Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184

Bach scored the work for three vocal soloists (soprano (S), alto (A) and tenor (T)), a four-part choir, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble: two transverse flutes (Ft), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo.[8][9] The duration of the piece has been stated as 25 minutes.[7]

Bach structured the cantata in six movements. A chorale movement, which ends most of his cantatas originally conceived for church use, is here penultimate movement, followed by the only chorus. The first movements are for the soloists: recitatives, a duet and an aria. In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe.[9] The keys and time signatures are taken from the book by Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, using the symbols for common time (4/4) and alla breve (2/2).[8] The instruments are shown according to type (winds and strings), while the continuo, playing throughout, is not shown.

Movements of Erwünschtes Freudenlicht

No.	Title	Text	Type	Vocal	Winds	Strings	Key	Time
1	Erwünschtes Freudenlicht	anon.	Recitative	T	2Ft		G major
2	Gesegnete Christen, glückselige Herde	anon.	Duet aria	S A	2Ft	2Vl Va	G major	3/8
3	So freuet euch, ihr auserwählten Seelen	anon.	Recitative	T
4	Glück und Segen sind bereit	anon.	Aria	T		Vl solo	B minor	3/4
5	Herr, ich hoff je, du werdest die	von Wildenfels	Chorale	SATB	2Ft	2Vl Va	D major
6	Guter Hirte, Trost der Deinen	anon.	Chorus	SATB	2Ft	2Vl Va	G major

The opening recitative, "Erwünschtes Freudenlicht" (Desired light of joy),[1] is accompagnato, sung by the tenor and accompanied by two flutes. It was possibly not changed from the original cantata for New Year's Day. The "desired light" is illustrated by a rising motif in the flutes which is repeated throughout the movement. Dürr interprets the figure as the flames mentioned in the Pentecost narration.[1] The movement concludes with an arioso section.[10]

The duet aria is written for soprano and alto voice: "Gesegnete Christen, glückselige Herde, kommt, stellt euch bei Jesu mit Dankbarkeit ein!" (Blessed Christians, enraptured flock, come, dwell with Jesus with thankfulness!).[11] It is a da capo aria in triple time with long ritornello episodes.[1] The musicologist Julian Mincham describes it as "retaining a little more of the spirit of the rustic dance".[10] The Bach scholar Klaus Hofmann called it a passepied.[6] The movement was probably already a pastorale in the secular model, and suits the image of the Good Shepherd and his flock.[1] John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, believes that the music was actually danced to in the secular version heard in Köthen.[12]

The third movement is a secco tenor recitative: "So freuet euch, ihr auserwählten Seelen!" (So rejoice, you chosen souls!).[1][11] It also closes as an arioso, ending the movement in D major rather than the C major in which it began.[10]

The fourth movement is a tenor aria: "Glück und Segen sind bereit, die geweihte Schar zu krönen" (Happiness and blessing are prepared to crown the consecrated flock).[11] Paczkowski notes that the movement's text deals with the second coming of Christ, using the symbolism of Shepherd and King, common in the Near East.[5] It is formally a trio sonata for voice, solo violin and continuo, in adapted ternary form.[3][10] It is in B minor, the only movement not in a major key.[10] Gardiner describes it as a minuet.[12]

The penultimate movement is a four-part setting of a chorale stanza:[10] "Herr, ich hoff je, du werdest die in keiner Not verlassen" (Lord, I hope that you will not leave in any distress).[13] This is unusual for Bach, as typically his church cantatas place the chorale as the final movement.[10]

The closing chorus, "Guter Hirte, Trost der Deinen, laß uns nur dein heilig Wort!" (Good Shepherd, solace of Your followers, leave us Your holy Word alone!),[11] is a gavotte, basically a duet of soprano and bass, expanded by the choir in the refrains.[12] Bach reused the music of this movement to conclude Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213, composed for the birthday of Crown Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony on 5 September 1733.[14]