Bach, Johann Sebastian : I will my cross-staff gladly carry

Cantata 56, also known as the ÑKreuzstab Cantataì, was composed in 1726 for the 21st Sunday after Trinity and is scored relatively lightly for oboes, English horn, strings and continuo. As its text alludes to the gospel story of the healing of the sick, the cantata can be related generally to sorrow, suffering and redemption on many occasions in the liturgical year. Bach places the bass singer in the foreground with impressive arias and recitatives, allowing the chorus only to sing the final chorale.