Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben, BWV 77

Bach structured the cantata in six movements with choral movements framing two pairs of recitative and aria. He scored it for four vocal soloists (soprano (S), alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B)), a SATB mixed choir, and an orchestra of tromba da tirarsi (Baroque slide trumpet) (tir), two oboes (Ob), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo (Bc) including bassoon (Fg). The title of the autograph score reads "J.J. Concerto Dominica 13 p- Trinitatis" (J.J. concerto for the 13th a. Trinity, J.J. being short for Jesu juva (Jesus help).[2][6][7][3][8]

Movements of Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben

No.	Title	Text	Type	Vocal	Winds	Strings	Key	Time
1	Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben	Luke 10:27	Chorus	SATB	Tir	2Vl Va	C major
2	So muß es sein!	Knauer	Recitative	B
3	Mein Gott, ich liebe dich von Herzen	Knauer	Aria	S	2Ob		A minor
4	Gib mir dabei, mein Gott! ein Samariterherz	Knauer	Recitative	T		2Vl Va	D minor
5	Ach, es bleibt in meiner Liebe	Knauer	Aria	A	Tir			3/4
6	(setting of the "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" hymn tune)	Denicke	Chorale	SATB	unknown	2Vl Va	G minor – D major

The first movement, "Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren, lieben" (You shall love God, your Lord),[1] carries Bach's statement on the most important law, on which, according to the parallel Matthew 22:34–40, "hang all the law and the prophets".[2][9] The words translate to "You shall love God, your Lord, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself". Bach had enlarged on the "dualism of love of God and brotherly love" already in his monumental cantata in 14 movements, Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76, at the beginning of his first cycle.[9] In order to show the law's universality, Bach introduces Martin Luther's chorale "Dies sind die heilgen Zehn Gebot" (These are the holy ten commandments), referring to the commandments of the Old Testament, as a foundation of the movement's structure.[4][9] The tune is played in a strict canon,[4] the most rigid musical law as one more symbol. The canon is performed by the trumpet in the highest range, and the continuo, representing the lowest range. The tempo of the trumpet is twice as fast as the tempo of the continuo, therefore the trumpet has time to repeat first single lines and finally the complete melody of the chorale. The trumpet enters ten times, to symbolize once more the completeness of the law.[2] The voices, representing the law of the New Testament, engage in imitation of a theme which is derived from the chorale tune and first played by the instruments.[9] John Eliot Gardiner, who provides an extended analysis of the movement, concludes:

The end result is a potent mixture of modal and diatonic harmonies, one which leaves an unforgettable impression in the mind's ear, and in context propels one forward to the world of Brahms' German Requiem and beyond, to Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time.[9]

A short secco recitative for bass, "So muß es sein!" (So it must be! ),[1] summarizes the ideas.

An aria for soprano, "Mein Gott, ich liebe dich von Herzen" (My God, I love You from my heart),[1] is accompanied by two obbligato oboes which frequently play in tender third parallels.[2]

The second recitative for tenor, "Gib mir dabei, mein Gott! ein Samariterherz" (Give me as well, my God! a Samaritan heart),[1] is a prayer to grant a heart like the Samaritan's. It is intensified by the strings.[2]

The last aria for alto with an obbligato trumpet, "Ach, es bleibt in meiner Liebe" (Ah, in my love there is still ),[1] takes the form of a sarabande. Bach conveys the "Unvollkommenheit" (imperfection) of human attempt to live by the law of love, by choosing the trumpet and composing for it "awkward intervals" and "wildly unstable notes" which would sound imperfect on the period's valveless instruments.[9] In contrast, Bach wrote in the middle section a long trumpet solo of "ineffable beauty", as a "glorious glimpse of God's realm".[9]

The closing four-part chorale is a setting of the "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" hymn tune. The cantata has been published with two variant versions of the chorale text:[5][3]

• The BGA edition publishes the lyrics which another hand added to Bach's autograph, i.e. a stanza from Denicke's "Wenn einer alle Ding verstünd" with the incipit "Du stellst, Herr Jesu, selber dich zum Vorbild deiner Liebe"[10] (You, Lord Jesus, stand as a model of your love).[6][8]
• The NBA publishes the lyrics according to its editor's suggestion: the stanza "Herr, durch den Glauben wohn in mir" (Lord, dwell in me through faith)[1] from Denicke's "O Gottes Sohn, Herr Jesu Christ".[1][7]