Cantata for the Septuagesima Sunday

Complete score
Oboe d’amore 1
Oboe d’amore 2
Violin 1
Violin 2
Viola
Continuo

Bach performed this beautiful choralcantata for the first time on 28th of January 1725. The cantata is based on the Paul Gerhard church song with the same name “Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn”. The chorale melody is “Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit” from Claudin de Sermisy. The cantata is another great example for Bachs mastery in taking something which is already beautiful for itself (Paul Gerhard and Sermisys song) and raising it to another level. He had a very profound knowledge of the lutheran church song tradition (as maybe the best organ player of his time) and he arranged the chorale in a very specific and exceptional way for this wonderful cantata (as the best composer of all times).

The score has the first chorale, which actually is a concerto for 2 oboi d’amore, strings, choir and basso continuo. Then there is the 4th movement, another chorale using the 5th verse of Paul Gerhards song. It is an aria for alto, two oboi d’amore and basso continuo:

Zudem ist Weisheit und Verstand
Bei ihm ohn alle Maßen,
Zeit, Ort und Stund ist ihm bekannt,
Zu tun und auch zu lassen.
Er weiß, wenn Freud,
er weiß, wenn Leid
Uns, seinen Kindern, diene,
Und was er tut,
ist alles gut,
Ob’s noch so traurig schiene.

The next movement in the scores is the 8th movement of the cantata, a delicate and very intimate aria for soprano, oboe d’amore obligato, strings and basso continuo. Soprano and oboe d’amore perform in a dialogue, the strings accompany them with pizzicato. The cantata closes with the last verse of Gerhards song, a plain four-part chorale.

The score is based on Bachs autograph (mostly from the parts).

Epistle: 1.Corinthians 9: 24-27 1.Corinthians 10: 1-5
Gospel: Matthew 20: 1-16

Bach cantatas website
Cantata text
Facsimile bach-digital.de
Facsimile parts bach-digital.de