(Lord Jesus Christ, true man and God) for soprano, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, flauto I+II, oboe I+II, trumpet, strings and basso continuo

Cantata BWV 127 was composed for Estomihi in 1725. It is widely considered one of the highlights of Bach’s chorale cantata cycle, no doubt by virtue of its motivic density and its nigh perfect balance between sensitive textual interpretation and dramatic presence. The original trumpet part is lost, yet the instrument is essential to the fear of last judgement expressed in the text; it is thus a decision of performance practice whether to include trumpets in the outer movements.