We have a collection of 2 arrangements for Johann Sebastian Bach - Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz, BWV 138
Why did Bach's complex structure in Cantata BWV 138 confuse his earliest biographers? Learn!
Who's behind the notes? Discover Johann Sebastian Bach: Master of Baroque Music
Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata "Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz" (BWV 138) is a fascinating and original work from his first year in Leipzig. Composed for the 15th Sunday after Trinity, it explores the theme of anxiety versus trust in God, based on the day's Gospel reading from the Sermon on the Mount. Unlike his later chorale cantatas, BWV 138 uses only the first three verses of a 1561 hymn, interweaving them with freely composed recitatives that represent anxious questioning. This creates a dramatic dialogue between the assured, metric chorale tunes and the frantic, free-meter recitatives. The cantata's unusual structure, which features the chorale melody presented by oboes and then voices amidst string accompaniment and solo interjections, was criticized by early biographers like Spitta and Schweitzer for being fragmented. However, modern conductors like John Eliot Gardiner praise it as a highly experimental and effective work, a clever precursor to his great chorale cantata cycle, where Bach masterfully builds tension between human doubt and divine faith.