J.S. Bach: Gott soll allein mein Herze haben, BWV 169 - The Church Cantatas, Vol. 81

Cantata 169 ‘Gott soll allein mein Herze haben’ for the 18th Sunday after Trinity, 20 October 1726, is a special work in view of its instrumentation and parodic origin. The work requires just one solo voice (alto), a fourpart choir, two oboes d’amore, oboe da caccia and obbligato organ. The latter is explained by the work upon which parts of the cantata are based, the Harpsichord Concerto in E major BWV1053, which is probably based in turn on a lost oboe concerto. The first part of this concerto was arranged by Bach as the introductory sinfonia to the cantata. He transposed the work from E major to D major, replaced the harpsichord by the organ and added three oboes. The middle movement of the concerto became the second aria (No.5) ‘Stirb in mir, Welt’, in which Bach added the alto part alongside the obbligato organ and thus considerably intensified its expressive power. Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach Artists: Netherlands Bach Collegium, Pieter Jan Leusink (conductor), Holland Boys Choir & Syts