Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz (Examine
me, God, and discover my heart), BWV 136, is a church
cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the
cantata in his first year in Leipzig for the eighth
Sunday after Trinity, in his position as
Thomaskantor.
The sources show, however, that only the middle section
of movement 3 and the chorale were composed then with
certainty. The other parts may rely on a former unknown
secular or church cantata.
The opening chorus is bas...(+)
Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz (Examine
me, God, and discover my heart), BWV 136, is a church
cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the
cantata in his first year in Leipzig for the eighth
Sunday after Trinity, in his position as
Thomaskantor.
The sources show, however, that only the middle section
of movement 3 and the chorale were composed then with
certainty. The other parts may rely on a former unknown
secular or church cantata.
The opening chorus is based on Psalms 139:29. The poet
of the recitatives and arias, which are closely
connected to the Sunday's gospel, is unknown. The
chorale is verse 9 of Johann Heermann's "Wo soll ich
fliehen hin" (1630) on the melody of "Auf meinen lieben
Gott", which Bach used again in 1724 as the base for
his chorale cantata Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 5.
The opening chorus is mainly in two parts (A and A'),
with choral fugues on the same themes, both presenting
the complete text. An extended instrumental ritornello,
dominated by the horn, is heard before, between and
after the choral sections. The first fugue is preceded
by a choral Devise (statement). Throughout the movement
the two oboes never play independently but double the
violins in the ritornelli and the soprano in the vocal
sections. Bach used this movement later as the base for
the "Cum Sancto Spiritu" of his Missa in A major.
The two recitatives are mostly secco, only the last
measures of movement 4 tend to an arioso. The aria is
accompanied by the oboe d'amore, the middle section
(certainly composed in 1723) is marked presto. The two
violins in unison accompany the duet, while the voices
sing sometimes in imitation, sometimes in homophony, in
the style of duets Bach wrote in Köthen.
The chorale is expanded to five parts by an independent
violin, similar to the chorale of Erschallet, ihr
Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172.
The cantata in six movements is scored for three
soloists (alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir,
corno da caccia, oboe, oboe d'amore, two violins, viola
and basso continuo.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erforsche_mich,_Gott,_un
d_erfahre_mein_Her...).
I created this arrangement of the opening chorus for
Winds (Bb Trumpet, Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, French
Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
PARTITION