Composed for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity, which fell on August 13, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 101 "Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott" (Take from us, Lord, you true God) (BWV 101) sets the hymn of Martin Muller from 1584 in its odd-numbered movements and anonymous texts in the even-numbered movements. With its origins in Muller's plague hymn, Bach's cantata is typically bleak and gloomy. Scored for tenor, soprano, bass and alto soloists, chorus, transverse flute, a pair of oboes, taille, doubling oboe da caccia, strings, basso continuo, a coronet, and a trio of trombones in the outer movements, the cantata is especially lushly scored. But in fitting with the Muller's text, the large orchestra merely serves to drive home the miserable point of the hymn. "Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott" is predominantly in dark D minor, with its first, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh movements in the tonic, its second movement in the subdominant of G minor, and its fourth movement in the dominant of A minor. The first movement is one of the largest opening movements of any Bach cantata with a spacious orchestral ritornello and a massive choral fugue. The second movement is a da capo tenor aria in the form of a trio sonata with an elaborate violin solo above the organ with pizzicato cello and bass. The third movement is a secco recitative for soprano soloist alternating with statements of Muller's hymn. The fourth movement is an aria for bass soloist, plus obbligato oboes and taille above the basso continuo, with the main Vivace tempo alternating with Adagio episodes. The fifth movement parallels the third movement's alternation of secco recitative with statements of the hymn. The sixth movement is a dismal duet between the soprano and alto soloists with obbligato transverse flute and oboe da caccia. "Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott" ends with an austere harmonization of the final verse of Muller's hymn for the chorus and full orchestra. The picardy third in the final sonority does little to assuage the anguish of the music.

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