picander published the libretto in 1727,^[17] under the titleTafel-Music bei Ihro Hochfürstlichen Durchlaucht zu Weissenfels Geburts-Tage den 23. Februar 1725 ('Table music for His Serene Highness of Weissenfels's birthday on 23 February 1725'), which records circumstances of its performance;^[26] scholars suggest that it happened, possibly at the Duke's palace,Schloss Neu-Augustusburg^[26] as a musicalpastoral play in costumes^[20][27] at a banquet.^[19]

Bach used the music of theShepherd Cantata in its exact sequence,^[17] composing only newrecitatives, for achurch cantata forEaster Sunday the same year; its title was firstKommt, gehet und eilet ('Come, go and hurry'), but it was soon changed toKommt, fliehet und eilet ('Come, flee and hurry').^[28][29] The festive nature of the original material was well suited to the celebration of Easter. Several scholars note that the work can be seen as an Easter play;^[17][28][29]Alfred Dürr pointed out that this follows a custom of "scenic representation of the Easter story".^[28]

It seems likely that Picander, who wrote the libretto for theShepherd Cantata, also wrote the text for the Easter cantata. Both texts share the same metrical pattern in order to use thearias and the chorus without modifications.^[1][16] The librettist possibly based his work on an Easter narrative that the theologianJohannes Bugenhagen had compiled fromthe four Gospels.^[17] The librettist created text for dialogues and arias involving four Biblical characters who were assigned to the four voice parts: the disciplesSimon (tenor) andJohn (bass) who appear in the first duet hurrying toJesus's grave and finding it empty, and who meet thereMary Magdalene (alto) andMary Jacobe (soprano).^[1][17][30] The Bach scholarHans-Joachim Schulze wrote: "On the whole, the unidentified librettist deserves every recognition for his work to appropriately transform the arias and ensembles of the secular original into the subject matter of Easter with verbal skill and fealty to content."^[31]

While theShepherd Cantata was opened by one instrumentalmovement, the Easter cantata is unusually opened by two (other) instrumental movements that are probably taken from aconcerto of the Köthen period.^[28][32][30] The work is, like theShepherd Cantata, a musical drama^[17] and features nochorales, which is rare in Bach's liturgical music.^[33]

The cantata was first performed on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1725.^[1][32][4] Bach led theThomanerchor, with boys singing the women's roles;^[17] they gave two performances, one in the morning service at theNikolaikirche whereSalomon Deyling gave the sermon, and the other in avespers service at theThomaskirche, with a sermon byJohann Gottlob Carpzov.^[32] Markus Rathey points out that this music was Bach's first and only for Easter that matched the dramatic approach of the Passions.^[4] Perhaps because of the lack of chorales and original Bible text in the new cantata, the early Easter cantataChrist lag in Todes Banden, was also performed in these services.^[1][13]

In 1733, the death ofAugustus II, the Elector of Saxony, caused anofficial year of mourning in the electorate; performances of festive music such as cantatas were not permitted, which interrupted Bach's regular work and gave him time to plan larger musical forms. Bach composed then theMissa for the Dresden court, mostly compiled inparody style from earlier compositions.^[34] In 1734, he wrote theChristmas Oratorio, performed in six church services around Christmas and based mainly on congratulatory cantatas. Bach chose two other church events of a celebratory nature, Easter and thefeast of the Ascension, as occasions for an oratorio to be performed in the respective church services.^[35][36] TheAscension Oratorio was probably first performed on Ascension Day of 1738.^[37]

For Easter Sunday, 6 April 1738,^[31] Bach needed no new composition but used the 1725 Easter cantata with very minor changes.Ulrich Leisinger, who prepared a critical edition for the publisherCarus, mentioned four of them in his preface:^[1][38]

• the insertion of a measure of music inthe first movement
• the assignment of aflauto traverso as the solo instrument inthe second movement
• the use of a different underlay of the text in the middle section ofthe alto aria and the addition of five measures at its end for better proportion
• the assignment of anoboe d'amore instead of anoboe as theobbligato instrument in this aria.

Bach wrote anautograph score of the music and labelled the work an oratorio, titling itOratorium Festo Paschali.^[1][39][38] In this version, Bach omitted the assignment of characters to the music and noted only the voice parts.^[1][22][38] Leisinger notes that the score is unusually rich in expression marking.^[1]

Derived from the secular musical drama, theEaster Oratorio lacks anEvangelist narrator, Biblical texts, and chorales, unlike Bach's other oratorios.^[17] Its early performance history suggests that Bach enjoyed the work.^[3]

Between 1743 and 1746, Bach revised the oratorio once more: he expandedthe third movement from a duet into a four-part chorus, at least in the outer sections,^[1][28][40] and he changed the text underlay in the middle section ofthe soprano aria.^[1] This final version is the one usually performed and recorded. Conductors have to decide if the duet in the middle section of the third movement is sung by two soloists or the choir sections.^[29]

Bach performed the Easter Oratorio for the last time in 1749, the year before his death;^[3] this performance, which took place on 6 April,^[1] again followed a performance of theSt John Passion on Good Friday.^[1][22] Wolff notes that handwritten notes in the score at the time are among the last indications of performances Bach directed.^[41]

Bach structured the work in eleven movements; after two instrumental movements at the beginning, the third movement is a duet, originally of two disciples moving towards the grave of Jesus. The following movements 4 to 10 alternate recitatives, in which the characters interact, with arias in which they express emotional reaction.^[1] The work is concluded by a chorus of praise. The music is scored for four vocal soloists (soprano (S), alto (A), tenor (T), and bass (B)), afour-part choir, and a festiveBaroque instrumental ensemble of threetrumpets (Tr),timpani, twooboes (Ob),oboe d'amore (Oa),bassoon (Fg), tworecorders (Rec),flauto traverso (Ft), twoviolins (Vl),viola (Va), andbasso continuo (Bc).^[38][42]

In the following table is of the movements in the revised 1740s version, while information for earlier versions is given in brackets. The scoring,keys andtime signatures are taken from Dürr, using the symbol forcommon time. Dürr notes a duration of 47 minutes.^[43] The timpani only play when the trumpets do and are therefore not mentioned.

No.	Type	Text (source)	Vocal	Brass and winds	Strings	Bass	Key	Time
1	Sinfonia			3(2)Tr 2Ob Fg	2Vl Va	Bc	D major	3 8
2	Adagio			Ft (Ob)	2Vl Va	Bc	B minor	3 4
3	Chorus	Kommt, eilet und laufet	SATB (T B)	3Tr 2Ob	2Vl Va	Bc	D major	3 8
4	Recitative	O kalter Männer Sinn	S A T B			Bc
5	Aria	Seele, deine Spezereien	S	Ft		Bc	B minor	3 4
6	Recitative	Hier ist die Gruft	A T B			Bc
7	Aria	Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer	T	2Rec	2Vl	Bc	G major
8	Recitative	Indessen seufzen wir	S A			Bc
9	Aria	Saget, saget mir geschwinde	A	Oa (Ob)	2Vl Va	Bc	A major
10	Recitative	Wir sind erfreut	B			Bc
11	Chorus	Preis und Dank	SATB	3(2)Tr 2Ob	2Vl Va	Bc	D major	3 8

The music of the arias and the closing chorus, movements 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 in cantata and oratorio, were derived from movements 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10of theShepherd Cantata, while new recitatives were composed for Easter.^[1] ConductorJohn Eliot Gardiner and program annotator Yvonne Frindle point out that the sequence of arias resembles adance suite.^[22][44] While Bach dropped the assignment of Biblical figures to voice parts in the oratorio version, they are retained in the description of the music, for clarity of the narration. Schulze notes that the listener becomes immediately included in the action and reflection, called by the initial "Kommt, eilet und laufet".^[31]

The oratorio opens with two contrasting instrumental movements, aSinfonia, a fastconcerto grosso for the full orchestra marked, and an Adagio, featuring a solo instrument andstrings.^[1]

Frindle signifies that the Sinfonia with trumpets and timpani meant the return of festive music after thequiet time of Lent.^[22] It is dominated by thenatural trumpets, with solo roles for a violin and a trio of oboes and cello. The music stands for victory, similar to the opening chorus of Bach's 1715Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31.^[17]

The Adagio, with sighmotifs (Seufzermotive) in thestrings,^[1] is according to Gardiner reminiscent of a Venetian slow movement.^[44] Its lamenting character may illustrate the mood at the burial of Jesus, connecting to theend of theSt John Passion.^[17] Bach changed the solo instrument from oboe to flauto traverso in the oratorio version.^[1]

The two movements may come from a lost concerto fromBach's Köthen period;^[1][28] the first movement is similar to theBrandenburg Concertos. It had been suggested that Bach derived the third movement from the same concerto, but this was rejected on the grounds that no Bach concerto had three movements intriple metre.^[1][28][44]

The first movement to be sung is the third movement, "Kommt, eilet und laufet" ('Come, hasten and run').^[2] It has a double function: closing the concerto of the beginning in the same key and time as the first movement, and opening the dramatic section. Formally ada capo aria, it is dominated by fast runs in violins, oboes and the voices.^[17]

In the secular version, the music is always a duet, first of tenor and bass singing "Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen" (Flee, dissolve, fade away, you cares).^[45] The middle section is full ofcoloratura that illustrate laughter and mirth in the secular work,^[46] often in parallels of thirds to illustrate the harmony of the hearts mentioned in the text.^[17] The beginning is repeated, now in response by soprano and alto.^[45]

The music for the Easter work began in the 1725 version as a duet of tenor and bass, depicting the two disciples Simon and John running to the tomb of Jesus. The upwardruns now illustrate their motion. Bach retained this duet when he named the work an oratorio in 1738. In a 1740s version, Bach set its outer sections for choir, but leaving the middle section as a duet.^[19][28]

All solo voices are involved in the first recitative, "O kalter Männer Sinn!" (O cold hearts of men!),^[2] meeting at the empty grave.^[30] The tone of the women throughout the oratorio represents the "mysticism of the bride" that shows in theSong of Songs.^[31]

The first of the arias is given to the soprano, originally as Maria Jacobe: "Seele, deine Spezereien" (O soul, your spices).^[2] While the secular original talked about "Hunderttausend Schmeicheleien" (A hundred thousand pleasantries),^[45] the woman at the grave reflects that now, told that Jesus was no longer there, the ointments they brought for the corpse are no longer needed, and she imagines a laurel wreath for the victor.^[30] Gardiner compares the music with anobbligato flute to aminuit.^[44]

In the second recitative, "Hier ist die Gruft" (Here is the grave),^[2][30] the alto (originally Mary Magdalene) shares with the disciples that an angel told her that Jesus is risen.^[2]

The second aria is sung by the tenor, originally as Simon: "Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer nur ein Schlummer, Jesu, durch dein Schweißtuch sein" (Gentle shall my death-throes be only a slumber, Jesus, because of your shroud).^[2] In the secular aria, the topic was the sleep of the sheep: "Wieget euch, ihr satten Schafe,in dem Schlafe" (Rock yourselves, you contented sheep, into sleep),^[45]

The shroud relates to the story ofLazarus from the Gospel of John,^[17][31] understood as an anticipation of the Resurrection.^[31] Death is imagined as peaceful now that the shroud indicates that Jesus is risen.^[30] The gentle music of muted strings and recorders over a bass with a pedal-like calm pulse is reminiscent of a cradle song.^[46] Gardiner compares it to abourrée and points out that recorders were also used in Bach'sActus tragicus funeral music.^[44] Rathey notes that the mood again connects to the end of theSt John Passion, "Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine".^[4]

The third recitative is a dialogue of a man and a woman in the secular work. In the Easter music, the two women express their burning desire to see Jesus again,^[17] "Indessen seufzen wir" (Meanwhile we sigh).^[2][30] They sing in parallel lines orimitation. Themotif of burning hearts is taken from theRoad to Emmaus narrative.^[17]

The alto (Mary Magdalene) expresses in the aria "Saget, saget mir geschwinde, saget, wo ich Jesum finde" (Tell me, tell me quickly, say where I can find Jesus),^[2] her desire to find Jesus. The expression and phrasing allude to mystic language in the Song of Songs,^[1][17] namely 3:1–4.^[17] The scene narrated in theGospel of John of Mary Magdalene searching for Jesus in the garden remains in the background. The aria has been described as a thrilling expression of unbridled longing for personal community with Jesus.^[17]

In the secular model, "Komm doch, Flora, komm geschwinde" (Come, Flora, come quickly),Flora is called to bless the fields so that the peasants can pay their duties to the dedicatee of the music, Christian, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels. The voice is accompanied by oboe and strings in the cantata version, but Bach replaced the oboe by an oboe d'amore in the 1938 oratorio. The piece opens with a concertanteritornello; the voice picks up the oboe'stheme, while the oboe accompanies.^[46]

In the middle section of the Easter work the woman says that without her beloved, she is "ganz verwaiset und betrübt" (completely orphaned and desolate).^[2] This passage is, deviating from the secular model, set asAdagio.^[17][28] The words and emotions are close to thoseopening of Part Two of theSt Matthew Passion. Gardiner, who compares the music to agavotte, saw theAdagio phrase as "almost a blueprint of a Mozartian tragedienne's grief".^[44]

In the last recitative, "Wir sind erfreut, daß unser Jesus wieder lebt" (We are delighted that our Jesus lives again),^[2][30] the bass (John) expresses joy that Jesus lives again; he calls for songs of joy. The vocal line for "Wir sind erfreut" recalls the trumpet fanfares from the first movement.^[17]

In the final movement the choir offers praise and thanks, "Preis und Dank bleibe, Herr, dein Lobgesang" (Praise and thanks remain, Lord, your hymn of praise).^[2] In the secular work, the conclusion was a congratulation, beginning with "Glück und Heil bleibe dein beständig Teil!" (May Fortune and health remain your constant portion!).^[2] The movement is structured in two contrasting sections, resembling theSanctus composed for Christmas 1724 and later madepart of the Mass in B minor;^[17][28] both pieces feature in a first section dotted rhythm in common time and mostly chordal vocal parts.^[46]

The trumpets begin with a fanfare which the voices imitate with a marked "Glück und Heil" in the secular work and "Preis und Dank" for Easter. In both texts follows "bleibe", and the "remaining" is expressed inmelismas. The following section, without the trumpets, is in B minor, for the text of victory over hell and devil.^[17]

Picander had closed his secular poetry with adactyl. The corresponding Easter text is "Eröffnet, ihr Himmel, die prächtigen Bogen, der Löwe von Juda kommt siegend gezogen! (Open, O heavens, your magnificent drawbridges, the Lion of Judah approaches in triumph!), alluding to an image fromRevelation 5:5.^[17] Rathey notes that the same imagery had also been used in the middle section of the aria "Es ist vollbracht", in theSt John Passion, immediately after the death of Jesus.^[4]

For this passage Bach returned to the metre and fanfare motifs of the opening Sinfonia,^[1] which Gardiner compares to agigue.^[44] The work ends with a shortfugato, "crowned" by the trumpets.^[17]

Bach scholars, beginning with his biographerPhilipp Spitta, were critical of theEaster Oratorio because of its libretto and its character as a musical drama.^[17] Spitta, unaware of its basis in secular musical theatre, wrote in 1880: "It cannot but surprise us to find that Bach could have been satisfied with such a text.", followed by a detailed critical rendition of the libretto.^[31]

Around 1940,Friedrich Smend discovered the relation of the oratorio and what was known then asSchäfergespräch (Shepherds' colloquy) by Picander.^[31] It created even more criticism because of a prejudice againstparody music: dealing with an important feast of the church without Gospel narrative and chorales was regarded as inadequate, and the new wording assumed to be an "intermediate text prepared with nonchalance and without sympathy".^[31] Dürr's 1971 analysis still showed a critical view,^[17] but acknowledged the work as in the tradition of Easter plays.

More recent studies saw that the oratorio, by disconnecting the music from individual characters, supports the inclusion of the listener. As Schulze pointed out, the first words "Kommt, eilet und laufet" are no longer historic narration but an "appeal to meditatio" which he compared to the opening of theSt Matthew Passion, "Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen" (Come, you daughters, help me lament).^[31] Wolff, who called the three oratorios a trilogy, summarises: "Bach managed to alter markedly the oratorio by skillfully transforming it from theatrical into devotional music".^[3] Rathey sees the oratorio as a sequel to theSt John Passion, "continuing the dramatic narrative but also its theological and musical interpretation".^[4]

The oldest sources of theEaster Cantata are 14 manuscript parts, probably from the secular cantata, which were used for the performance for Easter 1725, probably with the score of the secular work with added lines of text.^[1]

The autograph score of theEaster Oratorio from 1738 is extant. It features unusually detailed markings forarticulation anddynamics; the editorUlrich Leisinger called it one of Bach's most beautiful scores.^[1] Bach wrote the vocal parts again in 1743.^[1] The only part for a third trumpet dates from the last performance in 1749, although it was present in the 1738 score.^[17]

TheEaster Oratorio was published in 1874 by theBach-Gesellschaft in theBach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA), the first edition of Bach works.Diethard Hellmann published an edition in 1962.^[1] The final form of the oratorio was published in theNeue Bach-Ausgabe in 1977, edited by Paul Brainard;^[1] a critical report followed in 1981.^[32]Carus-Verlag published in 2003, as part ofStuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben, the 1738 manuscript with variants, edited by Leisinger.^[1]

A list of recordings is provided on the Bach Cantatas website.^[47][48] Choirs with one voice per part (OVPP) and ensembles playing period instruments inhistorically informed performances are shown with a green background. Michael Wersin compared several recordings in 2014.^[29]

• "Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet ihr Sorgen BWV 249.1; BWV 249a; BC [G 2]".Bach Digital. 2025. Retrieved19 February 2025.
• "Kommt, fliehet [gehet] und eilet, ihr flüchtigen Füße BWV 249.3; BWV 249; BC D 8a".Bach Digital. 2025. Retrieved2 April 2025.
• "Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße (Oratorium Festo Paschali / Easter Oratorio) BWV 249.4; BWV 249; BC D 8a".Bach Digital. 2025. Retrieved27 April 2025.
• "Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße (Oratorium Festo Paschali / Easter Oratorio, late version) BWV 249.5; BWV 249; BC D 8b".Bach Digital. 2025. Retrieved2 April 2025.
• "St. John Passion (first version) BWV 245; BC D 2a".Bach Digital. 2025. Retrieved15 April 2025.
• "St. Matthew Passion (first version) BWV 245; BC D 2a".Bach Digital. 2025. Retrieved15 April 2025.
• "Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen (Ascension Oratorio) BWV 11; BWV 11 / 249b; BC D 9".Bach Digital. 2024. Retrieved28 April 2024.

• Dellal, Pamela (2025)."BWV 249 – Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße / (The Easter Oratorio)".Emmanuel Music. Retrieved19 February 2025.
• Dellal, Pamela (2025)."BWV 249a - Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen (The Shepherd Cantata)". Emmanuel Music. Retrieved28 March 2025.
• Dürr, Alfred;Jones, Richard D. P. (2006)."Kommt, eilet und laufet, Easter Oratorio BWV 249".The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text.Oxford University Press. pp. 271–274.ISBN 978-0-19-969628-4.
• Frindle, Yvonne (2021)."Johann Sebastian Bach / (1685–1750) / Easter Oratorio, BWV 249"(PDF).West Australian Symphony Orchestra. pp. 16–17. Retrieved4 April 2025.
• Gardiner, John Eliot (2014)."Bach / Gardiner / Easter Oratorio / Actus tragicus"(PDF).Monteverdi Choir. Retrieved4 April 2025.
• Grychtolik, Alexander (2019)."Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Entfliehet, entschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen". Ortus Musikverlag. Retrieved19 February 2025.
• Henkel, Georg (1 March 2011)."Bach, J. S. (Kuijken) / Kantaten für das vollständige liturgische Jahr Vol. XIII.: Oster-Oratorium (BWV 249 – 6)".Musik an sich (in German). Retrieved4 April 2025.
• Klek, Konrad (2017)."BWV 249 / Kommt, eilet und laufet".Dein ist allein die Ehre: Band 3: Johann Sebastian Bachs Geistliche Kantaten erklärt (in German).Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. p. 2.ISBN 978-3-37-404772-7.
• Leisinger, Ulrich (2003).Oratorium / Osteroratorim / Oratorium festi paschali / BWV 249(PDF).Carus-Verlag. pp. VI–VII. Retrieved19 February 2025.
• Maul, Michael (2025)."Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße (Oratorium Festo Paschali / Easter Oratorio, late version)".Bach Digital. Retrieved2 April 2025.
• Oron, Aryeh (2024)."Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 / Kommet, eilet und laufet".Bach Cantatas. Retrieved17 February 2025.
• Quinn, John (April 2014)."Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / "Actus tragicus", Gottes Zeit ist der allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106 / Easter Oratorio, Kommt, eilet und laufet, BWV 249".Musicweb International. Retrieved17 February 2025.
• Rathey, Markus (15 March 2016)."Composing a Sequel—Bach's Easter Oratorio and his St John Passion".Yale University Press. Retrieved27 April 2025.
• Schulze, Hans-Joachim (4 April 2024)."Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße BWV 249 / BC D 8".Commentaries on the Cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Windsor & Downs Press. Retrieved27 April 2025.
• Schulze, Hans-Joachim (29 April 2024)."Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen BWV 249.1 / BC G 2".Commentaries on the Cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Windsor & Downs Press. Retrieved9 May 2025.
• Shoemaker, Paul (3 March 2025)."Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / Easter Oratorio "Kommt, eilet und laufet" BWV 249".Musicweb International. Retrieved27 May 2025.
• Stancliffe, David (22 April 2025)."Bach: Easter Oratorio, Magnificat".Music Review. Retrieved22 April 2025.
• Veen, Johan van (2013)."Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750): Easter Oratorio (BWV 249)".Musica Dei Donum. Retrieved4 April 2025.
• Vernier, David (14 April 2000)."J.S. Bach: Easter oratorio/Herreweghe".Classics Today. Retrieved4 April 2025.
• Wersin, Michael (8 February 2014)."Hörtest / Johann Sebastian Bachs Osteroratorium: Tod, wo ist dein Stachel?".Rondo. Retrieved4 April 2025.
• Wolf, Uwe (4 May 2021).""Hochfürstl. Sächsisch-Weißenfelsischer würklicher Capellmeister"".Carus-Verlag. Retrieved19 February 2025.
• Wolff, Christoph (2020).Bach's Musical Universe: The Composer and his Work.W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN 978-0-39-305071-4.
• Wolff, Christoph (2002)."Mostly Cantatas".Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician.Oxford University Press. pp. 253–295.ISBN 978-0-393-32256-9.
• Wolff, Christoph (2010)."Under the Spell of Opera? Bach's Oratorio Trilogy". InChafe, Eric (ed.).Bach Perspectives, Volume 8: J. S. Bach and the Oratorio Tradition.University of Illinois Press.

• "'Entfliehet, ihr Sorgen' – Bach celebration cantatas BWV 205a & 249a".Funk-Stiftung. Retrieved19 February 2025.
• "Kommt, eilet und laufet BWV.249, "Easter oratorio"".Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. 2025. Retrieved4 April 2025.
• "Resurrecting Bach's Easter Oratorio".Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. 2024. Retrieved4 April 2025.

• Autograph score in theDigitized Collections ofBerlin State Library and inBach digital
• Kommt eilet und laufet–D major; Autograph manuscript; BWV 249, BC D 8b; D-B Mus.ms. Bach P 34,RISM
• Oster-Oratorium, BWV 249 (Bach, Johann Sebastian): Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
• BWV 249 Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße (Oster-Oratorium) text, scoring,University of Alberta
• Traupman-Carr, Carol (2008)."Easter Oratorio (Oster-Oratorium) BWV 249". Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Archived fromthe original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved25 February 2012.
• Johann Sebastian Bach, Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 onYouTube conductorHans-Christoph Rademann

• Passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach
• 1725 oratorios
• Music for Easter
• Oratorios based on the Bible

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Featured articles
• Articles containing German-language text
• Pages with timeline metadata
• Articles containing Latin-language text
• Articles containing Italian-language text
• Articles with hCards
• CS1 German-language sources (de)
• Works with IMSLP links
• Articles with International Music Score Library Project links