In 1713, Bach was invited to the court of avid hunter Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels to compose the evening entertainment for his 31st birthday celebration at his hunting lodge. The result was Bach’s earliest surviving secular cantata, BWV 208, known today as the Hunt Cantata. Written by court poet Salomon Franck, the Hunt Cantata’s libretto is a dramatic dialogue between four mythological characters: Diana, Endymion, Pales, and Pan. The heart of the work is the famous aria, “Schafe können, sicher weiden” (Sheep may safely graze). The text characterizes the duke as a wise ruler, associating good governance with hunting prowess. The arranger Stokowski matches Bach’s delicate melody with minimal orchestration—just strings and pairs of flutes and oboes.
—Jennifer More, ©2024
