Bach: Cantata No. 81 “Jesus Schläft, was soll ich hoffen?” / Nikolaus Harnoncourt

The piece opens with the gloomy alto aria “Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?” accompanied by two recorders and a string ensemble. The tenor recitative is followed by the tenor aria “Die schäumenden Wellen von Belials Bächen,” in which the string ensemble plays an intense passage representing a flowing river. Next comes the bass arioso “Ihr Kleingläubigen, warum seid ihr so furchtsam?” which leads directly into the next aria “Schweig, aufgetürmtes Meer! The accompaniment is two oboes d’amore and a string ensemble, and the wild passages in the strings now represent a storm at sea. After the alto recitative, the piece closes with the chorale “Unter deinen Schirmen” by Franck. #baroque #bach #cantata #片山俊幸