Composed for the fourth Sunday after Easter, which fell on May 7, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 166 "Wo gehest du hin?" (Where goest thou?) (BWV 166) sets a text by an unknown writer based on several different

Bible texts and chorales: the first movement sets the Gospel According to John 16:5, the third movement sets a chorale by Bartholomaus Ringwaldt from 1582, and the sixth and last movement sets a chorale by Amilie Juliane von Schwarzenberg-Rodolstadt from 1688. The cantata is scored for bass, tenor, soprano, and alto soloists and chorus, oboe, strings, and basso continuo. "Wo gehest du hin?" is in six movements in two parts. The first movement is a dour aria for bass, oboe, strings, and continuo. The second movement is a long, slow, dismal aria in the form of a trio sonata for tenor soloist with obbligato violin and oboe continuo. The third movement is a dark setting of Ringwaldt's chorale for soprano soloist accompanied by violins and violas in unison above the continuo. The fourth movement is a dreary secco recitative for bass soloist and continuo and the fifth is a sweetly lilting aria for alto soloist, oboe, strings, and continuo. "Wo gehest du hin?" concludes with a straightforward harmonization of Schwarzenberg-Rodolstadt's chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte.

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