(Why wouldst thou then be saddened) for soprano, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, transverse flute I+II, oboe d‘amore I+II, cornett, bassoon, strings and continuo

Composed for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity in 1724, all movements of the cantata “Was willst du dich betrüben” (Why wouldst thou then be saddened) are based on the hymn of the same name by Johann Heermann. This libretto posed the composer with a particular challenge: because he could not rely on contrasting speech rhythms for variety, nor use the modern recitative and aria form to imbue the neutral, yet binding world of the hymn with subjective interpretation, he had to rely on musical means alone to achieve distinction. As the cantata shows, Bach masters this challenge with a steady and audibly light hand.