The central theme is always the artwork itself, its music, and - as far as necessary for understanding the work - the composed text. Preceding the introductions is an overview of the history and development of the Bach cantata, its forms, and its textual issues. A number of questions are addressed that are significant for general understanding and are referenced within the individual presentations. It serves as a practical reference work: each cantata is presented individually in its compositional and textual uniqueness. The cantatas are clearly organized by their purpose: sacred cantatas (in the course of the church year), church cantatas of other designations, and secular cantatas. The book contains all cantata texts.