Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz (Why do you trouble yourself, my heart), BWV 138, in Leipzig for the 15th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 5 September 1723. The text by an unknown author includes three stanzas from the hymn of the same name. Its text and melody were formerly attributed to Hans Sachs, but were written by an unknown hymn writer. The cantata has seven movements and is scored for SATB soloists and choir, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo. The cantata has features of a chorale cantata although it was written a year before Bach's annual cycle of chorale cantatas. Bach used an aria as the base of the Gratias of his Missa in G major.

Librettist (partly re-used in BWV 236)
Date of composition 1723
Premiered 1723, September 5th in Leipzig, Germany
First published 1847
Type Sacred Cantata
Tonality B Minor
Catalogue BWV 138
Instruments 4x Voice
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra
Links
Autotranslations beta Jean-Sébastien Bach: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz en si mineur, BWV 138
Johann Sebastian Bach: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz in si minore, BWV 138
Johann Sebastian Bach: Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz h-moll, BWV 138