Text No. 1, 4, 7
Georg Neumark, 1657

Text No. 2, 3, 5, 6
Arranger unknown

First performance
Fifth Sunday after Trinity,
9 July 1724

In the introductory chorus, the forlorn C minor tonality contrasts starkly with the gently rocking 12/8-time siciliano; an expressive interpretation of God’s support and protection through “every cross and sad distress”. Equally notable are the intricate vorimitations, modified line for line, that precede the full choir presentation of each chorale phrase with the melody in the soprano voice. Indeed, it appears Bach wished to give this well-known hymn of comfort a particularly artful arrangement.
The bass recitative effectively conveys the contrast between hymn text and free verse, and thus the sermon-like procedure of textual interpretation. The ensuing aria “If we be but a little quiet, Whene’er the cross’s hour draws nigh”, by contrast, is distinguished by a particular lightness of foot, despite its weighty subject matter. The elegant minuet style imbues the movement with an infectious energy that seems inspired by an image of childlike trust. Even the regular pauses in the string parts do not halt the momentum, but instead provide a musical notion of “psst!” and evoke the energising twists and turns encountered over the course of a life well lived.
The following duet creatively turns traditional chorale treatment on its head: although the soprano and alto deliver the chorale text without amendment, the chorale melody is nowhere to be heard in their short exchanges. Instead, the melody is presented instrumentally as a “chorale without words”, woven into the setting line for line by unison strings. Considering the mastery of this beautiful arrangement, it is no wonder that Bach later reworked it for organ, giving it pride of place in the six “Schübler Chorales”.
This sense of serenity is again succeeded by a chorale recitative of high emotional drama in which Bach brings the alternation between hymn text and interpretive passages, as well as between chorale verse and Sunday gospel, to an emphatic climax. Although “fire and thunder” may crack and the inner “trial by fire” may lead us to despair of God’s mercy, here, the interplay of free continuo passages, unexpected shifts in tempo and harmony, and skilful vocal accents, gives rise to a spirited sermon that no doubt left even the most dynamic preachers of Bach’s time with a hard act to follow.
This mood of spiritual turmoil gives way to an aria for soprano, continuo and oboe, whose energetic trio setting again employs texts from the chorale. Despite its rapid movement, the music cannot entirely cast off its dark fundament; the unfathomable will of God hangs like a shadow of resignation over the song of trust, one textually akin to a hymn of praise to the Madonna.
With a return to the forlorn key of C minor, the resolute closing chorale leads the chorale variations of this cantata to a predictable, yet powerful conclusion. The tenor embellishments and sudden shift to a bright, major tonality in the closing bar provides for a particularly pleasing effect.