Composed for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity, which fell on October 15, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 5 "Wo soll ich fliehen hin" (Whither shall I flee) (BWV 5) sets a chorale by Johann Heermann as its outer movements and a text by an unknown author for its five central solo movements. The cantata's textural and musical structure is divided into two halves, with the opening three movements concentrating on the Old Testament notion of terrible punishment for those who have grievously sinned by a vengeful Lord and the closing four movements concentrating on the New Testament notion of redemption from those sins by a forgiving Christ. The cantata is scored for bass, tenor, alto and soprano soloists, chorus, pairs of oboes, strings, basso continuo, and a solo slide trumpet in the first, fifth, and sixth movements. The cantata is in G minor with its first, second, fourth, sixth, and seventh movements in the tonic, its third movement in E flat major, and its fifth in B flat major. The first movement opens with a powerful orchestral fugue that gives way to a choral fugue based on the chorale melody intoned by the sopranos and doubled by the slide trumpet. The second movement is an agonized recitative for bass soloist and continuo. The third movement is a more hopeful da capo aria in the form of a trio sonata for tenor and violin soloists plus continuo. The fourth movement is a heartrending recitative for soprano and oboe soloist plus continuo. The fifth movement is an assertive, accompanied aria for bass, with the solo slide trumpet joining the strings and continuo. "Wo soll ich fliehen hin" concludes with Heermann's chorale for the chorus and entire instrumental ensemble. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide
