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Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow Cantata CXXXVIII.: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz. Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity ( c. 1740 1 ) - Bach's Chorals, vol. 2 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motetts

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Subject Area: Music
Subject Area: Religion

Cantata CXXXVIII.: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz. Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity ( c. 1740 1 ) - Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach’s Chorals, vol. 2 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motetts [1917]

Edition used:

Bach’s Chorals. Part I: 2 The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Cantatas and Motetts, by Charles Sanford Terry (Cambridge University Press, 1915-1921). 3 vols. Vol. 2.

Part of: Bach’s Chorals, 3 vols.

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Cantata CXXXVIII.

Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz. Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity (c. 17401 )

A Choral Cantata, on the Hymn “Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz” attributed to Hans Sachs (see Cantata 47). The tune which Bach uses in the first, third, and last movements is that of the Hymn (see Cantata 47).

(a)

The Choral in the opening movement is the first stanza of the Hymn:

  • Warum betrubst du dich, mein Herz?
  • Bekummerst dich und trägest Schmerz
  • Nur um das zeitliche Gut?
  • Vertrau’ du deinem Herren Gott1 ,
  • Der alle Ding’ erschaffen hat.
  • B.G. xxviii. 199.

Form. Choral Fantasia, with orchestral and Recitativo interludes (2 Ob. d’amore, Strings, Continuo)2 .

(b)

The Choral in the third movement is the second stanza of the Hymn:

  • Er kann und will dich lassen3 nicht;
  • Er weiss gar wohl, was dir gebricht:
  • Himmel und Erd’ ist sein!
  • Dein4 Vater und dein Herre Gott,
  • Der dir5 beisteht in aller Noth.
  • B.G. xxviii. 205.

Form. The Choral (S.A.T.B.) is prefaced and its sequence is broken by the interposition of Recitativo passages (2 Ob. d’amore, Strings, Continuo) .

(c)

The words of the concluding movement are the third stanza of the Hymn:

  • Weil du mein Gott und Vater bist,
  • Dein Kind wirst du verlassen nicht,
  • Du vaterliches Herz!
  • Ich bin ein armer Erdenkloss,
  • Auf Erden weiss ich keinen Trost.
  • B.G. xxviii. 217.

Form. Choral Fantasia (2 Ob. d’amore, Strings, Continuo)

[1 ] Rust dates it c. 1730.

[1 ]c. 1560 Herren unnd Gott.

[2 ] See Spitta, iii. 88, on the movement. It has relations with the Dialogus type.

[3 ]c. 1560 dich verlassen.

[4 ]c. 1560 Mein.

[5 ]c. 1560 mir.