Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid (Ah God, how much heartbreak),[1] BWV 58, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach.

[2] He combined the topics of the readings, the gospel of the Flight into Egypt and teaching about the suffering of Christians from the First Epistle of Peter, in a structure of unusual symmetry with a duet as the first and last of the five movements.

Bach scored the work for a small Baroque instrumental ensemble of originally just strings and continuo, probably intended to ease the workload of musicians for the Christmas season.

[8] In his first year as Thomaskantor (director of church music) in Leipzig, Bach had composed Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153, for this occasion.

The poet's own verse for the two movements is also similar, as if the author expected the composer to repeat the music, but Bach set them differently,[1] even contrasting.

[1] According to the Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, the cantata is "to be numbered among the successors of the seventeenth-century dialogue compositions as a 'Dialogue of the Faithful Soul with God'".

Bach scored the work for two vocal soloists (soprano (S) and bass (B)), and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of originally two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo.

[1] John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, notes that the scoring for just two voices and strings was probably intended to ease the workload of musicians who had a busy time during the Christmas season.

[6] The first movement, "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid" (Ah, God, how much heartache),[13] is a chorale fantasia, with the soprano, representing the Soul, singing the cantus firmus, reinforced by the taille, while the bass as the vox Christi (voice of Christ) delivers original verse in counterpoint to the melody.

[6][7] The third movement, "Ich bin vergnügt in meinem Leiden" (I am cheerful in my sorrow),[13] is a soprano aria with an obbligato solo violin.

[7] The soprano recitative, "Kann es die Welt nicht lassen" (If the world cannot cease),[13] begins by recounting persecution, but quickly becomes an arioso with a walking continuo.

[7] The final movement, "Ich hab für mir ein schwere Reis" (I have a difficult journey before me),[13] opens with a triad fanfare, which the bass voice sings on the words "Nur getrost" (Be comforted).