chorale cantata

A chorale cantata is a musical composition for voices and instruments, originating in 17th-century Italy. It evolved from early solo vocal works to include alternating sections of recitative (speech-like singing) and aria (melodic solo singing), similar to opera.12

In Germany, the Lutheran church adopted the cantata, often incorporating a chorus. Johann Sebastian Bach is renowned for his approximately 200 cantatas, particularly his "chorale cantatas." These typically begin with a choral fantasy on a hymn's first stanza and conclude with a simple harmonization of the last stanza, with intermediate stanzas paraphrased in recitatives and arias. A chorale itself is a metrical hymn tune associated with the Lutheran church, often sung by the congregation.123