Cantata BWV 138
Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz?

Ref.

BWV 138

German Title

Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz?

English Title

Why are you troubled, my heart? (by Richard Stokes)

Event

Chorale Cantata for the 15^th Sunday after Trinity
Readings: Epistle: Galatians 5: 25 - 6: 10; Gospel: Matthew 6: 23-34

Composed

Leipzig, 1723
1^st performance: September 5, 1723 - Leipzig

Text

Anon

German Text | Translations: Catalan-1 | Dutch-4 | English-1 | English-3 | English-6 | French-4 | French-6 | Hebrew-1 | Indonesian | Italian-2 | Russian-1 | Spanish-3
Chorale Text: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz

Scoring

Soloists: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass; 4-part Chorus
Orchestra: 2 oboi d’amore, 2 violins, viola, continuo
Mvt. 1: Chorus (Chorale) & Recitative | Mvt. 2: Chorale & Recitative | Mvt. 3: Recitative | Mvt. 4: Aria | Mvt. 5: Recitative | Mvt. 6: Chorale

Score Vocal & Piano [1.98 MB] | Score BGA [2.09 MB]
Score Examples: Mvt. 4 | BWV 138/4 vs. BWV 236/3
Chorale Melody: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz

References

BGA: XXVIII | NBA: I/22 | BC: A 132 | Zwang: K 43 | First Published: Leipzig, 1847 | Autograph score (Facsimile): Berlin, Staatsbibliothek

Commentary

Crouch | AMG | Emmanuel Music | Mincham | EvH [Dutch] | KL [Dutch] | Japanese-1 | Role [French] | Reyes [Spanish]

Music

Music Examples

Discussions

Week of October 1, 2000; Week of October 9, 2005; Week of February 12, 2012

Contents

Complete Recordings
Recordings of Individual Movements

Discussions - Part 1
Discussions - Part 2
Discussions - Part 3

John Eliot Gardiner - Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Vols. 1&8
Complete Cantatas Vol. 9 - conducted by Ton Koopman
Bach Edition Vol. 8 & 9 - Cantatas Vol. 3 & 4 - conducted by Pieter Jan Leusink
Cantatas Vol. 11 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki

Recordings - Part 1

Complete Recordings

1

Bach Made in Germany Vol. 1 - Cantatas VII
J.S. Bach: Kantaten 11. Folge

Cantata BWV 138 [22:30]

Günther Ramin

Thomanerchor Leipzig / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

Soprano & Alto: Anonymous boys from Thomanerchor Leipzig; Tenor: Gert Lutze; Bass: Johannes Oettel

Berlin / Leipzig Classics
Eterna 820-526

Jun 1953

CD / TT: 65:16
LP / TT:

Recorded at Thomaskirche, Leipzig, Germany.
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2

J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 136 & BWV 138 [C-6]

Diethard Hellmann

Mainz Christuskirche Chor & Mainz Bach Orchester

Soprano: Agnes Giebel; Alto: Marie-Luise Gilles; Tenor: Alexander Young; Bass: Carl-Heinz Müller

Cantate

1960

LP / TT:

3

Die Bach Kantate Vol. 50
Edition Bachakademie Vol. 43

Helmuth Rilling

Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart / Bach-Collegium Stuttgart

Soprano: Arleen Augér; Alto: Ria Bollen; Tenor: Aldo Baldin; Bass: Philippe Huttenlocher

Hänssler

Sep 1977; Jan 1978

TT: 19:00

On Edition Bachakademie the dates are: Sep, Dec 1977; Jan 1978. Recorded at Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Germany.
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4

J.S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk - Sacred Cantatas Vol. 8

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Tölzer Knabenchor (Chorus Master: Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden) / Concentus Musicus Wien

Boy Soprano: Alan Bergius (Soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor); Boy Alto: Stefan Rampf (Soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor); Tenor: Kurt Equiluz; Bass: Robert Holl

Teldec

1983

TT: 18:54

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5

Music Fest Bremen ‘96: Philippe Herreweghe dirigent Chor und Orchester des Collegium Vocal Gent [C-21]

Cantatas BWV 138 [18:10]

Philippe Herreweghe

Collegium Vocale Gent

Soprano: Vasiljka Jezovšek; Counter-tenor: Andreas Scholl; Tenor: James Taylor; Bass: Peter Kooy

Die Sparkasse in Bremen 0630-12616-3

Sep, 8, 1996

CD / TT: 49:14

Recorded live by Radio Bremen during Music Fest Bremen at the Kirche Unser Lieben Frauen, Bremen, Germany.
1^st recording of Cantata BWV 138 by P. Herreweghe.

6

J.S. Bach: "Mit Fried und Freud" [C-12]

Cantata BWV 138 [17:11]

Philippe Herreweghe

Collegium Vocale Gent

Soprano: Deborah York; Alto: Ingeborg Danz; Tenor: Mark Padmore; Bass: Peter Kooy

Harmonia Mundi France

Feb 1998

CD / TT: 58:40

Recorded at l'Eglise Doopsgezinde Germeente, Haarlem, Holland.
2^nd recording of Cantata BWV 138 by P. Herreweghe.
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7

J.S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 11 - Cantatas from Leipzig 1723 / IV - BWV 46, 95, 136, 138

Cantata BWV 138 [16:02]

Masaaki Suzuki

Bach Collegium Japan

Soprano: Midori Suzuki; Alto: Kai Wessel; Tenor: Makoto Sakurada; Bass: Peter Kooy

BIS 991

Sep 1998

CD / TT: 67:59

Recorded at the Kobe Shoin Women's University Chapel, Japan.
See: Cantatas Vol. 11 - conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
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8

J.S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 9

Cantata BWV 138 [16:27]

Ton Koopman

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir

Soprano: Caroline Stam; Alto: Bernhard Landauer; Tenor: Christoph Prégardien; Bass: Klaus Mertens

Erato 3984-27315-2 Antoine Marchand CC-72209

Oct 1998

3-CD / TT: 206:05

Recorded at Waalse Kerk, Amsterdam, Holland.
See: Complete Cantatas Vol. 9 - conducted by Ton Koopman
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Antoine Marchand 3-CD (2006): Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de
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9

Bach Edition Vol. 9 - Cantatas Vol. 4

Cantata BWV 138 [18:05]

Pieter Jan Leusink

Holland Boys Choir / Netherlands Bach Collegium

Soprano: Marjon Strijk; Alto: Sytse Buwalda; Tenor: Knut Schoch; Bass: Bas Ramselaar

Brilliant Classics 99368

Oct-Nov 1999

5-CD / TT: 276:16

Recorded at St. Nicolaschurch, Elburg, Holland.
See: Bach Edition Vols. 8 & 9 - Cantatas Vols. 3 & 4 - conducted by Pieter Jan Leusink
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10

Bach Cantatas Vol. 8: Bremen / Santiago
For the 15^th Sunday after Trinity
For the 16^th Sunday after Trinity

Cantata BWV 138 [17:03]

John Eliot Gardiner

Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists

Soprano: Malin Hartelius; Counter-tenor: William Towers; Tenor: James Gilchrist; Bass: Peter Harvey

Soli Deo Gloria 104

Sep 28, 2000

2-CD / TT: 145:04

Live recording from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, at Unser Lieben Frauen, Bremen, Germany.
See: John Eliot Gardiner - Bach Cantata Pilgrimage - Vols. 1&8
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