Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?

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Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben? (Dearest God, when will I die?) is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. In Wolfgang Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's works, it is BWV 8.

It was written in Leipzig for the sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, and was first performed on 24 September 1724. It is based on a chorale of the same name by Caspar Neumann.

The piece is written for horn, flute, two oboes d'amore, strings (violins, violas and basso continuo), vocal soloists and choir. It is in six movements, in E major unless otherwise noted:

Chorus: "Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?" - a gapped chorale setting of the tune. The alto, tenor, and bass voices sing free counterpoint, while the sopranos sing the chorale unadorned in long notes.
Aria: "Was willst du dich, mein Geist, entsetzen" ("Why should you recoil, my spirit") - for tenor, oboe d'amore and continuo (C-sharp minor).
Recitative: "Zwar fühlt mein schwaches Herz" ("Indeed, my weak heart feels") - for alto, strings and continuo.
Aria: "Doch weichet, ihr tollen, vergeblichen Sorgen!" ("But hence, you foolish, useless worries!") - for bass, flute, strings and continuo (A major).
Recitative: "Behalte nur, o Welt, das Meine!" ("Keep then, o world, my possessions!") - for soprano and continuo.
Chorale: "Herrscher über Tod und Leben" ("Sovereign over death and life") - the last verse of the chorale, sung and played by the whole ensemble.

An alternative version of the cantata in D major is also extant, believed to be from 1746-7. Several minor changes to the instrumentation were also implemented, for example in the first movement the two oboe parts are given to concertante violins, and in the Bass aria, the oboe d'amore is used colla parte with the flute. Both variants have been recorded: the aria by Ton Koopman with Klaus Mertens as the bass soloist and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, and the chorus by Koopman's pupil Maasaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan in addition to the full cantata in E.

[edit] Selected Recordings

- Gustav Leonhardt (dir), Leonhardt-Consort, Choir of King's College Cambridge, Soprano from Regensburger Domspatzen, Alto Paul Esswood, Tenor Kurt Equiluz, Bass Max van Egmond (1971) Teldec various issues

- Philippe Herreweghe (dir), Collegium Vocale Gent, Soprano Deborah York, Alto Ingeborg Danz, Tenor Mark Padmore, Bass Peter Kooy (1998) Harmonia Mundi France HMC901659

- Ton Koopman (dir), Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir, Soprano Lisa Larsson, Alto Annette Markert, Tenor Christoph Pregardien, Bass Klaus Mertens (2000) Challenge Classics CC72212

- Masaaki Suzuki (dir), Bach Collegium Japan, Soprano Yukari Nonoshita, Alto Robin Blaze, Tenor Gerd Turk, Bass Peter Kooy (2004) BIS-CD1351