This wistful 5-part motet was first published in 1679 but was adapted many decades later by Bach for the closing movement of his cantata 27. Note the different atmosphere in the triple meter at the end, depicting the joy we'll find in heaven compared to the strife and pain we feel on earth.

Skill Builders

Musicality: This is our first piece where we have to shift the pulse from 4/4 to 3/4. I've set the metronome to the half-note so the pulse stays the same from the half-bar to the whole bar.

Left Hand: We'll practice shifting back to half position for the A# on the word "strife" (!) and then using the open D string to shift back up to first position.

Right Hand: We have a few long up-bows, which we'll have to compensate for by a very short down-bow. This is even more clear in the triple section, complete with hemiola (a shifting of the pulse) at the end.