Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut

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Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (My Heart Swims in Blood) is a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. In Wolfgang Schmieder's catalogue of Bach's works, it is BWV 199. The bulk of the text, which concerns a sinner finding redemption through God, is taken from Georg Christian Lehms Gottgefälliges Kirchen-Opffer (a little earlier, he had drawn on the same source for Widerstehe doch der Sünde).

The piece was composed in Weimar in 1714 for performance on the eleventh Sunday after Trinity. It is written for solo soprano accompanied by an orchestra comprised of violins (divided into two), violas, oboe and basso continuo. It is in eight parts:

  1. "Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut" - a recitative for soprano accompanied by the strings.
  2. "Stumme Seufzer, stille Klagen" - a slow da capo aria for the soprano, continuo and solo oboe. There is a brief recitative before the da capo.
  3. "Doch Gott muss mir genädig sein" - another recitative with string accompaniment.
  4. "Tief gebückt und voller Reue" - another da capo aria, this one in E flat major, marked andante (at a walking pace), in 3/4 time and accompanied by the strings. There is an unusual adagio (slow) passage just before the da capo, modulating to A flat major.
  5. "Auf diese Schmerzensreu" - a very short recitative, just three bars long, accompanied by the continuo.
  6. "Ich, dein betrübtes Kind" - Verse three of the chorale, "Wo soll ich fliehen hin". There is a solo viola part.
  7. "Ich lege mich in diese Wunden" - the final recitative, accompanied by strings.
  8. "Wie freudig ist mein Herz" - the only quick movement in the cantata, this cheerful gigue-like da capo aria accompanied by all the instruments in 12/8 time completes the work.

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