The aria for voice and continuo, Bist du bei mir, geh ich mit Freuden (When you are near, I go with joy), is among the pieces included in Bach’s second notebook for his wife, Anna Magdalena. This version (BWV 508), arranged in 1725, is Bach's setting of an opera aria composed by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel in 1718. The librettist is unknown.
The work was a favorite in Leipzig in the early 18th century. It remains a worldwide favorite to this day.
Enjoy this exquisite recording featuring Klaus Mertens, baritone and Ton Koopman, organ.