Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32

Bach structured the cantata in six movements, four movements of alternating arias and recitatives, then the voices united in a duet and finally a closing chorale. He scored the intimate dialogue for soprano and bass soloist, a four-part choir only in the chorale, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of oboe (Ob), two violins (Vl), viola (Va) and basso continuo.[8] The duration is given as 22 minutes.[9]

In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe.[8] The keys and time signatures are taken from the book on all cantatas by the Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, using the symbols for common time (4/4) and alla breve (2/2).[2] The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.

Movements of Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen

No.	Title	Text	Type	Vocal	Winds	Strings	Key	Time
1	Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen	Lehms	Aria	S	Ob	2Vl Va	E minor
2	Was ist's, daß du mich gesuchet	Lehms	Recitative	B			B minor
3	Hier, in meines Vaters Stätte	Lehms	Aria	B		Vl solo	G major
4	Ach! heiliger und großer Gott	Lehms	Recitative	S B		2Vl Va
5	Nun verschwinden alle Plagen	Lehms	Aria (Duet)	S B	Ob	2Vl Va	D major
6	Mein Gott, öffne mir die Pforten	Lehms	Chorale	SATB	Ob	2Vl Va	G major

The dialogue, set in arias and recitatives for a solo voice and in duets, shows that Bach was familiar with Italian contemporary opera.[10]

The dialogue is opened by the soprano as the Soul in an aria in E minor, marked lento, "Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen" (Dearest Jesus, my desire),[1] The voice is complemented by an obbligato oboe,[10] described by John Eliot Gardiner as "a solo oboe as her accomplice in spinning the most ravishing cantilena in the manner of one of Bach’s concerto slow movements".[4] Julian Mincham distinguishes in the oboe line two different "ideas", in the first five measures a "sense of striving, effort and stretching upwards", then "garlands" of content in achieving a union, as the last lines of the text say "Ach! mein Hort, erfreue mich, laß dich höchst vergnügt umfangen" (Ah! My treasure, bring me joy, let me embrace You with greatest delight).[1][10]

The bass answers in a short recitative, "Was ists, daß du mich gesuchet?" (How is it, that you sought Me?), a paraphrase of Jesus saying in the gospel that he has to be in his Father's place.[1]

He expands the reasoning in a da capo aria in B minor, "Hier, in meines Vaters Stätte" (Here, in My Father's place).[1] embellished by a solo violin, which "encircles the voice with triplets and trills".[4] The words "betrübter Geist (troubled spirit)[1] appear whenever mentioned in "minor-mode colourings in the melody and harmony".[10]

In the following dialogue recitative, "Ach! heiliger und großer Gott" (Ah! Holy and great God),[1] the soul answers with a paraphrase of the opening line of Psalm 84, "Wie lieblich ist doch deine Wohnung" (How amiable is Thy dwelling),[1] which both Heinrich Schütz and Johannes Brahms set to music, Brahms as the central movement of Ein deutsches Requiem. Bach sets the text as an "evocative arioso with a pulsating string accompaniment".[4] The two voices never sing at the same time.[10]

A duet, "Nun verschwinden alle Plagen" (Now all trouble disappears),[1] finally unites both voices and also their "associated obbligato instruments (oboe and violin), so far heard only separately". Gardiner writes: "It is one of those duets … in which he seems to throw caution to the winds, rivalling the lieto fine conclusions to the operas of his day, but with far more skill, substance and even panache".[4]

A four-part setting of Paul Gerhardt's hymn, "Mein Gott, öffne mir die Pforten" (My God, open the gates),[1] "returns the cantata – also in terms of style – to the sphere of reverence appropriate for a church service".[5]