Bach's cantata for solo soprano "Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut" was written during the summer of 1714 for the Weimar Court service on the 11th Sunday after Trinity. The cantata text by the Darmstadt Court poet Georg Christian Lehms (1684-1717), based on the well-known parable of the Pharisee and the publican, takes on extraordinary potency and intensity of expression in Bach's setting. Bach performed this cantata several times, in Weimar, and also during his years at Cöthen aud Leipzig, meanwhile making various alterations. Our publication is based principally on the Leipzig version of 1723, whose instrumentation includes, in addition to the solo oboe and the customary strings and continuo, a violoncello piccolo. The appendix to our edition presents variants for certain movements from Bach's earlier performances, including a Cöthen version with obbligato viola da gamba which is particularly interesting for present-day practice.

Scoring: Solo S, Ob, (Vl), 2 Vl, Va, Vcpic, (Va, Vc), Bc

Language: German/English

Duration: 26 min

Biblical text: Lk 18, 9-14