Composed for the Third Sunday after Trinity, which fell on June 25, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 135 "Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder" (O, Lord, I poor sinner) (BWV 135) sets an anonymous text based on a chorale by Cyriakus Schneegass that is utilized unchanged in the outer-movement chorales. Taken as its basis is the Gospel according to St. Luke 15, 1-10 and the cantata is cast in the old-fashioned cantus firmus style with Schneegass' chorale forming the bass in most of the movements. The cantata is scored for tenor, alto and bass soloists, chorus, a pair of oboes, strings, and basso continuo, with a trombone doubling the cantus firmus bass. "Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder" is in dismal A minor, with its first movement starting in the tonic and ending on the dominant of E major, its second starting in A minor and ending in the relative major of C major, which is the tonality of its third movement. Its fourth and fifth movements are back in the tonic A minor, and its sixth and final movement starts in the tonic but ends in the dominant. The first movement is a huge chorale prelude in slow triple time for full orchestra with Schneegass' chorale melody in the chorale bass and basso continuo as a cantus firmus, while the upper chorale voices embellish the chorale. The second movement is a secco recitative for tenor soloist and continuo and the third is a pastorale aria in the form of a trio sonata for tenor soloist, oboes, and continuo. The fourth is a more melodic and sorrowful recitative marked Adagio for alto soloist and continuo. The fifth is an aria marked Allegro for bass soloist accompanied by strings and continuo. "Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder" concludes with a solemn harmonization of Schneegass' chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte.

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