(Come, O death, thou sweetest hour) for alto and tenor, vocal ensemble, flute I+II, strings and continuo.

First performed in 1716, cantata BWV 161 (“Come, O death, thou sweetest hour”) is distinguished by a fresh style and sensitive interpretation that clearly indicate its composition during the “cantata spring” of Bach’s tenure as concertmaster of the Hofkapelle in Weimar. A later version also survives, with “modernised” orchestration (such as transverse flutes doubled by violins in place of recorders) that may reflect Bach’s changed circumstances during his Leipzig period. The later owner of the manuscript, Carl Friedrich Zelter, described the cantata as a “charming little masterpiece” although, as a child of the Enlightenment, he also wondered at the discrepancy between the bleakness of the poetry and the cheerful air of the music.