This aria from Bach's Cantata BWV 87 is a deeply expressive piece, often performed as a standalone instrumental work. It is characterized by its rich vocal lines and intricate contrapuntal writing.
Focus on achieving a smooth, legato line while maintaining clarity in the contrapuntal interplay.
Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten (BWV 87) is rated Henle level 6 of 9 — advanced repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 7–8. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 6 — meaning you can already play level 5–6 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten (BWV 87) lasts about 5 minutes.
Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten (BWV 87) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.