Why did Bach score this aria with four violas creating a "magically dark-hued sonority"? Learn!
Who's behind the notes? Discover Johann Sebastian Bach: Master of Baroque Music
This aria from Bach's early cantata BWV 18 features an unusual string ensemble of four violas accompanying the soprano, creating a rich, chaconne-like texture. Composed in Weimar around 1713, it explores Lutheran themes through a blend of Italian recitative techniques and German sacred music, with Isaiah 55:10-11 as its textual foundation.