Description
This brief aria, found in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, is set to the text "Why do you grieve?" — a message of trust in God reflected in its calm, steadily moving melody and gentle harmony, giving it the intimate character typical of Bach's domestic keyboard pieces. With a low note count and beginner-friendly length, it serves as a good introduction to voicing and pacing in Baroque keyboard music.
Baroque-era arias marked by singing, lyrical melodic lines — a form used both in vocal music and as themes for keyboard variations.
Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach was the towering figure of German Baroque music, serving for decades as Cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Renowned for his mastery of counterpoint, he laid the foundations of keyboard music with works such as The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Inventions. This site includes 229 of his pieces, including numerous chorale settings and arias.
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