- Date: April 08, 1731
- Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
- Period: Baroque (1600-1749)
Review
Written for the second Sunday after Easter 1731, this is a brief cantata with text drawn from the Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd," and using the traditional hymn associated with that text in the first and last movements. The opening chorus -- by this cantata's standards, one of the most extended sections -- initially employs two horns in a concertante function. Once the choir enters, the first horn doubles the soprano line, which takes the hymn tune.Next comes an alto aria, "Zum reinen Wasser er mich weist" (My heart is ever well content if He is standing by me). It's an episode of quiet joy, featuring an obbligato part for oboe d'amore; by the Romantic era, the oboe would come to be associated with shepherds.
Third is a bass solo with string accompaniment, "Und ob ich wandert' im finstern Tal" (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death). Although this binary piece begins as an arioso, it ends up as a mere connecting recitative, modulating out of the shadowy F minor into G major. "Du bereitest für mir einen Tisch" (Thou preparest me a table, Lord) is a duet for soprano and tenor returning to the joyous mood of the second movement. It takes on the character of a dance, employing a bourée rhythm. Concluding the cantata is a simple four-part chorale setting, "Gutes und die Barmherzigkeit" (And so through all my mortal days shall goodness never fail me), again enriching the texture with the inclusion of horns. ~ James Reel, All Music Guide
