The Easter Oratorio BWV 249 was first performed on Easter Sunday 1725 with the text “Kommt, eilet und laufet”. In the counting of the new BWV, this is already BWV 249.3, following two congratulatory cantatas as early forms of the oratorio. As a “drama per musica”, this version still had explicit role assignments for the characters Maria Jacobi (Soprano), Maria Magdalena (Alto), Petrus (Tenore) and Johannes (Basso), which were later no longer used by Bach.

For the 1738 revival (BWV 249.4), Bac...