Composed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, which fell on October 3, 1723, Bach's Cantata No. 48 "Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlosen" (I am a miserable man, who will deliver me) (BWV 48) sets yet one more grotesquely self-debasing text by an anonymous poet. The opening movement takes its texts from Romans 7:24—"I am a miserable man, who will deliever me from my sinful death?"—a third-movement chorale from Martin Rutilius from 1604—"So, yes, let suffering and pain"—and closing with a chorale by an unknown writer—"Lord Jesus Christ, only consolation." The cantata is scored for alto and tenor soloists, chorus, a solo trumpet, a pair of oboes, strings, and basso continuo. "Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlosen" is in dark G minor with its first, sixth, and seventh movements in the tonic; its second, third, and fifth movements in the relative major of B flat major; and its fourth movement in the mediant major of E flat major. The first movement is a large chorale fantasia on the text from Romans, with the chorus stating the text in imitative entrances against an independent full orchestral texture. The second movement is a short but expressive recitative for alto soloist, strings, and continuo. The third movement is a very straight setting of Rutilius' short chorale moving almost entirely in even quarter notes. The fourth movement is a quick, triple-time aria in the form of a trio sonata for alto soloist, oboe obbligato, and continuo. The fifth movement is a very brief and very dry secco recitative for soloist and continuo. The sixth movement is a graceful aria for tenor soloist, strings with the oboes doubling the first violins, and continuo. "Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlosen" concludes with a harmonization of an anonymous chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte.

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