Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85

I am a good shepherd ( BWV 85) is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He wrote it in Leipzig for Misericordias Domini, the second Sunday after Easter, and performed it on April 15, 1725 for the first time.

History and words

Bach composed the cantata in his second year as cantor in Leipzig on Sunday Misericordias Domini. The prescribed readings for the Sunday were from 2.21 to 25 LUT 1 Peter, "Christ as a role model ," and Jn 10.12-16 LUT, The Good Shepherd. According to John Eliot Gardiner is the unknown librettist same as in the cantatas of the two previous Sundays, Stay with us, for it is toward evening ( BWV 6) and in the evening but that sabbath ( BWV 42 ) before Bach on the following Sundays lyrics set to music Christiana Mariana von Ziegler. The three contiguous cantata texts were probably already provided for Bach's first cantata cycle, but he had not composed, perhaps because of the burden of the first performance of the St. John Passion. The texts are based on themes from the Gospel of John. The cantata begins with verse 14 of the Sunday Gospel, "I am the good shepherd ." Clause 2 explains that Jesus has accomplished this in his Passion. The idea is commented in the first verse of Cornelius Becker Choral " The Lord is my faithful shepherd " ( 1598 ), a paraphrase of Psalm 23, in Clause 4 relates the poet to verse 12 of the Gospel, the difference between the shepherd who monitored for the sheep and his life for them, and the hirelings who sleep and neglect the sheep. Theorem 5 called love as the motive of the shepherd for his devotion. The cantata ends with the chorale " If God is my refuge and faithful shepherd ," the fourth verse of Christoph Ernst Homberg song " If God is my shield and helper man " ( 1658). Bach led the cantata on 15 April 1725 for the first time.

Scoring and structure

The cantata is staffed with four soloists, soprano, alto, tenor and bass, four-part choir, two oboes, two violins, viola, violoncello piccolo and continuo.

Music

In the first sentence of the bass sings the Vox Christi, "I am the good shepherd ", framed by instrumental ritornello in a form that is between aria and arioso. The motif sung to these words already previously appeared four times in the continuo. The oboe is the concert instrument in this input record whose collected Ernst Klaus Hofmann highlights. The alto aria is accompanied by an obbligato violoncello piccolo. The following verse chorale sings the soprano to the slightly ornamented melody of " God alone in the Hoh Kudos " by Nikolaus Decius, while the two oboes play an issue in the principal theme, which is derived from the first line of the melody.

The only recitative is a short sermon, which is accentuated by the strike. Theorem 5 is the only movement of the cantata in pastoral 9/8-Rhythmus. The strings play in deeper layer preferably thirds and parallel sixths. Thus, the tenor is often the highest voice, starting with de first three shouts of " Look ". Gardiner noticed the similarity of this aria for alto aria " Behold, the hand of Jesus " in the St. Matthew Passion (No. 60 in the New Bach Edition ), both in the topic of love that comes from the Cross, as in the emphasizes music, the warmth and intimacy Alfred Dürr. The cantata will be decided with a four-part chorale setting.

Recordings

• Bach: Cantata 85; Cantata 151, Anthon van der Horst, De Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra, Hélène Ludolph, Wilhelmine Matthes, Tom Brand, Hermann Schey, Telefunken 1957
• Les Grandes Cantates de J. S. Bach Vol 4, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra, Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Topper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch, Erato 1959
• J. S. Bach: Cantata BWV 85 I am the good shepherd, Karl Ristenpart, Chorus of the Conservatory of Sarrebruck, Chamber Orchestra of the Saar, Eva Bornemann, Helmut Kretschmar, Jakob Stämpfli, Saarland Radio 1960
• Bach Cantatas, Vol 8: BWV 103, BWV 85, BWV 86, BWV 144, Diethard Hellmann, Bach Choir and Bach Orchestra Mainz, DDM Records Mitterteich late 1960s?
• Les Grandes Cantates de J. S. Bach Vol 24, Fritz Werner, Heinrich-Schütz -Chor Heilbronn, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, Hedy Graf, Barbara Scherler, Kurt Huber, Jacob Stämpfli, Erato 1970
• J. S. Bach: The Complete Cantatas Kantatenwerk · · Les Cantates, sequence / Vol 22 - BWV 84-90, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Tölz Boys Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien, soloist of the Tölz Boys Choir, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer, Teldec 1977
• The Bach Cantata Vol 13, Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Arleen Augér, Gabriele terror Bach, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Held wine, Haenssler 1981
• J. S. Bach: Cantatas with violoncello piccolo, Christophe Coin, The Leipzig Concerto Vocale, Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, Barbara Schlick, Andreas Scholl, Christoph Prégardien, Gotthold Schwarz, Auvidis Astrée / Naïve 1994
• Bach Edition Vol 5 - Cantatas Vol 2, Pieter Jan Leusink, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium, Ruth Holton, Sytse Buwalda, Nico van der Meel, Bas Ramselaar, Brilliant Classics 1999
• Bach Cantatas Vol 23: Arnstadt / Echternach, John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Katharine Fuge, William Towers, Norbert Meyn, Stephen Varcoe, Soli Deo Gloria 2000
• J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol 15, Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, Deborah York, Bogna Bartosz, Jorg Dürmüller, Klaus Mertens, Antoine Marchand 2001
• J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol 39, Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan, Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze, Gerd Türk, Peter Kooij, TO 2007
• J. S. Bach: Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year Vol 11, Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande, Gerlinde sower, Petra Noskaiová, Christoph Genz, Jan van der crabbing, Accent 2008