Composed for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, which fell on January 30, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 81 "Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?" (Jesus sleeps, what shall I hope?) (BWV 81) is a musical sermon on a text by an unknown poet based on Matthew 8, 26: "O ye of little faith, why are ye so fearful?." In typical Lutheran fashion, "Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?" is predominantly gloomy, with all hope and faith placed on the tender mercies of the Lord. The cantata is scored for alto, tenor and bass soloists, chorus, pairs of transverse flutes and oboes d'amore, strings, and basso continuo. "Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?" is in dismal E minor, with its first, fifth, and seventh movements in the tonic; its second and third movements in the relative major of G major; and its fourth movement in the minor dominant of B minor. The cantata opens with a slow and sorrowful alto aria accompanied by the flutes, strings, and continuo that rarely leaves the depths of the tonic minor. The central movements form pairs of recitatives and arias: the first pair is a bleak secco recitative for tenor and organ continuo followed by an energetic Allegro aria tenor by strings and continuo and the second pair a stoic bass arioso with organ obbligato followed by another Allegro da capo aria for bass, oboe d'amore, strings, and continuo. The sixth movement is a very brief secco recitative for alto and continuo. "Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?" concludes with a harmonization of Johann Franck's famous Jesu, meine Freude for the entire chorus and orchestra.

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