February 1st, 1733, marked the death of Friedrich August I (also known as August the Strong), who had reigned as Prince-Elector of Saxony since 1694 and additionally as King of Poland since 1697. The middle section, which states Christian belief about Jesus, is the longest. It uses almost the same music as 'Ach bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben' ('Oh, stay with me, my dearest life'), from Cantata No. The second Kyrie, for four-part choir, has an intense, chromatic fugal subject. It leads directly into the Qui tollis, a revision of part of the opening chorus of Cantata No. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for MARIA STADER - Mozart: Great Mass In C Minor K. 427 / Masonic Funeral Music K. at the best online prices at … The theme, taken from a Gregorian chant, is introduced in each of the seven voices, in this order: tenors, basses, altos, first sopranos, second sopranos, first violins, second violins. Its three sections state beliefs about God (Credo in unum Deum sections 1,2), Jesus Christ (Et in unum Dominum, sections 3-6), and other aspects of Christianity (Et in Spiritum Sanctum sections 7-9). During the Church Service in the Nikolaikirche, Leipzig's main church, Capellmeister and Director Musices Johann Sebastian Bach conducted a performance of the Kyrie and Gloria especially composed for the Occasion. By 1730 Bach had become widely respected as a composer, musician, teacher, organist, and specialist in organ construction. As a result he was frequently asked to advise on new organ specifications and to test newly completed instruments with a thorough and detailed examination and report, as was the custom of the time. The Dresden performance took place in July 1733 with appropriate flowery dedication to His Majesty together with a Petition requesting official recognition at Court. PART TWO: Symbolum Nicenum ( Credo) Whether it is a complete patchwork or put together from pieces of a design (most musicologists suggest the latter), this music is- certainly metaphorically and possibly literally- divine! Dona nobis pacem. The first part of the Gloria, a joyous outpouring, was probably reworked from a now lost instrumental movement. This may well have given Bach the idea of assembling his great Mass from his own earlier works. So the Dresden Court was officially Catholic. The chorus Et incarnatus est depicts an intense awe, an emotion that is deepened into despair in the Crucifixus, reworked from a chorus in a youthful Weimar Cantata, No. With incredible skill, Bach adapted this older music to new texts, often adding contrapuntal lines, extending passages and otherwise furthering the music. Saxony had not celebrated the enthronement of a new Elector-King for almost forty years, so the Coronation of August II was marked with dazzling celebrations throughout the Saxon Land. It suggests a work in progress. The Benedictus, apparently the vestige of a lost tenor aria, with its slow, long, graceful vocal and instrumental lines is an evocation of serene love and longing. Bach subsequently sent the music to his Royal Majesty, in the hopes of obtaining a position at his court. with some parts recycled from past works) that the piece is so well admired. This respect had grown steadily, as Bach's reputation widened, and as he gained the official title of Court Composer to the Dresden Court – the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. It is a superlative example of Bach's concern with symmetry: Crucifixus is the central pivot and the centre of the trinity of movements concerning Christ's incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. Domine Deus. The middle section, which states Christian belief about Jesus, is the longest. The Nicene Creed, originally written in Greek and one of the fundamental creeds of Christianity, was drawn up by the Council of Nicaea, a meeting of bishops in AD 325, the first ecumenical (=worldwide) council consisting of church leaders who met to discuss teachings about Jesus. The choir for this piece is divided into six parts. As the text sings of the Holy Ghost, the mood is spiritual. The Mass clearly meant a great deal to Klemperer, also, who stated that "for me Bach's B minor Mass is the greatest and most unique music ever written". Its use establishes a tone of timeless nobility. There are several symbols of the cross in this movement. The six-voice chorus in the Sanctus symbolizes the six wings of the Seraphim, as described by the prophet Isaiah in a biblical passage that contains the Sanctus text. Following a Church Service in the Nikolaikirche, His Majesty was conveyed in a Chaise or Carrying Chair to the Bourse, there to accept the Greetings of the Nobility (Ritterschaft). In this case, the passacaglia theme is heard 13 times—the unlucky number, symbolizing the tragedy of the crucifixion. By using a passacaglia in the center of the Credo movements, Bach seems to be saying that the article of faith is too important to be said once, but must be stated again and again. Bach, Mass in B minor - Suzuki on BIS Bach, St. Matthew Passion - Herreweghe's 2nd recording on Harmonia Mundi (I know, I seem to be the dissenting vote on whether to get his first or second recording) Mozart, Mass in C minor - Gardiner on Phillips Beethoven, Mass in C major - Gardiner on Archiv Brahms, A German Requiem - Klemperer on EMI Add the Canonic Variations, the Musical Offering displaying the art of canon, and his last great work: the complete summary of all his skill in counterpoint and fugue, methods which he perfected, and beyond which no composer has ever been able to pass, the work known to us as 'Die Kunst der Fuge' ('The Art of the Fugue', BWV 1080). The pervasive violin motive actually looks, on the page, like a cross. Et in Spiritum Sanctum. It is linked to the final joyous Et expecto by a passage of the strangest, most haunting quality – quite a contrast with the exuberant chorus that ends the Credo. Furthermore, Bach took care to gain prior support from officials at the Dresden Court and leading players in the Dresden Court Capelle. More detail on the Royal visit, and illustrations. The symmetry is apparent as the bass aria, Et in Spiritum, recalls in tone Et in unum Dominum, and the fugal Confiteor, like the first movement of the Credo, harks back to the older church style and uses plainsong to underpin the firmness of the belief it represents. It affirms that Jesus is God 'of one being with the Father', which stresses the Oneness of God. Furthermore, Bach took care to gain prior support from officials at the Dresden Court and leading players in the Dresden Court Capelle. Stauffer examines the B-Minor Mass in greater detail than ever before, demonstrating for the first time Bach's reliance on contemporary models from the Dresden Mass repertory and his brilliantly innovative methods of unifying his immense composition. From 1740 until his death in 1750, Bach would become more introspective, philosophical, looking back over his varied life and compositions, and reviewing the legacy he would leave to the future – for he certainly considered this an important aspect of his art, especially as tastes in music were turning rapidly away from the baroque arts of fugue and counterpoint towards the more informal style of the rococo and classical periods. 46 (1723), 'Schauet doch und sehet' ('Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow'). In the following descriptive notes, the origins of each movement are noted, where known. PART THREE: Sanctus and Haydn may have been a musician for hire, but he couldn’t keep his personality from bursting at ever… Weimar was quite a small town with only 5000 inhabitants; yet Bach was to meet some very cultured people here. Thus he derived the bass scales in the Patrem from those in the Credo. Thus he created some extraordinarily powerful, beautiful and complex music for the solemn occasion of the new Elector’s visit to Leipzig to accept the town’s declaration of allegiance. The Official Celebrations were held on the next day. There are motivic connections between this movement and the first Kyrie. While the Mass of 1733 (the Kyrie and Gloria) provided suitable music for the Royal Visit, and would subsequently lay the foundation stone for the Mass in B-Minor, Bach also had another purpose in mind for this 1733 work. The Credo bursts forth with two vibrant fugal choruses. PART FOUR: Osanna, Benedictus,Osanna (repeat), Agnus Dei, Dona Nobis Pacem The music is meditative and tranquil, but with an undercurrent of intensity provided by some beautiful chromaticism. Bach's magnificent Sanctus, with its exultant fugue, was written originally for Christmas Day, 1724. John Butt, from Bach: Mass in B Minor Counterpoint and fugue are … More detail on the Royal visit, and illustrations. The original manuscript shows that Bach divided the Mass in four major sections, similar to the sections in the Roman Catholic Mass Ordinary. The Gratias is a fairly straight copy of the opening chorus of Cantata No. Some kind of Royal Title from the Dresden Court would give him the prestige he needed and felt was his due. Bach's arrival was clearly a major event in the musical and social world, and one North German newspaper described it in great detail: "Last Saturday at noon, four carts laden with goods and chattels belonging to the former Capellmeister to the Court of Cöthen arrived in Leipzig and at two in the afternoon, he and his family arrived in two coaches and moved into their newly decorated lodgings in the school building". There is also a preponderance of six-measure phrases, including the fugue subject. In choral music: The mass Bach’s Mass in B Minor (1733–38) was a monument of the preceding Baroque era. Credo. The symmetry is apparent as the bass aria, Et in Spiritum, recalls in tone Et in unum Dominum, and the fugal Confiteor, like the first movement of the Credo, harks back to the older church style and uses plainsong to underpin the firmness of the belief it represents. So he would have been thoroughly familiar with the latest European fashions in music. The performing parts were copied out in secret by members of the Bach family only, so that neither the Thomas School nor City officials would be aware of Bach's intentions. The extant manuscript of the B-Minor Mass is filled with scratch-outs, corrections, revisions, and insertions. Qui tollis. The reserved expression of the second Kyrie gives way to an extroverted style, complete with trumpets, drums and instrumental virtuosity. Preparations were set in motion. Benedictus. PART THREE: Sanctus and PART FOUR: Osanna, Benedictus,Osanna (repeat), Agnus Dei, Dona Nobis Pacem Preparations were set in motion. The Agnus Dei, which follows a straight reprise of the Osanna, is scored for alto solo matched to a low-lying ritornello for strings. This comfortable security of position combined with the fact that Bach had established, during his first six or seven years' tenure, a more than sufficient repertoire of cantatas (it has been suggested that he composed in total some 300), allowed him to widen his musical scope of activity. The Benedictus, apparently the vestige of a lost tenor aria, with its slow, long, graceful vocal and instrumental lines is an evocation of serene love and longing. Recording of Bach's B-Minor Mass. The Domine Deus is a duet for tenor and soprano, with accompaniment for flute and muted strings. 11 (The Ascension Oratorio). The Occasion Franz Joseph Haydn lived in a time of great social change and political foment. Bach's Kyrie and Gloria were, diplomatically, acceptable equally to both faiths. The Credo bursts forth with two vibrant fugal choruses. Postscript So a plot was hatched, in the form of a dedicatory performance of the Kyrie-Gloria Mass to be given at Dresden. It is majestic in its complexity and sweep, as well as its use of various styles and quotations from music written throughout the composer’s career. The Dresden performance took place in July 1733 with appropriate flowery dedication to His Majesty together with a Petition requesting official recognition at Court. In a society which regards Kings as divinely appointed by God, Bach would have seen no incongruity in using the same music to praise the King of Poland and the King of Heaven. The Agnus Dei, which follows a straight reprise of the Osanna, is scored for alto solo matched to a low-lying ritornello for strings. Bach conducted the Sanctus, in its first version, at the 1724 Christmas service in Leipzig, and re-used it in Christmas services in the mid-1740s. Beethoven had plans to write another Mass after the Missa Solemnis, but it didn't come to pass. The duet Et in unum Dominum is set for soprano and alto with oboe and strings. Since the text is a supplication to the Father, the mood is spiritual, but with an increasing sense of urgency. Though this was not immediately forthcoming, after a reminder in 1736 by Bach's influential friend Count von Keyserlingk, the title of Compositeur of the Royal Court Capelle was "conferred upon Johann Sebastian Bach on the latter's most humble entreaty and because of his ability". It uses almost the same music as 'Ach bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben' ('Oh, stay with me, my dearest life'), from Cantata No. Gloria. Part Three is a linked set of organ pieces based on the fundamental components of the Lutheran liturgy, while Part Four is the Goldberg Variations. PART ONE: Missa, consisting of Kyrie and Gloria. Agnus Dei. Its three sections state beliefs about God (Credo in unum Deum sections 1,2), Jesus Christ (Et in unum Dominum, sections 3-6), and other aspects of Christianity (Et in Spiritum Sanctum sections 7-9). Though this was not immediately forthcoming, after a reminder in 1736 by Bach's influential friend Count von Keyserlingk, the title of Compositeur of the Royal Court Capelle was "conferred upon Johann Sebastian Bach on the latter's most humble entreaty and because of his ability". Furthermore, Bach did not observe the traditional grouping of the text into five sections—Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. By this time, Bach had established a wide reputation as composer, musician, organist, and as an expert in organ construction and acoustics. Kyrie Eleison (Greek for "Lord have mercy") is a very old, even pre-Christian expression used constantly in all Christian liturgies. 12 (1714) 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' (Weeping, wailing, grieving, fearing). While the Mass of 1733 (the Kyrie and Gloria) provided suitable music for the Royal Visit, and would subsequently lay the foundation stone for the Mass in B-Minor, Bach also had another purpose in mind for this 1733 work. Great Mass in C minor (German: Große Messe in c-Moll), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and considered one of his greatest works. For the scores being prepared could not have been destined for use in Leipzig, but clearly for St Sophia's Church Dresden where W.F. This intense piece is scored by low sounds—bass voice, horn, two bassoons and continuo—despite the text saying “You alone are the high above all.” The opening two measures in the horn are the same whether played backward or forward—a symbol, according to musicologist Helmuth Rilling, of the risen Christ. While the Mass of 1733 (the Kyrie and Gloria) provided suitable music for the Royal Visit, and would subsequently lay the foundation stone for the Mass in B-Minor, Bach also had another purpose in mind for this 1733 work. The performing parts were copied out in secret by members of the Bach family only, so that neither the Thomas School nor City officials would be aware of Bach's intentions. 12 (1714) 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' (Weeping, wailing, grieving, fearing). The first, in antique style, is based upon the plainchant associated with the words 'Credo in unum deum' and symbolises strength of faith; the second is adapted from a chorus of praise from Cantata No. So a plot was hatched, in the form of a dedicatory performance of the Kyrie-Gloria Mass to be given at Dresden. It is a superlative example of Bach's concern with symmetry: Crucifixus is the central pivot and the centre of the trinity of movements concerning Christ's incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. Postscript 12 (1714) 'Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen' (Weeping, wailing, grieving, fearing). The choir for this piece is divided into six parts. It uses almost the same music as 'Ach bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben' ('Oh, stay with me, my dearest life'), from Cantata No. The Benedictus, apparently the vestige of a lost tenor aria, with its slow, long, graceful vocal and instrumental lines is an evocation of serene love and longing. He never heard it in his lifetime. The history of its recordings traces the half-century of evolution of Baroque performance practice. Postscript Since Bach brought together these diverse movements into a single mass only two years before his death, it is unlikely that it was ever performed during his lifetime. The Dona nobis pacem reprises the Gratias, bringing the Mass in B Minor to a triumphant close and linking majestically the concepts of peace, praise, and gratitude to God. The duet Et in unum Dominum is set for soprano and alto with oboe and strings. Patrem omnipotentum. Bach was organist, since the organ there was tuned a whole tone lower than those of the Leipzig churches. Bach moved to Leipzig on May 22, 1723, where for the remaining 27 years of his life he was to live and work as Cantor, or Directore Chori Musici Lipsiensis – Director of Choir and Music in Leipzig. For the scores being prepared could not have been destined for use in Leipzig, but clearly for St Sophia's Church Dresden where W.F. The text of the Patrem belongs to the same sentence as that of the preceding movement. Though this was not immediately forthcoming, after a reminder in 1736 by Bach's influential friend Count von Keyserlingk, the title of Compositeur of the Royal Court Capelle was "conferred upon Johann Sebastian Bach on the latter's most humble entreaty and because of his ability". Cum Sancto Spiritu. It might be added that thereafter there were no further records of disagreements between Bach and either the School or City authorities. 3. This may well have given Bach the idea of assembling his great Mass from his own earlier works. Like the Missa, the Symbolum Nicenum has its own cohesive structure. Thus some parts of the Mass hark back to the era before the split in Christianity, while others refer to the modern period, in which Lutheran and Catholic beliefs were divergent. Bach activates it with repeated notes, to create a throbbing effect. For the scores being prepared could not have been destined for use in Leipzig, but clearly for St Sophia's Church Dresden where W.F. The second part of the Clavierübung, containing the Concerto in the Italian Style and the French Overture (Partita) in B Minor, appeared in 1735. Actually, the B Minor Mass is not usable in the Catholic liturgy. 171 (1729) 'Gott, wie dein Name, so ist ouch dein Ruhm' ('God, Thy fame is as Thy name'). Confiteor. In particular, Bach had become famous, not only as an organist and improvisator, but as an expert in organ construction. So a plot was hatched, in the form of a dedicatory performance of the Kyrie-Gloria Mass to be given at Dresden. Bach also sought to leave a significant sacred choral work, and began to conceive the notion of what would become known as the Mass in B-Minor. It is a publication in four parts, of which the first and second consisted of the Six Partitas for harpsichord in Part One, and the Italian Concerto and French Overture in Part Two. While the Mass of 1733 (the Kyrie and Gloria) provided suitable music for the Royal Visit, and would subsequently lay the foundation stone for the Mass in B-Minor, Bach also had another purpose in mind for this 1733 work. Leipzig, being Saxony's most important city after the capital Dresden, was first to receive the Royal Visit. The Sanctus, the oldest portion of the B Minor Mass originally composed as a mass movement, was written for Christmas day in 1724. Kyrie Eleison (Greek for "Lord have mercy") is a very old, even pre-Christian expression used constantly in all Christian liturgies. Bach also sought to leave a significant sacred choral work, and began to conceive the notion of what would become known as the Mass in B-Minor. More detail on the Royal visit, and illustrations. The Official Celebrations were held on the next day. The performing parts were copied out in secret by members of the Bach family only, so that neither the Thomas School nor City officials would be aware of Bach's intentions. Bach does not simply adopt the old style without modifications, however; the fugue subject clearly has his own stamp. Yet he often found himself subjected to petty criticisms by his employers, the Leipzig Town Council. Laudamus te. The music to the Dona is identical to that of the Gratias. The Credo bursts forth with two vibrant fugal choruses. Yet he often found himself subjected to petty criticisms by his employers, the Leipzig Town Council. Part Three is a linked set of organ pieces based on the fundamental components of the Lutheran liturgy, while Part Four is the Goldberg Variations. On April 20, 1733, the Prince-Elector of Saxony and King of Poland made his entry into Leipzig. The first part of the Gloria, a joyous outpouring, was probably reworked from a now lost instrumental movement. The first complete performance took place in Leipzig in 1859. Some kind of Royal Title from the Dresden Court would give him the prestige he needed and felt was his due. The Dona nobis pacem reprises the Gratias, bringing the Mass in B Minor to a triumphant close and linking majestically the concepts of peace, praise, and gratitude to God. In this sense the Mass is comparable to The Art of Fugue and The Musical Offering, both late collections of works that are his crowning achievements in, respectively, fugue and other contrapuntal forms. This brilliant movement concludes the Gloria section of the Mass. Thus during the latter years of his life Bach gradually withdrew inwards, producing some of the most profound statements of baroque musical form. In a society which regards Kings as divinely appointed by God, Bach would have seen no incongruity in using the same music to praise the King of Poland and the King of Heaven. 29 (1731), the words of which 'Wir danken dir, Gott' ('We thank Thee, O God') represent a literal German translation of the Latin text set here with such solemn nobility and assurance. Mass in B minor BWV232 [109'09] Of all Bach’s great output of sacred vocal music, the Mass in B minor stands alone, not just for its supreme musical greatness, but because it was composed for no specific occasion. Although several of Bach’s works first appeared in print in the decades after 1800, the Mass remained unpublished until 1845, nearly a century after the work had been composed. Some kind of Royal Title from the Dresden Court would give him the prestige he needed and felt was his due. And his “Passions” and “Mass in B Minor” stand apart from choral music in general. The setting of Et in terra pax was grafted on to it without a break. Drawing on decades of composition, including what he considered to be the most thematically relevant of his great cantatas, Bach created a masterpiece designed to endure for the ages. The Dona nobis pacem reprises the Gratias, bringing the Mass in B Minor to a triumphant close and linking majestically the concepts of peace, praise, and gratitude to God. The complete B Minor Mass was first heard in Leipzig, Germany, in 1859. During the 1730s, the second decade in his life at Leipzig, Bach would now begin to devote more time to activities outside the city; to examine for musical appointments, to advise on organ building, to lend support from time to time to such private establishments as at Cöthen and Weissenfels, where he was honorary Capellmeister from 1729-1736. KEYNOTE. Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor was his last completed work and an acknowledged masterpiece of the then-prevalent practice of parody. BachÍs "Great Catholic Mass," with its strong instrumental foundation, does not open the realm of the monstrous. It is linked to the final joyous Et expecto by a passage of the strangest, most haunting quality – quite a contrast with the exuberant chorus that ends the Credo. In order to represent the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son, Bach sets the first two parts of the text simultaneously as a duet for soprano and tenor. Arnold Schering (in 1936) asserted that it was performed in Leipzig on April 26, 1733, when Augustus III of Poland visited the town, but modern scholars reject his argument for several reasons: He was then conducted to the Rathaus, the Town Hall, receiving Greetings from members of the Council and University. It might be added that thereafter there were no further records of disagreements between Bach and either the School or City authorities. Christe. The Gloria was written at the same time in honor of the new elector’s accession to the throne. 171 (1729) 'Gott, wie dein Name, so ist ouch dein Ruhm' ('God, Thy fame is as Thy name'). I think it is precisely because the B minor Mass represents a form of “complete” Bach (ie. Though Saxony was fervently Lutheran Protestant, August I had converted to Catholicism in order to accept the Polish Crown, and his successor August II followed suit. 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