O God, what glut of care and pain

For the 2nd Epiphany Sunday 1725, Bach composed the cantata "O God, what glut of care and pain." It forms part of the annual cycle of chorale cantatas. In the large-scale opening movement, a choral setting full of anguish with expansive orchestral sections, the bass presents the cantus firmus in segments, reinforced by one trombone. This is followed directly by the second chorale verse in a four-part setting in which, however, each chorale line is interrupted by a short recitative (each one sung by a different voice). The bass, who closes the recitative, also sings the following continuo aria which is rich in melismatic passages. The second aria is a duet expanded into a quartet setting by the addition of oboes d’amore and continuo; it leads into the closing chorale containing a wealth of transitions.