Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Die Elenden sollen essen (The miserable shall eat),[1] BWV 75, for the first Sunday after Trinity.

"[2] Johann Sebastian Bach had served in several churches as Kantor and organist, and at the courts of Weimar and Köthen, when he applied for the post of Thomaskantor in Leipzig.

[8] He started a project of composing one cantata for each Sunday and holiday of the liturgical year,[9] termed by Christoph Wolff "an artistic undertaking on the largest scale".

[10] The later cantata for the same occasion, Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 (Break your bread for the hungry), begins similarly with a quotation from the Old Testament.

The poet expanded on the contrast of "Reichtum und Armut" (wealth and poverty, rich and poor) in fourteen elaborate movements, arranged in two parts to be performed before and after the sermon.

[12] A different translation renders the note as "... the new Cantor and Director of the Collegium Musicum, Herr Johann Sebastian Bach, who has come hither from the Prince's court of Cöthen, produced his first music here with great success.

Bach marked the occasion, creating the opening chorus reminiscent of a French overture, with a slow first section in dotted rhythm and a fast fugue.

In the fugue on the words "Euer Herz soll ewiglich leben" (your heart shall live for ever),[15] the subject is developed three times, again separated by interludes.

[11] In the last aria, the trumpet opens the setting and then accompanies the bass in virtuoso figuration, adding splendour to the words "Mein Herze glaubt und liebt" (My heart believes and loves).

[9] The trumpet (which was silent throughout Part I) plays the tune as cantus firmus against a polyphonic string setting, emphasizing once more "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (What God does is well done).