Sheep May Safely Graze, from Cantata 208, BWV 208 (arr. Petri)
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Born March 21, 1685, Eisenach
Died July 28, 1750, Leipzig

Bach wrote approximately 200 church cantatas, but he also wrote about thirty secular cantatas intended to mark special occasions within his community. These include cantatas for new years, memorials, weddings, coronations, and name-days. Most often, however, Bach's secular cantatas were written to mark birthdays, and in fact his first secular cantata was a birthday cantata. On February 23, 1713, Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels celebrated his birthday. The Duke liked to hunt, and for that celebration Bach-then the 28-year-old organist at the Weimar court-composed the cantata Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd! ("What I Enjoy Is the Merry Hunt!"). That cantata is seldom performed today, but one of its movements-an aria for soprano with two obbligato recorders titled Schäfe können sicher weichen ("Sheep May Safely Graze")-has become some of the most famous music Bach ever wrote. The aria makes a point that would have appealed to the Duke: sheep (the citizens) are safe when they are guarded by a good shepherd (the prince). This aria's gently-rocking accompaniment and soaring melodic line have made it an audience favorite over the last three centuries. It is heard on this recital in an arrangement by the Dutch pianist and Bach scholar Egon Petri (1881-1962).