Cantata ''Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch'', BWV 86
Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch (Truly, truly I say to you), BWV. 86, is a cantata by J.S. Bach, first performed on 1724. The theme of the cantata is a quotation from the gospel, beginning with the promise of Jesus "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give you". An unknown poet used as movement 3 the 16th stanza of Georg Grünwald's chorale "Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn" (1530), and as the closing chorale the eleventh stanza of "Es ist das Heil uns kommen her" by Paul Speratus (1524). The structure of the six movements – a gospel quotation in the beginning, chorales as movements 3 and 6, the sequence of recitative and arias – is similar to Wo gehest du hin? BWV 166, first performed one week earlier. It is scored for three vocal soloists (alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir only for the closing chorale, two oboes d'amore, two violins, viola and basso continuo. The cantus firmus of movement 3 is sung by a soprano.
