Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112 : autograph manuscript, 1731 Apr. 8.

Record ID: 
114172
Accession number: 
Cary 56
Creator: 
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
Biographical Data: 
German composer.
Title: 
Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112 : autograph manuscript, 1731 Apr. 8.
Uniform title: 
Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt (Cantata)
Date: 
1731 Apr. 8.
Curatorial Comments: 

Bach used Wolfgang Meuslin's hymn of 1531 as his text, a poetic paraphrase of the 23rd Psalm. Bach composed some 300 Church Cantatas, 200 of which survive today, many of which he wrote as cantor of the school at Thomaskirche and director of church music in Leipzig from May 1723. These vocal compositions with instrumental accompaniments, in several movements, often involving a choir, were used in the liturgy of church services.
Cantata 112 has five movements, opening with a serene choral fantasia based on Nicolaus Decius's hymn "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr," (Alone to God in the Highest be Glory), composed in 1523. As Bach indicates at the top of the sheet, the cantata is scored for four voices, two horns, two oboes d'amore, two violins, a viola, and continuo. It was first performed at Leipzig's Nikolaikirche on April 8, 1731, for the Misericordias Domini, celebrated on the second Sunday after Easter. It is thought that the first movement, considered one of Bach's greatest chorale fantasies, might have been copied from an earlier draft since his penmanship on these pages is so legible and assured. The composer's handwriting becomes increasingly untidy, with many more corrections, as he hurried to complete the score.

Inscription/Markings: 

"J. Der Herr ist mein getreüer Hirt p. à 4 Voci. 2 Corni: 2 Hautb: d'Amour 2 Violini Viola e Cont. di J S Bach."

Notes: 

Full score.
Libretto by W. Meuslin.
Watermark: Hunting horn and countermark, letters "GV".

Provenance: 

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach; Karl Pistor; Marie Hoffmeister, née Lichtenstein; Ernst Rudorff; Max Abraham?; Henri Hinrichsen; Walter Hinrichsen.

Associated names: 

Musculus, Wolfgang, 1497-1563, librettist.
Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann, 1710-1784, former owner.
Pistor, Karl, former owner.
Hoffmeister, Marie, former owner.
Abraham, Max, 1831-1900, former owner.
Hinrichsen, Henri, 1868-1942, former owner.
Hinrichsen, Walter, 1907-1969, former owner.
Cary, Mary Flagler, former owner.