Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld (Stölzel)

Its opening chorus is based on Paul Gerhardt's "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld" and its usual hymn tune, Wolfgang Dachstein's "An Wasserflüssen Babylon" melody.

The Passion oratorio was performed at least half a dozen times in various German cities during the composer's lifetime, and Johann Sebastian Bach reworked one of its arias to a cantata movement (BWV 200).

[3] In 1720, the libretto of Die leidende und am Creutz sterbende Liebe Jesu was printed in Gotha, where the passion oratorio was performed in two parts, on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

[13][14] Typical for Stölzel's oratorios, the text of Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld is lyrical and meditative, rather than carried by a dramatic narrative, such as a Bible extract.

[13] The opening chorus is a chorale on Paul Gerhardt's "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld" hymn, set, as usual, to the tune of Wolfgang Dachstein's "An Wasserflüssen Babylon", and enriched with figuration by the strings (Str).

First page of Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel 's Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld , from a score preserved in Berlin. [ 1 ]
Chapel of Friedenstein Palace in Gotha, where Die leidende und am Creutz sterbende Liebe Jesu was performed for the first time