BWV 39 is a significant work featuring deep, contrapuntal complexity and intense, reflective harmonic progressions. It exemplifies the gravity and intellectual depth of Bach’s sacred output.
The primary challenge is maintaining the integrity of the individual polyphonic lines throughout the piece.
Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (BWV 39) is rated Henle level 4 of 9 — intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 5–6. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 4 — meaning you can already play level 3–4 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 Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (BWV 39) lasts about 12 minutes.
Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot (BWV 39) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.