Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131
| Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir | |
|---|---|
BWV 131 | |
| Church cantata by J. S. Bach | |
The Marienkirche, Mühlhausen, whose minister commissioned the cantata | |
| Bible text | Psalms 130 |
| Chorale | "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut" by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt |
| Composed | 1707?: Mühlhausen |
| Movements | 5 |
| Vocal |
|
| Instrumental |
|
Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (Out of the depths I call, Lord, to You), BWV 131, is a church cantata by the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach. It was composed in either 1707 or 1708, which makes it one of Bach's earliest cantatas. Some sources suggest that it could be his earliest surviving work in this form, but current thinking is that there are one or two earlier examples.
The cantata was commissioned by the minister of one of the churches in Mühlhausen, the city where Bach worked at the time. It was possibly written for a special occasion. The text is based on Luther's German version of Psalm 130 and also incorporates the words of a chorale. Bach's music integrates melodies from the chorale into larger structures. Bach also shows his interest in counterpoint, something which was characteristic of him throughout his career.