The opening movement of Bach's solo cantata features an obbligato organ part adapted from a now-lost instrumental concerto, later reworked into his Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1053. Its intricate counterpoint reflects Baroque piety through the musical motif "Gott soll allein mein Herze haben" (God alone shall have my heart).
Composed in 1726 for the 18th Sunday after Trinity, this cantata showcases Bach's innovative use of organ as an obbligato instrument intertwined with the alto voice. The opening sinfonia and fifth movement are adapted from a lost concerto, later reworked into the Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1053. The work explores themes of divine love through a blend of arioso, recitative, and a concluding chorale by Martin Luther.
Composed in 1726 for the 18th Sunday after Trinity, this arioso from Bach's cantata BWV 169 showcases his genius in sacred music. The work originated from a repurposed movement of Bach's lost concerto (later adapted into Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1053). Featuring intimate alto vocals with continuo accompaniment, it expresses total devotion to God through its recurring motif "Gott soll allein mein Herze haben". The organ obbligato, described as a "stream of goodness", adds theological depth to this Baroque masterpiece.
Gott soll allein mein Herze haben (God alone shall have my heart), BWV 169, is a solo alto cantata composed by J.S. Bach for the 18th Sunday after Trinity. Its famous Sinfonia (first movement) is a masterful adaptation of the first movement of a lost instrumental concerto, likely originally for oboe or flute from Bach's Köthen period. This same concerto material was later reworked into the Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1053. In the cantata version, Bach scores the virtuosic solo part for organ, accompanied by strings and oboes, creating a powerful and ornate introduction to a work deeply focused on the theme of loving God above all worldly things.
