My heart swims in blood | Oxford Bach Soloists

Bach’s Concerto in A major, originally written for the oboe d’amore, and his solo soprano cantata Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (My heart swims in blood) exhibit all the richness of invention of the youthful Bach. The concerto is vivacious, sparkling, and deeply expressive. The Cantata, written for the 11th Sunday after Trinity during his Weimar period, sets a typically baroque graphic text by the Darmstadt court librarian Georg Christian Lehms, portraying mankind tormented by his consciousness of sin. The Gospel reading for the day tells the parable of the Pharisee and the publican, and this cantata captures the humility, shame, and remorse of the publican in a way that only Johann Sebastian Bach could. In spite of its somewhat alarming title, the work is tender and charming with the most exquisite and memorable melodies.