I have had a lot of distress

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Bach cantata
I have had a lot of distress
BWV: 21st
Occasion: 3rd Sunday after Trinity
Year of origin: 1714?
Place of origin: Weimar?
Solo : STB
Choir: SATB
Instruments : 3Tr 2Ti 4Tb Ob Fg Vl Va Bc
AD : approx. 44 min
text
Salomon Franck ?
List of Bach cantatas

I was very worried ( BWV 21) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach .

Emergence

The origin of this cantata is unclear. What is certain is that it was performed for the first time on the 3rd Sunday after Trinity 1714 in Weimar , but not yet with all the movements from the last version of 1723. It was written even earlier. Bach may have composed them or put them together from existing individual pieces when he applied for the position of organist in Halle in 1713 . It is also possible that the two parts of the cantata were originally planned as separate works. The text of the cantata is probably from Salomon Franck .

Subject

Motifs of sighs (e.g. in bar 9 ff. Of the first aria), the image of the stream of tears by means of seconds in sixteenths in the second aria and the musically disturbing image of a storm surge characterize the depressed mood. But already in the opening choir , with the words "But your consolations refresh my soul" ( Psalm 94:19  LUT ), the mood changes to a joyful assurance of salvation. The final chorus "The lamb that is strangled" forms a triumphant hymn of praise. Handel also used the text from the Revelation of John ( Rev 5,12  LUT ) to close his Messiah .

occupation

In the performance of 1723 the instruments were supplemented by four trombones , which in movement 9 together with the strings led by the colla parte reinforce the choir.

particularities

The cantata “I had a lot of concern” stands out from Bach's cantatas in several ways. The duration - the performance lasts around 40 minutes - is extraordinary. In this cantata Bach achieves great intensity and drama that are reminiscent of his great main works.

literature

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