Bach composed three cantatas for Misericordias Domini (the second Sunday after Easter), on the subject of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd”. Cantata 104 is the first of them, belonging to the first Leipzig cycle, and received its first performance on April 23, 1724.
The Gospel of this Sunday is John 10: 12-16, a segment of Jesus’ preaching to the Pharisees, where he uses the analogy of himself as the “good shepherd” who looks over and cares for his flock. The anonymous librettist uses a quote from Psalm 80 to open the work, and then crafts two recitative / aria sets, one for the tenor and one for the bass, inserting several biblical references. The libretto closes with the first verse of a hymn by Cornelius Becker of 1598.
Bach introduces several elements to create a pastoral atmosphere in his music, illustrating the theme at hand. Given the association between shepherds and oboes, he orchestrates for oboes and oboes d’amore, plus a taille (tenor oboe), in addition to the customary strings and continuo. Rhythmically, the pervasive use of triplets in the opening chorus and the rocking 12/8 rhythm of the bass aria lend a rural character to the entire piece.
An extensive choral movement in the bright key of G major opens the cantata, on the Psalm 80 verse, which is essentially two invocations (“listen” and “appear”) on a reference to God as a shepherd to the people of Israel (symbolized by the name “Joseph”). The powerful and emotional invocations are highlighted by Bach by setting them against a pastoral landscape. The orchestral introduction presents the structural elements that make up the entire movement: a pedal point in quarters in the basso continuo, repeated triplets and dotted rhythms (largely responsible for the pastoral character), and staccato quarters, first stated by the oboes, foretelling of the “höre” (“listen”) invocations in the voices. The Psalm text is stated in its entirety twice. The first time, the delivery is mostly homophonic, particularly the powerful “höre” calls. A melismatic motif is introduced on the word “Schafe” (“sheep”) and the “erscheine” (“appear”) invocation is uttered once, also homophonically, as the quote comes to a close on the word “Cherubim”. After a couple of bars, a much longer delivery of the verse starts, where all these elements are developed further. Especially notable is the treatment of the words “you who lead Joseph like the sheep”, appropriately set as a fugue on a wandering theme similar to the “sheep” melisma of the first section. All voices get the fugal theme twice.
The next two movements are a recitative / aria pair for the tenor. The recitative, an expression of confidence in God’s care and protection, includes an arioso ending on the words “Gott ist getreu” (“God is faithful”) which comes from 1-Corinthians, chapter 10. The aria, scored for two oboes d’amore and continuo, includes the reference to “Abba”, the Aramaic word for “Father”, which appears several times in the New Testament. This aria’s text is the only segment that introduces doubt or anxiety in the otherwise trusting and serene poem. Bach inserts word painting on the words “allzu bange” (“too anxious”), as well as “schreit” (“cries”). We could even read the short rest in the oboes’ theme in bar 5 as a suggestion of hesitation.
The bass then gets his set of recitative and aria. The “secco” recitative connects with the previous movement’s text by mentioning “this word”, and reads like a prayer for being gathered as “poor and strayed ones” and “led into the sheepfold”. The extensive da-capo aria, a counterbalance to the pastoral opening movement, is orchestrated for strings and continuo, plus a single oboe d’amore doubling the first violin. Rhythmically, it’s in 12/8 meter and features constant groups of three eighth notes that create a rocking, cradling effect, congruent with the text which lacks any tension or expression of unrest. This rhythmic pattern, plus the pedal points on the basso continuo, musically connect the movement to the opening chorus. In the B section, it’s notable the illustration of the words “sanften Todesschlafe” (“gentle sleep of death”) which descends to one of the lowest notes on the human vocal register (low F).
The chorale, on text that fully cements the Shepherd image, is set to plain four-part harmony. The oboe players go back to their regular instruments to double sopranos and altos together with the violins, and the taille plays along with the tenors and violas.
