''Mein Odem ist schwach'' (My breath is weak),

BWV The (, ; BWV) is a Catalogues of classical compositions, catalogue of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first published in 1950, edited by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue's second edition appeared in 1990 and the third edition in ...

222, is a

church cantata A church cantata or sacred cantata is a cantata intended to be performed during Christian liturgy. The genre was particularly popular in 18th-century Lutheran Germany, with many composers writing an extensive output: Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel ...

composed by

Johann Ernst Bach II Johann Ernst Bach (28 January 1722 – 1 September 1777) was a German composer of the Classical Period. He was the son of Johann Bernhard Bach. Life Johann Ernst Bach, the son of Johann Bernhard Bach, was born in Eisenach and baptized on 30 Ja ...

. It had been accredited to

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

. The intended occasion and the librettist are unknown.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is scored for soprano, alto and bass soloists,

SATB In music, SATB is a scoring of compositions for choirs or consorts of instruments consisting of four voice types: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Choral music Four-part harmony using soprano, alto, tenor and bass is a common scoring in classic ...

choir, two

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

and

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

. It is six movements: #Aria (bass): ''Mein Odem ist schwach'' #Aria (alto): ''O seid mir sehnsuchtsvoll geküßt'' #Chorus: ''Unser Wandel ist im Himmel'' #Chorale: ''Wie du mir, Herr, befohlen hast'' #Chorale: ''Lass mich nur, Herr, wie Simeon'' #Chorus: ''Wir aber sind getrost und haben vielmehr Lust''

Motet ''Unser Wandel ist im Himmel''

The

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the preeminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to the Eng ...

''Unser Wandel ist im Himmel'', BWV Anh. 165 is derived from movements 3, 4 and 6 of the cantata ''Mein Odem ist schwach''. As for the cantata its authorship is attributed to Johann Ernst Bach II.Bach Digital Work at

Recording

*Alsfelder Vokalensemble / Steintor Barock Bremen,

Wolfgang Helbich Wolfgang Helbich (8 April 1943 – 8 April 2013) was a German church musician, a choral conductor and academic. He was the founder of the Alsfelder Vokalensemble and served as their conductor for decades, a group that toured internationally and re ...

. ''The Apocryphal Bach Cantatas''. CPO, 1991.

References

{{Authority control Church cantatas Bach: spurious and doubtful works Compositions by Johann Ernst Bach II German church music