Bach wrote the cantata in his first year in Leipzig, which he had started after Trinity of 1723, for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, the ministry of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:4–11), and from the Gospel of Mark, the healing of a deaf mute man (Mark 7:31–37). The unknown poet referred to the gospel, but saw in the healing more generally God constantly doing good for man. The opening chorus is therefore taken from Psalms 103:2, "Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget the good He has done for you". The poetry refers to "telling" several times, related to the healed man's ability to speak: "Ah, that I had a thousand tongues!" (movement 2), "My soul, arise! tell" (movement 3) and "My mouth is weak, my tongue mute to speak Your praise and honor" (movement 4). Several movements rely on words of a cantata by Johann Oswald Knauer, published in 1720 in Gott-geheiligtes Singen und Spielen des Friedensteinischen Zions in Gotha. The closing chorale picks up the theme in the sixth verse of Samuel Rodigast's hymn "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (What God does, is done well) (1675).
Librettist | anonymous |
Date of composition | 1723 (revised in 1748;) in Leipzig, Germany |
First published | 1868 in Leipzig, Germany |
Type | Cantata |
Tonality | D Major |
Catalogue | BWV 69a |
Approx. duration | 27 minutes |
Spoken language | German |
Instruments |
Voice (Soprano)
Voice (Alto) Voice (Tenor) Voice (Bass) Chorus/Choir Trumpet Timpani Oboe Oboe d'amore Oboe da caccia Recorder Continuo Strings |
Autotranslations beta |
Jean-Sébastien Bach: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele en ré majeur, BWV 69a ""Praise the Lord, my soul"" Johann Sebastian Bach: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele in re maggiore, BWV 69a ""Praise the Lord, my soul"" Johann Sebastian Bach: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele D-dur, BWV 69a ""Praise the Lord, my soul"" |