Structure and scoring Bach structured the cantata in six movements. The text and tune of the hymn are retained in the outer choral movements, a
chorale fantasia and a four-part closing chorale, which frame two sets of
recitative and
aria. Bach scored the work for four vocal soloists (
soprano,
alto,
tenor,
bass), a
four-part choir, and a
Baroque instrumental ensemble of four
trombones (Tb), two
oboes (Ob), two
violins (Vl),
viola (Va) and
basso continuo. The instruments play
colla parte with the voices in the outer movements in the style of
Bach's motets. In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the
Neue Bach-Ausgabe. The
keys and
time signatures are taken from
Alfred Dürr's standard work
Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, using the symbol for common time (4/4).
1 The opening movement is a chorale fantasia, "" (Out of deep anguish I call to You),
John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the
Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, compared the style to both
Heinrich Schütz and
Anton Bruckner, observing that although using the means of older masters, Bach "push[es] the frontiers of this motet movement almost out of stylistic reach through abrupt chromatic twists to this tune in Phrygian mode." "" (Although the sins among us are many), begins with a dissonant chord, interpreted by Hofmann as a last cry of anguish "in an almost '
Romantic' manner". Gardiner commented: "With all the voices given full orchestral doubling (again, those four trombones!), this chorale is impressive, terrifying in its Lutheran zeal". Mincham noted the setting's "enigmatic" final cadence which "leaves us with a sense that the human condition is ongoing". \header { tagline = " " } \layout { indent = 0 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } } global = { \transposition b \key e \phrygian \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \set Timing.beamExceptions = #'() } \score { \new ChoirStaff > \new Lyrics \lyricsto "soprano" { > Er ist al -- lein der gu -- _ te Hirt, der I -- sra -- el er -- lö -- sen wird aus sei -- nen Sün -- den al -- _ len. } \new Lyrics \lyricsto "alto" { \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 \skip 1 al -- _ len. } \new Staff > >> \layout { } } \score { \unfoldRepeats { \new ChoirStaff > \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "choir aahs" } > >> } \midi { } } ==Publication==