Duetto aus der Kantate BWV58 "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid"

Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid
Begegnet mir zu dieser Zeit!
Der schmale Weg ist Trübsals voll,
Den ich zum Himmel wandern soll.
Nur Geduld, Geduld, mein Herze,
Es ist eine böse Zeit!
Doch der Gang zur Seligkeit
Führt zur Freude nach dem Schmerze.

The cantata was probably composed in Leipzig in 1727 and was reworked in 1734 or 1735. The first performance took place on 5 January 1727.

The first movement uses the first verse of the song Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid by Martin Moller (1587), the last contains the second verse of Martin Behm's chorale O Jesu Christ, mein's Lebens Licht from 1610, which is also the basis for the funeral cantata of the same name (BWV 118). The inner movements are attributed to the theologian and Bach pupil Christoph Birkmann (1703-1771).

The Gospel of the Sunday after the New Year tells of the flight of the Holy Family from Herod to Egypt (Mt 2:13-15 LUT). The cantata interprets this story as the struggle of the world against faith. As a rule, analogous to other dialogue cantatas, the soprano is interpreted as the voice of the "believing soul", the bass as the voice of God or Christ. Bach's dramatic and contrasting musical interpretation supports this interpretation.