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A COMPANION TO J. S. BACH’S St. Matthew Passion with contributions by Justin Abel Laura Bock Will Doran Steven Hildebrand Chi Nguyen Andrew Pham Ashley Porter Evan Sarver Rebecca Springer
Transcript
Page 1: Bach's St. Matthew Passion

A COMPANION TO J. S. BACH’S

St. Matthew Passion

w ith contributions by Justin Abel Laura Bock

Wil l Doran Steven Hildebrand

Chi Nguyen Andrew Pham

Ashley Porter Evan Sarver

Rebecca Springer

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A COMPANION TO J. S. BACH’S

St. Matthew Passion

a book completed by members of MUS480: Advanced Seminar in Musicological Topics

Spring 2010: The Music of J. S. Bach instructor: J. Gibson

at James Madison University

with contributions by:

Justin Abel Laura Bock Wil l Doran

Steven Hildebrand Chi Nguyen

Andrew Pham Ashley Porter

Evan Sarver Rebecca Springer

contributions are largely unedited, presented here as students submitted them

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CONTENTS 1. Bach’s Meditiation on Jesus’ Teachings and Sufferings in “Geduld!” 4 Justin Abel 2. The Sarabande as an End Focus in the Passions of J. S. Bach 16 Laura Bock 3. The Implications of Bach’s Use of Tonal Allegory in 27 “Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” Will Doran 4. A Historical Biography of J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 37 Steven Hildebrand 5. Digging Deep into the Descent: The Musical Potential of Descending Bass Lines 46 Andrew Pham 6. J. S. Bach’s Use of National Styles in the St. Matthew Passion 56 Ashley Porter 7. Violone and Double Bass in the St. Matthew Passion 70 Evan Sarver 8. Hearing the St. Matthew Passion 79 Rebecca Springer Contribution by Chi Nguyen forthcoming Works Cited 89

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CHAPTER ONE Bach’s Meditation on Jesus’ Teachings and Suffering in “Geduld”

Justin Abel

J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion portrays the Biblical narrative of Jesus sacrificing

himself for the redemption of mankind. This is one of the principle beliefs of Lutheran as well

as Christian theology. By analyzing the text, music, and instrumentation of the aria “Geduld,” I

hope to illustrate that (1), Bach’s melodic and harmonic structure of the piece can be

representative of God trying teach patience and counsel mankind in times of tribulation and (2),

that Bach’s choice to re-score the continuo line for viola da gamba was a conscientious decision

in order to put more emphasis on Jesus’ suffering at the hands of man.

“Geduld” takes place in the second part of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. At the end of the

first section, Jesus has been seized by chief priests and elders and brought back to the city for

judgment at the hands of the high priest Caiaphas. The first narrative of the second section

describes the scene of the priests trying to find a false witness against Jesus so that he may be

condemned to death. After many unsuccessful attempts, two witnesses come forward and say,

“He has said: I can break down God’s temple and in three days build it again.”1 The high priest

then asks Jesus to defend himself against these accusations, to which Jesus replies nothing, and

the following recitative “Mein Jesus schweight” depicts Jesus in his silence:2

1 Francis Browne, “English Translation in Interlinear Format: St. Matthew Passion BWV 244,” Bach Cantatas Website, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV244-Eng3.htm. 2Ibid.

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Certainly, this lesson from the Bible is one that is meant to teach patience to mankind, even

when we find ourselves under false persecution. The following aria “Geduld” gives us

Picander’s poetic interpretation of this same lesson:3

This text deals specifically with Jesus coming under fire from worldly actions, not judgment of

God. Mankind persecutes him.4 In a discussion of this aria, Eric Chafe also notes that “Bach’s

aria texts often refer to patience in tribulation as the foremost quality of the theology of the cross;

nowhere else, however, does Bach present it as clearly as here.”5 The text is a very direct

3 Ibid. 4 Eric Chafe, Tonal Allegory in the Vocal Music of J. S. Bach, 356. “The aria makes it clear—in the words “falsche Zungen” (false tongues), “Leid ich wider meine Schuld” (If I suffer for something other than my guilt), and “meines Herzens Unshuld” (innocence of my heart)—that the torment referred to it not God’s judgment, but the unjust treatment by the false world.” 5 Ibid.

Mein Jesus schweigt zu falschen Lügen stille Um uns damit zu zeigen, Dass sein Erbarmens voller Wille Vo runs zum Leiden sei geneigt, Und dass wir in dergleichen Pein Ihm sollen ähnlich sein Und in Verfolgung stille.

My Jesus is silent At false lies To show us in this way That his merciful will Is inclined to suffering for our sake And that we in such pain Should be like him And in persecution remain silent.

Geduld! Wenn mich falsche Zungen stechen. Leid ich wider meine Schuld Schimpf und Spott, Ei, so mag der liebe Gott Meines Herzens Unschuld rächen.

Patience! Even if false tongues stab me. If I should suffer contrary to my guilt Abuse and mockery Oh then may dear God Avenge the innocence of my heart.

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example of this lesson demonstrating patience, and I believe that this lesson can also be heard in

the dialog between the tenor solo and the continuo line of the piece.

“Geduld” is in the key of A minor, and during the baroque period A minor was suited to

“serious subjects” and has the character of being “somewhat plaintive, honorable, and calm.”6 In

the first measure (Ex. 1), we are given one of the two main rhythmic motives of the piece. The

measure of 4/4 is broken up into four pairs of legato eighth notes running smoothly through the

chords A minor to E major, A minor to E major. In the following three measures Bach gives us

the second main rhythmic motive, consisting of a steady flow of dotted 16th and 32nd note

rhythms that venture far from the tonic of A minor.

Ex. 1 mm. 1-4

Over measures two through four, we start in A minor, then go through D minor, E minor, back to

D minor, then finally back to A minor at the end of measure four. The first motive, consisting of

6 Myrna Herzog, “The Viol in Bach’s Passions: A Performer’s notes,” 34. Herzog quotes two baroque musician/composers here: Jean Rousseau (1691), and Johann Mattheson (b. 1681), taken from Steblin’s Key Characteristics, 35, 49.

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the legato eighth notes, represents an individual in a calm state. The second motive represents an

individual in an agitated, impatient state, with its disjunct rhythm and inability to remain in the

same key. Albert Schweitzer offers his own interpretation of these two motives in his book J. S.

Bach, which was published in 1962. He believes the first motive symbolizes the word “Geduld,”

while the second motive represents the sharp (false) tongues shooting forth.7 Myrna Herzog also

notes that the first motive is mellow and calm, with its melodic contours softened by ties, and the

second motive is edgy, agitated and disjunct.8 The continuo line has one of these two motives

throughout, and immediately after these two ideas are introduced, the tenor comes in with his

role of the counseling mentor.

I believe that both the motives could either symbolize Jesus’ persecution under trial, or an

individual that also may find his or herself losing patience under stressful conditions. In the

former interpretation, one could view the continuo line as Jesus battling with his own human

tendencies during his hearing in front of the high priests; he strives to remain calm while the high

priests labor to find false witnesses in order to bring him to death. Perhaps every time the

continuo line takes on the agitated motive, it is symbolic of Jesus’ internal struggle with his own

human patience, then the voice of God rings in head, “Geduld, Geduld,” and calms him back

down again. For the latter, the continuo line could represent the average person battling with his

or her own impatience. In this case, the tenor line could represent Jesus or God trying to counsel

someone and remind him or her to follow Jesus’ example of remaining patient, even if they find

themselves wrongly accused.

The first words of the tenor “Geduld, Geduld!” (Patience, patience!) enter while the

continuo is calm and speak directly to the continuo line as well as the listener, reminding them,

7 Albert Schweitzer, J. S. Bach, 226. 8 Myrna Herzog, “The Viol in Bach’s Passion: A Performers Notes,” 34.

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and us, to be patience (Ex. 2). As soon as the tenor stops, the continuo moves back to its

anxious motive, continuing in this agitated manner until the tenor comes back in at measure nine.

Upon his return he takes on more of a pleading role, and the continuo returns again to its calm

state, but only for one measure.

Ex. 2 mm. 5-9

This is also the last time in the aria that the continuo remains in a simple A minor to E major

chord-progression until the final measures. In measure thirteen (Ex. 3), the continuo calms

down rhythmically after the tenor has repeated his plea, “Patience, patience, even if false tongues

stab me,” but now even the relaxed motive is still harmonically agitated. The next four measures

remain in A minor, but a chord change occurs on almost every half-beat. And once again, as

soon as the tenor stops calming the continuo it becomes agitated again.

Ex. 3 mm. 10-17

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For the next seven measures, the harmonies modulate frequently through the words

“Schimpf und Spott” (abuse and mockery) which is the peak of its agitation (Ex. 4). Chafe

makes note of this as well:9

In “Geduld” however, the middle section of the aria—“Leid’ ich wider meine Schuld und Spott, ei! So mag de liebe Gott meines Herznes Unschuld rächen”—moves away from the ideal of patient suffering. In fact, although the aria counsels patience, it has a very restless character.

After this outburst of restlessness, the continuo finally settles down into the key of E minor in

measure twenty-five while the tenor holds the word “rächen” (avenge), finding comfort in the

assumption that God will assure that those who have wronged them will be punished for their

deeds.

( � Eric Chafe, Tonal Allegory in the Vocal Music of J. S. Bach, 357.

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Ex. 4 mm. 19-

29

The continuo finally makes its way back to A minor at measure forty-three (Ex. 5), after the

tenor repeats “Geduld” three times consecutively, which is also the only time this occurs. Bach

could have ended the piece right here, but he brings back the agitated motive once more, as if

making the statement that although man tries to be patient, he will surely enough return to his old

ways without being constantly reminded.

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Ex. 5 mm. 41-47

Although Bach originally scored the continuo part for cello, it is often performed and

recorded today with a viola da gamba instead. It is well known that Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

went through many revisions after it was first written10. The 1720s version was the original

composition and was first performed on April 11, 1727, and April 15, 1729. In the next revision,

the viola da gamba replaced the lute part in “Ja, freilich” and “Komm, süsses Kreuz.” Bach’s

final revision was completed in the 1740s, and during this revision the viol da gamba replaced

the cello parts in “Mein Jesus schweight” and “Geduld.” But one must ask why this is important,

specifically in the case of “Geduld.” The cello and the gamba seem to be similar instruments;

first we should note just how they differ.

The viola da gamba had a top string that was a fourth higher than the cello, endowing it

with a more extended upper register. While it lacked the volume of the cello, its tone is more

delicate, has richer chords, and due to its tuning in fourths and a thirds, has access to a larger

variety of chords. Bach also demanded the use of a seven-string gamba for the St. Matthew

Passion, making use of its extended range. Bach probably also knew that the switch from cello

10 Jonathan Gibson, “Hearing the Viola da Gamba in ‘Komm, süsses Kreuz,’” 418.

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to gamba would not be too difficult for the performer because while he did not compose a great

deal of gamba music, he did write often for it when he worked for Prince Leopold at Cöthen.11

Another possible explanation for its use was one of balance. When Bach revived the work in the

early 1740s, the organ had been removed from the second loft of Thomaskirche, and Bach was

forced to substitute a harpsichord for the continuo of chorus two.12 Perhaps Bach thought that

the gamba’s timbre melded better with that of the harpsichord. This also means that those who

wish to reproduce a “sonically authentic”13 performance of the St. Matthew Passion need to pair

the harpsichord with the gamba.

On the surface, the change from cello to gamba could seem rather insignificant, but when

one looks deeper into the gamba’s common associations at the time, as well as how purposefully

Bach placed it in this movement, much more can be interpreted from its use. Herzog notes that

during Bach’s time:14

There were well-known patterns and the use of the viol in connection with death in German Baroque music literature seems to be one of them. We find it in Buxtehude’s funeral dirge Muss der Tod denn nun doch trennen, in Telemann’s Trauerkantata Du aber, Daniel, gehe hin, and in Bach’s cantatas Trauer Ode (BWV 198), Actus

11 Charles Terry, Bach’s Orchestra, 132-135. Terry discusses the viol da gamba as well as Bach’s use of it and his familiarity with other Gamba players, such as Christian Ferdinand Abel (father of the last known gamba virtuoso Christian Friedrich Abel). Terry also poses the question of Christian Ferdinand Abel possibly being the gambist for the performances of the St. Matthew Passion. He could have performed the 1730s version (performed in 1736) for “Komm, süsses Kreuz,” but not for the 1740s version (as Christian Ferdinand Abel died in 1737). It is possible that perhaps his son (Christian Friedrich) did, as he would have been 19 in 1742. 12Teri Towe, “St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244,” Bach Cantatas Website. She mentions this fact in a critical discography of the St. Matthew Passion recordings in December 2001. Up to 2001, mosts recording of the St. Matthew Passion used the 1741 version of “Mein Jesus schweight” and Geduld.” Only in one case was the continuo altered. Serge Koussevitzky orchestrated the harmonies of “Geduld” in a fully written out, through composed setting for full string orchestra. 13 For a discussion on sonic vs. sensible authenticity read the Peter Kivy article, “Authenticity as Sound” 47-57, 69-79. 14Mryna Herzog, “The Viol in Bach’s Passions: A Performer’s Notes,” 31.

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tragicus (BWV 106, and Die Himmel erzahlen die Ehre Gottes (BWV 76), Johann Theile’s St. Matthew (1673), and Johann Meder’s St. Matthew (c. 1700), and in countless works depicting painful feelings, grief, sorrow, or lamentation.

Bach undoubtedly was aware of this association and used the viola da gamba in order to

emphasize Jesus’ own suffering and death, and by using the gamba in “Geduld” as well as

“Komm, süsses Kreuz,” Bach is also linking the two pieces together thematically because the

sound of the gamba is associated only with these two pieces and their preceding recitatives. Eric

Chafe discusses this relationship:15

One of these musical connections is the use of the “anxious” dotted rhythm discussed earlier,

which is unmistakably prevalent in “Komm, süsses Kreuz.” The motive used here again to

communicate a state of uneasiness. Gibson also discusses the connection between the gamba

and Jesus suffering, arguing that the gamba itself can evoke an image of the wooden cross, and

instrument’s gut strings could be symbolic of Jesus body stretched out upon the cross.16 With

this interpretation, one could also conclude that not only did Bach re-score “Geduld” and

“Komm, süsses Kreuz” in order to associate them acoustically to the narrative of Jesus’

suffering, but could have even used the gamba in “Geduld” to foreshadow Christ’s crucifixion.

15 Eric Chafe, Tonal Allegory in the Vocal Music of J. S. Bach, 355. 16 Jonathan Gibson, “Hearing the Viol da Gamba in “’Komm, süsses Kreuz,’” 439.

The first is the narrative of Jesus’ punishment at the hands of the high priests, the false witness, and Jesus’ silence before the trial, and the second is the story of his sufferings at the hands of the Roman soldiers, after the trial. The textual and other kinds of musical connections between the scenes in which “Geduld” and “Komm süsses Kreuz” appear to leave no doubt that the addition of the gamba to the earlier scene in the 1740s was meant to emphasize an already existing relationship.

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Both arias also share musical similarities with the chorale “O Haupt voll Blut and

Wunden.” Herzog argues that the beginning of “Geduld” is an ornamented version of the first

seven notes of the chorale. The opening melodies of “Geduld” and “O haupt voll Blut and

Wuden” both share descending stepwise motion as well as ascending leaps in larger intervals. In

“Komm, süsses Kreuz,” the beginning of the continuo part outlines the chorale’s first phrase.

Starting with the first measure of the chorale, we find descending stepwise motion in the soprano

from D5 to G4, and the continuo line in “Komm, süsses Kreuz” has the exact same descending

line running from D3 down to G2.17 The text of the chorale also highlights Jesus’ own suffering

and torture at the hands of man:18

As Chafe mentioned previously, both aria texts portray Jesus’ suffering at the hands of man, and

the chorale makes specific references to this mistreatment: “zo Spott gebunden,” “hoch

17 Mryna Herzog, “The Viol in Bach’s Passions: A Performer’s Notes,” 33. 18 Francis Browne, “English Translation in Interlinear Format: St. Matthew Passion BWV 244,” Bach Cantatas Website.

O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden, Voll Schmerz und voller Hohn, O Haupt, zo Spott gebunden Mit einer Dornenkron, O Haupt, sonst schön gezieret Mit höchster Her und Zier, Jetzt aber hoch schimpfieret, Gegrüßet seist du mir! Du edles Angesichte, Dafür sonst schrickt und scheut Das große Weltgewichte, Wie bist du so bespeit; Wie bist du so erbleichet! Wer hat dein Augenlicht, Dem sonst kein Licht nicht gleichet, So schändlich zugericht’?

O head full of blood and wounds, Full of sorrow and full of scorn, O head bound in mockery With a crown of thorns, O head once beautifully adorned With greatest honour and adornment, But now most shamefully mistreated, Let me greet you! You noble face Before which at other times shrinks and shies away. The great weight of the world, How are you spat upon, How pale you are! By whom has the light of your eyes To which at other times no light can be compared, Been so shamefully treated?

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schimpfieret,” “Wie bist du so bespeit,” and “So schändlich zugericht.” Regardless of the

various interpretations possible, Bach replaced the cello with the viola da gamba in order to

provide more continuity to the work as a whole, as well as to highlight and connect the narrative

of Jesus’ suffering.

With all the study that is conducted throughout music universities across the country by

scholars and students alike, most of these question we have about Bach’s music will never have a

definitely answer. The goal for us, as musicians and teachers, is to have a better understanding

of these works so that we know how they can be interpreted and to also discover the hidden

meanings that Bach may or may not have infused them with. As we delve deeper into the

compositional methods and craftsmanship of Bach’s works, we can always discover something

new that can be incorporated into performance or teaching. “Geduld” gives an excellent example

of Bach using every compositional tool available to emphasize the Biblical lesson of keeping

patience. And through his revisions, re-scoring the instrumentation in order to draw the piece

tighter into the narrative of Jesus’ suffering as well as providing more continuity to the massive

work that is the St. Matthew Passion.

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CHAPTER TWO The Sarabande as End Focus in the Passions of J.S. Bach

Laura Bock

As human beings we have the capability to encode myriad emotions, thoughts, and

sensations into our musical experiences. In many societies, dance and music are intertwined and

the bond between the two may call to mind particular moods associated with a dance genre or

even trigger physical sensations one might experience while performing that specific dance. To a

modern listener, a heavy, pulsating techno beat might evoke images of strobe lights and a dense

urban environment, while the twang of banjo and crooning singer might call to mind more rustic,

pastoral images. In the same manner, it is easy to imagine that Baroque listeners might have also

recognized and held particular associations with the well-known dance rhythms of their day. As

Kantor of the St. Thomas church in Leipzig, J.S. Bach’s primary duty was to transmit the ideals

of Lutheran doctrine to his congregation through music. In order to achieve this goal, Bach’s

sonic messages had to be both clear and universally recognizable- no easy task when employing

a medium as subjective and individually interpreted as music. On Good Friday, the day on which

Bach’s Passions were performed, the vividness of these messages was especially critical, since

the service set the tone for Easter, the climax of the liturgical calendar. As a result, the final

chorales of the St. John and St. Matthew Passions were Bach’s last opportunities to leave an

impression on his audience. Eric Chafe’s research on the planning of the structure of the St.

Matthew Passion suggests that Bach may have considered the final chorale movement so

important that he composed it before any other section of the Passion.19 Upon observing and

examining characteristic dance rhythms in “Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tränen Nieder” from the St.

19Eric Chafe. "J. S. Bach's ‘St. Matthew Passion’: Aspects of Planning, Structure, and Chronology." Journal of the American Musicological Society, 35 no. 1 (Spring, 1982), 54-55

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Matthew Passion and “Ruht Wohl,” from the St. John Passion, it is clear that Bach intentionally

chose to frame the conclusions of both Passions through the sarabande in order to create similar

impressions upon his audience.

Bach’s choice of secular dance music for such a profoundly liturgical setting may at first

seem paradoxical, but become more logical when one considers the appeal of popular style upon

any audience, even a devoutly religious one. Based on Bach’s previous appointments as court

music director at Weimar and Cöthen, it is more than safe to assume that he would have felt

comfortable writing in dance styles and manipulating them for a given purpose. Not only did

Bach have the experience of professional appointments, he also would have been exposed to

these dance idioms from a young age:

“In 1700, when he was fifteen years old, Bach came as a scholarship student to St.

Michael’s School in Luneburg. Here he became acquainted with French court dance practices

because they were taught at the nearly Luneburg Ritterschule, a school for young

aristocrats…Even though Bach did not attend the Ritterschule himself, he might have studied

dance or at least played the violin for dancing lessons and classes; thus, even if he had not been

trained in French court dancing as a child, he would have encountered it there, at least as a

teenager.”20

Furthermore, it seems that the citizens of Leipzig had kept popular dance in high demand.

“It is interesting to note that more treatises on French court dancing were published in German-

speaking lands in the early eighteenth century than in France...Dancing masters were numerous

in Leipzig, where [Bach] lived, teaching the disciplined practices and noble carriage that

20Raymond Erickson. The Worlds of Johann Sebastian Bach. (New York: Amadeus Press, 2009), 210-211.

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facilitated most human interactions.”21 The popularity of German Baroque dancing also extended

beyond the confines of the nobility: “Far from being the purview of a small elite, French court

dancing prevailed, not only in German courts but also in the cities, by the early eighteenth

century. Its training in the noble style had intrigued and engaged the middle class, to which the

numerous dancing masters practicing in Leipzig, and their treaties attest.”22 In other words,

Baroque dance music would have been recognized by a significant portion of Bach’s

churchgoers and even considered fashionable. Knowing this, Bach would have undoubtedly been

are aware of the advantages of putting a new twist on his religious message by encoding it within

Baroque popular culture.

Both chorales clearly depart from Bach’s typically contrapuntal textures, with the

entrances in the vocal line echoing the melody of the orchestral introduction identically in each.

In the imaginative context of an actual court dance, it is easy to imagine the first several bars

would serve as the critical orchestral introduction, giving time for dancers to listen and gather

information about the tempo, style, and rhythmic patterns of the steps about to be performed. The

fact that both movements are in triple meter, confines the possibilities of their dance

classifications to three options: the sarabande, the minuet, or the courante. According to

descriptions of the minuet, although tempo markings (omitted by Bach in these cases) may vary,

the overall mood of a minuet is designated as “gay” and “lively,”23 neither of which seems fitting

for the key of C minor which dominates both chorales. When considering the distinction between

the sarabande and courante, “Mattheson describes the character of the sarabande as one of

21 Erickson, 223.22 Ibid. 23 Betty Bang Mather. Dance Rhythms of the French Baroque. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987), 274-277.

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ambition, and one that permits no running notes.” 24 The texture of “Wir Setzen”, from the St.

Matthew Passion has only the occasional sixteenth note functioning as an ornamental passing

tone, and so seems to gravitate much more toward the sarabande than the courante style in which

a multitude running notes would have been apparent. The extremely homophonic texture of

“Ruht Wohl” fits this description even more precisely.

Meredith Little and Natalie Jenne offer the following helpful checklist when it comes to

identifying sarabandes:

Checklist of Sarabande Characteristics: 1. Triple meter (3/4) 2. Serious affect; noble, majestic, yet passionate 3. Slow tempo 4. Balanced 4 + 4 phrase structure 5. Characteristic rhythmic patterns 6. Complex harmonies 7. Soloistic25

Because a soloistic texture does not apply in this particular setting and a precise metronome

marking for determining the “slow tempo” of item three is omitted by Bach, evidence of the

other five elements must be used as determinants to classify each movement.

In “Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tränen Nieder” of the St. Matthew Passion, common sarabande

rhythms are most strongly suggested by the rhythms in viola line, which clearly delineates

regularly occurring dotted figures that litter the sarabande (occasionally written as a tied figure

instead). The melody in the flutes, oboes, and violins is frequently passed between the orchestras

through offbeat entrances which also serve to imply the same shift between duple and compound

24 Helen Hoekema van Wyck. "Mourning into Dancing: Dance Rhythms in J.S. Bach St. Matthew Passion." Choral Journal 40:3 (October 1999), 9-21. 25 Meredith Little and Natalie Jenne. Dance and the Music of J.S. Bach: Extended

Edition. (Bloomington: Indian University Press, 2001), 236.

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meter. Furthermore, the melodic accenting of beat two, which occurs in measures four and five,

and recurs in subsequent parallel phrases, creates a temporarily feeling of hemiola, common in

the sarabande.26 Bach’s use of the figure seems to be two-fold in serving as an effective musical

representation of the text (“rufen” or crying out) and also creating dramatic contrast with the

serious mood of the sarabande. “Wir Setzen” uses an ABA form and symmetrical four bar

phrasing, which seems to fit the balanced style of the sarabande described in item four of the list.

In addition, the active continuo line allows for the complex harmonies of item six as well as

shifts in tonality throughout the chorale. Since all of these sarabande elements are illustrated in

the brief twelve bar orchestral introduction, the listener is able to identify the corresponding

dance style even before the entrance of the chorus.

Example 1. Bach, St. Matthew Passion, “Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tränen Nieder,” mm. 1-13

26 Little and Jenne, 97.

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“Ruht Wohl” of the St. John Passion, by contrast, is considerably more ambiguous in

terms of rhythm, since only a few rare dotted rhythms or tied hemiola effects are present

throughout the work. Despite these observations, in a comprehensive discussion of sarabande

form, Meredith Little cites that, “ ‘Ruht Wohl”…rarely incorporates the sarabande rhythmic

module, but neither do some titled sarabandes, e.g., BWV 1002 for solo violin, and BWV 1010

and 1011 for solo cello. The piece is cast in balanced phrases throughout…The angular,

wrenching melodies, and frequently chromatic bass line…produce a serious affect.”27 In other,

“Ruht Wohl” still satisfies all of characteristics of the sarabande even if the rhythmic

qualifications may not be quite as obvious as in “Wir Setzen.”

27 Little and Jenne, 248-249.

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Example 2. Bach, St. John Passion, “Ruht Wohl,” mm. 1-8

One suggestive feature of the sarabande was that, unlike other dance classifications, it

originated as “a dance accompanied by singing and instruments,” in its early Spanish and New

World folk arts forms.28 Therefore, the presence of the vocal lines in the two choruses would not

have been nearly as out of place as they might have been in another dance form.

These chorale movements clearly embody popular Baroque era dance styles that many of

Bach’s churchgoers would likely have recognized. This conclusion calls into question the

possibilities of other implications and associations which the sarabande may have evoked.

Leonard Ratner proposes the idea that all Baroque dance styles, “were associated with various

feelings and affections…dances, by virtue of their rhythms and pace, represented feeling.”29 Of

the sarabande in particular, Wilfrid Mellers points out that this dance genre is particularly fitting 28 Little and Jenne, 92. 29Leonard G. Ratner. Classic Music: Expression, Form, and Style. (New York: Schirmer Books, 1980), 11.

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considering the text at the beginning of the St. Matthew Passion depicting Christ as the

bridegroom. “By Bach’s time [the sarabande] was not only ceremonial, but also solemn,

sometimes even sacral, a marriage or altar dance.”30 Ratner identifies the sarabande as also

holding associations as being, “high style, elegant and courtly.”31 This would have been

appropriate for a work of music centered on Christ as the King of Kings. This high style was

further described by Johann Adolf Schiebe in Der crtische Musikus in 1745. Schiebe’s writings

illuminate the concept that high dance forms, “should only be used for heroes, kings, and other

great men and noble spirits; magnamity, majesty, love of power, magnificence, pride,

astonishment, anger, fear, madness, revenge, doubt, and other similar qualities and passions can

only expressed in the high style.”32 In other words, within the context of reserved Baroque

society, this classification of dance may have offered one of the few emotional outlets

appropriate for the congregation to grieve over the loss of their savior. Wilfrid Mellers points out

that dance music in general also kept a focus on earthly concerns, “the metrical order of the

dance, originally derived from the dances of the court masque…literally a symbol of human

solidarity in the here-and-now. Men and women measuring time as they beat the earth with their

feet, create concord within a clearly defined system of harmonic order and tonal relationships.”33

However, the sarabande in particular has a sort of dual identity in this respect: “the sarabande is

both human and divine- not because it is a ceremonial dance…but because it reveals the

sacramental significance of human love.”34 Since the New Testament emphasizes the love of

Christ above all else, this would have been a particularly fitting association for Bach to close

30 Wilfrid Mellers. Bach and the Dance of God. (New York: Oxford University

Press, 1981), 23. 31 Ratner, 11-12. 32 Ratner, 7. 33 Mellers, 10. 34 Mellers, 30.

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with.

The text of each chorale also goes a long way in suggesting the particularities of the

musical message Bach would have intended to convey. The following translations are offered

from the Bach Cantatas Website:

Ruht Wohl Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine, Rest in peace, you sacred limbs, Die ich nun weiter nicht beweine, I shall weep for you no more, Ruht wohl und bringt auch mich zur Ruh! rest in peace, and bring me also to rest. Das Grab, so euch bestimmet ist The grave that is allotted to you Und ferner keine Not umschließt, and contains no further suffering, Macht mir den Himmel auf und schließt die Hölle zu. opens heaven for me and shuts off hell.

Wir Setzen

Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder We sit down with tears Und rufen dir im Grabe zu: And call to you in your term Ruhe sanfte, sanfte ruh! Rest gently, gently rest! Ruht, ihr ausgesognen Glieder! Rest, you exhausted limbs! Euer Grab und Leichenstein Your grave and tombstone Soll dem ängstlichen Gewissen For our anguished conscience shall be Ein bequemes Ruhekissen A pillow that gives peace and comfort Und der Seelen Ruhstatt sein. And the place where our souls find rest. Höchst vergnügt schlummern da die Augen ein. With the greatest content there our eyes will close in sleep.

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Both poetic texts make reference to a metaphorical link between death and sleep. The use

of dance music inherent invokes references to physical motion. Wilfrid Mellers notes that the

text of the “Ruht Wohl” chorale “involves bodily gesture-an appeal to Jesus and to us his

redeemed servants to lie down and sleep- and metaphysical in that corporeal movement leads to

spiritual release.”35 In both cases, the slow tempo of the sarabande would have been the only

one suitable to call to mind the gentle, peaceful resting of the weary body of Christ.

In a sense, the sarabande was a sort of musical chameleon; while it always set a serious

and majestic mood for the dancer, the compositional palette of the composer could vary greatly,

in terms of melody, harmony, and rhythm. Perhaps the empowerment of this compositional

freedom is the very element that led Bach to write more sarabandes than any other dance style.36

In addition to expressive versatility, the many possible overlapping connotations of the

sarabande would have had the ability to convey and contain both the solemn reverence of an

important church service and the passionate grieving of the congregation over the death of their

savior. By simultaneously expressing passionate and serious emotions, the sarabande paralleled

the paradox of Christ’s dual identity as a suffering human and a divine entity.

Having examined all of this evidence, it is clear that the sarabande was not only an ideal

setting for these concluding choral movements, but, ultimately, the only suitable choice among

the dances familiar to Bach’s audience. While biographers sometimes characterize Bach as a

composer who obsessed over archaic or dying styles of music, these chorales point out that he

was just as capable of composing in the contemporary styles of his time if the context called for

it. This analysis builds support for a vision of a cognizant and versatile Johann Sebastian Bach

who discovered that, paradoxically, a less-than-divine medium was the most potent intermediary

35Mellers, 148.36 Little and Jenne, 102.

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he could employ to transmit a profoundly divine message.

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CHAPTER THREE The Implications of Bach’s Use of Tonal Allegory in

“Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” Wil l Doran

To composers of the Baroque era, word painting and allegory in music were about as

common as animals at a zoo. There have been various debates as to what degree allegory is

prevalent in the music of Bach, with scholars like Susan McClary and Eric Chafe analyzing

every aspect of form and tonality for hidden meaning and implications while others, such as

David Schulenberg, believe that these musical choices can be explained more easily.37 While we

will never know the real answer to what Bach’s intentions may have been, given the philosophy

of the times in which he lived (e.g. specific aspects of art and music can literally represent

emotions and objects, and it is the artist’s job to move our affections), it is not too much of a

stretch to assume that some extra-musical meanings end up in his music, especially in an

important work like the St Matthew Passion. In fact, by examining Bach’s use of harmonic

language and tonal allegory in the final movement of the Passion, “Wir setzen uns mit Tränen

nieder,” we can see how Bach emphasizes Lutheran theology about the Passion story and why he

chooses to leave us in such a sad state at the end of this piece.

Tonal allegory can take on many forms and definitions. Manfred Bukofzer, in an early

article on the subject, used the term “allegory” to describe a coherent relationship between a

musical element and something extra-musical.38 A triad can represent the trinity, for example,

because it embodies the “three in one” concept by having three notes in one chord. Following

this, tonal allegory is the use of any tonal element—key, modulation, sharp sign, or the key 37DavidSchulenberg,“’MusicAllegory’Reconsidered:RepresentationandImaginationintheBaroque,”TheJournalofMusicology13,no.2(Spring1995):203‐239.38ManfredBukofzer,“AllegoryinBaroqueMusic,”JournaloftheWarburgInstitute3,no.1(1939‐1940):1‐21.

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structure of a lengthy work—to express a coherent relationship with something extra-musical.39

The two passions by Bach are unique in that they both employ a wide range of keys. The St

Matthew Passion, for example, uses twenty-three of the major and minor keys; seventeen as the

keys of the movements, and the rest through modulation within the movements.40 This

distinguishes the passions from the cantatas and his other larger works, such as the B-Minor

Mass, which only has seven different key signatures. It also begs the question of why Bach chose

to use so many different keys, especially considering how the tuning systems of the day did not

allow Baroque instruments to sound equally good in all keys.

Eric Chafe makes the argument that the opposition between sharps and flats is the main

allegorical structural principle in the two passions. He also believes that in the St Matthew

Passion, the keys follow the text. This can happen because there are various connotations

associated with flat and sharp keys in the Baroque period. According to Chafe, sharps are

generally seen as masculine, and throughout the Matthew Passion, all scenes dealing with the

crucifixion (such as the trial, the shouts of the mob for Jesus’ death, and his scourging) and glory

(Christ’s prediction of the Kingdom of God, the spread of the gospel, his resurrection, and

Peter’s repentance) are in sharp keys. Flats, on the other hand, are associated with the “soft,”

feminine affections. Scenes involving Jesus’ weakness, such as his difficulty accepting the cup at

first and his depressed states on the Mount of Olives and on the cross are in flat keys. Also in the

flat category are the Christian reactions to his sufferings (“Wer hat dich so gechlagen,” “O Haupt

voll Blut und Wunden”), the disciples’ sleep in the garden, Jesus’ final sleep in the grave, and

39EricChafe,“KeyStructureandTonalAllegoryinthePassionsofJ.S.Bach:AnIntroduction,”CurrentMusicology31(1981):39.40EricChafe,“AllegoricalMusic:the‘Symbolism’ofTonalLanguageinBachCanons,”TheJournalofMusicology3,no.4(Autumn1984):360.

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His finding rest in the believer’s heart.41

Another example of tonal allegory is the use of sharps for texts dealing with the cross, the

reason being that “Kreuz” means both sharp and cross in German.42 An example of this occurs

right at the outset of the St Matthew Passion with the opening chorus, “Kommt, ihr Töchter helft

mir klagen.” This movement is set in e minor, the key of many Baroque laments, including

passions.43 The movement represents Christ bearing the cross for us, and the drudging pedal bass

brings to mind Jesus’s slow trek under its weight. Also of note is the one sharp in the key

signature, a possible representation of the cross Christ is bearing for us. In fact, the key of e

minor is predominant up until “Andern hat er geholfen.” After the crucifixion, however, flat keys

dominate the rest of the passion, ending in a lamenting c-minor.

Additional evidence linking the keys of e-minor and c-minor are the multiple instances

where Bach confronts the two keys throughout the St Matthew Passion, with c-minor always

following e-minor in a way that seems to point towards the final ending of the passion. This

confrontation between the two keys appears six times: the prediction of betrayal, Peter’s mention

of Jesus’ death, the buying of the potter’s field, the actual crucifixion, and so on.44 Also of note

with the crucifixion is the giant e-minor cadence in “Ander hat er geholfen” at the end of the

movement. Every voice and instrument is playing an e at this point, and the text is “ich bin

Gottes Sohn” (I am God’s son). According to Chafe, the interval of an octave has the meaning of

the Son in this era, so Bach is choosing to represent the text with a reference to Baroque symbols

41Chafe,“KeyStructure,”46.42HelenWyck,“MourningintoDancing:DanceRhythmsinJ.S.Bach’s‘StMatthewPassion,’”ChoralJournal40,no.3(October1999):9.43Chafe,“KeyStructure,”50.44Ibid.

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that his contemporaries would recognize.45 Also, considering that this is the last occurrence of e-

minor and sharp keys in general in the Passion, it seems like Bach is trying to make a bigger deal

out of this last cadence. That he would so sharply divide the passion at this point suggests to me

that his key choice in the St Matthew Passion is no coincidence, and that Bach is conscious of his

tonal plan and how it relates to the passion story.

Why, then, does Bach choose to end the Matthew Passion with a chorus that, as Peter

Williams says, “…leaves behind the impression of so terrible a story and cathartic

exhaustion…?”46 After all, according to Luther, the Passion story is one of joy for salvation from

our sins and how much Jesus loves us. Why, then, would Bach, being a devout Lutheran, choose

to seemingly contradict Luther’s theology? To answer this question, one must take into account

the context of the Matthew Passion when it was composed. Because the passion was performed

on a Good Friday service, the triumphant part of the story when Jesus is resurrected and ascends

to heaven is yet to come. Bach’s passion narrative leaves us in the throes of mourning after

Jesus’ death, and in fact, the way that Bach tells the Passion does not instill hope for salvation:

Jesus never once speaks as a victor, the Resurrection is only briefly hinted at, and the whole

work ends with a sort of funeral “dirge.”47

This is actually directly in keeping with Martin Luther’s teachings about how believers

should experience the Passion story. In his writings, Luther aligns Jesus’ death with terror and

guilt and the Resurrection with the joy of Christ’s victory over sin. According to Luther,

Christians should suffer as they contemplate the crucifixion story: he believes that reflecting on

45Chafe,“KeyStructure,”51.Also,theintervalofafifthisrepresentativeoftheHolySpirit,whileaunisonrepresentstheFather.46PeterWilliams,J.S.Bach:ALifeinMusic,(NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2007),198.47DavidHill,“TheTimeoftheSign:‘OHauptvollBlutundWunden’inBach’sStMatthewPassion,”TheJournalofMusicology14,no.4(Autumn1996):515‐516.

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the Passion properly requires great endurance on the part of the believer and that the horror of

the crucifixion must be sympathetically experienced. “This terror must be felt as you witness the

stern wrath and the unchanging earnestness with which God looks upon sin and sinners.”48

Another important aspect of “Wir setzen” is its relationship to the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew uses two passages—one near the beginning, and one near the end—to show that he

believes that God is present on Earth through Jesus. The first passage comes from the scene

where an angel is appearing to Joseph in a dream to dissuade him from divorcing Mary: “Behold,

a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,

which being interpreted is God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23). The second passage is from the last

verse in the book: “and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew

28:20b). Following this notion, if God is present on Earth through Jesus Christ, then the three

days between Jesus’ death and his resurrection are all the more tragic because they mark the only

time in Matthew’s Gospel that God is not present with humanity.49 Another important point

about Matthew’s Gospel is that the Ascension is not depicted, just alluded to. Bach reflects the

character of the Gospel of Matthew by also downplaying the resurrection in the Matthew

Passion.

With all of this in mind, the mood of “Wir setzen” makes a bit more sense. Bach is

following the Lutheran tradition of contemplating the crucifixion with guilt and mourning by

creating a very mournful end to the Passion narrative, leaving us in the correct emotional state

for Good Friday. Because the Resurrection will not be commemorated until Sunday, Lutherans

are meant to suffer during the days leading up to it, just like Christ himself suffered. Being a

Baroque composer, Bach would not be one to pass up an opportunity to manipulate the affections

48MartinLuther,“AMeditationonChrist’sPassion(1519),”qtd.inHill,526.49Hill,519.

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p: �

of his congregation.

As mentioned before, “Wir setzen” is mostly in c-minor, but it modulates often to other

flat keys. The movement as a whole can be seen as having the character of a sarabande,50 and it

has a solemn, steady stream of eighth and sixteenth notes, either in the melody or the

counterpoint (Example 1). The pedal bass is reminiscent of the opening movement’s quarter note

low e pedal (Example 2), once again bringing in ties between e-minor and c-minor. Overall, the

melodic contour is conjunct and downward, giving the feeling of a “piece of burial music.”51

Example 1. J.S. Bach: St Matthew Passion, “Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder”

Example 2. J.S. Bach: St Matthew Passion, “Kommt, ihr Töchter helft mir klagen.”

An instrumental introduction stating the main theme in c-minor opens the movement,

however, the first phrase cadences in the relative major, e-flat, at measure twelve. The immediate

my� � a� I c� R” eR( l�mR� � 2� l�

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implications of this harmonic choice are not obvious without the text. When the voices do enter,

though, we can see Bach’s motivation. The first phrase, “We sit down with tears,” is all very

much in c minor, following the text. For the next part of the line, “and call to you in your tomb,

rest gently, gently rest,” the music moves into e-flat major (measures seventeen to twenty-four).

One gets the sense that the narrator is telling Jesus that now that he has completed the task that

he feared so much in the Garden of Gethsemane, he can rest. The dynamics and texture at this

point also support this theory. Half of the musicians drop out while the other half implores Jesus

to rest gently. The second group then echoes the first before the whole ensemble comes together,

repeating and emphasizing the point to “rest gently.”

For the second phrase, starting at measure twenty-five, the same opening motive is

repeated by the orchestra, only this time the piece is still in e-flat major. In a sort of reversal of

the first cadence, this phrase starts in e-flat major and ends on the dominant of c-minor before

quickly modulating back to e-flat for the chorus’ entrance. At measure thirty-seven, the chorus

enters again with the same text and echoes the instrumental interlude. Repeating the same text in

a major tonality going to a minor one gives a slightly different shade of meaning. The rest does

not seem as peaceful, and the final cadence of the phrase in measure forty-eight contains a

strikingly dissonant appoggiatura on the leading tone that is highlighted even more by the timbre

of the instruments playing it, the flute.52

This dissonance seems to be at odds with the text going on at the moment, in this case

being the desire for Jesus to “rest gently.” However, Bach obviously did not want this rest to be

completely at peace. The meaning of this text, at this point, could be examined from two

different points of view. The first viewpoint would be that the object of the text is Jesus and the

52Wyck,19.

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mourning believers are lamenting his passing and wishing him a peaceful rest after all his

suffering. The second point of view would still be talking about Jesus resting, but in this case, he

is not resting in his grave, but metaphorically in the heart of the believer.

This is not too far of a leap of faith considering the rest of the text of this movement.

“Your grave and tombstone / for our anguished conscience shall be / a pillow that gives peace

and comfort / and the place where our souls find rest / with the greatest content, there our eyes

will close in sleep.” Essentially, the believer is finding rest and comfort in Jesus, or in Lutheran

terms, salvation and peace in knowing Christ’s love for us.

Also supporting this notion of Jesus resting metaphorically in the hearts of believers is

the reference made to this point in the last aria before this chorus, “Mache dich, mein Herze,

rein.” This aria expresses how the believer wants to “bury Jesus within” himself. “For he now

within me / forever / shall have his sweet rest. / World, depart from my heart, let Jesus enter!”

Considering this is the last aria in the whole passion, it makes a particularly lasting impression

upon the listener.

So, going back to the question of why there is such a harsh dissonance in the cadence of

measure forty-eight, and ultimately in the last chord of this movement and the passion as a

whole, the answer would be that Bach is trying to express more Lutheran theology. The life of a

believer is difficult, and while one can find rest in their salvation and through the love of Christ,

the path of imitating Christ is difficult:

Luther, feeling keenly his own persecution, stressed that Christ’s passion should not be acted out in words or appearances but in one’s own life; having acknowledged guilt and received Christ’s loving redemption, all should foster their potential to imitate Christ and be fearless in the face of persecution.53

Based on these details, one can conclude that the final words of the St Matthew Passion are

53JohnButt,“Bach’sVocalScoring:WhatCanitMean?”EarlyMusic26,no.1(1998):104.

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imploring Jesus to rest inside of the believer, but Bach and Luther are warning them of the

persecution they will face.

Is this too much of a stretch? Again, given the context of the St Matthew Passion, it was

certainly composed as a sort of sermon. Its intended audience was a congregation of Lutherans,

and, as John Butt says, as opposed to an opera, “…much of the poetic material in the Passions—

derived as it is directly from sermon poetry—speaks directly to the individual listener.”54 Just

like a sermon, the St Matthew Passion was meant to move and inspire its congregation.

Arguments have been made about other aspects of the Passion being used to reinforce Lutheran

tenets, such as the vocal scoring of the work.55 It would seem just as likely that Bach would use

harmonic means to get across his points as well.

As for the B section of “Wir setzen,” Bach uses several more devices to emphasize the

points already made. Starting at measure forty-nine, the soprano melody immediately outlines a

diminished chord while singing the words, “Rest, you exhausted limbs.” This shows just how

badly the believer is yearning for Christ to rest in them, in a very pietistic sort of manner.

Measure fifty-four sequences the same four measures up a fourth, making the plea sound even

more desperate. It is also worth mentioning that measure fifty-four to fifty-five are in b-flat

minor, which is fairly difficult to play in tune on Baroque instruments. The intonation problems

would add even more to the sound of the desperate, imploring cry of a believer for Christ’s

presence in their life.

In conclusion, throughout the St Matthew Passion, Bach uses many tools to add shades of

meaning to the text he uses. Bach’s use of tonal allegory is just one of the many ways he

espouses Lutheran theological principles through his music. In particular, however, examining

54Butt,106.55Ibid.,99‐107.

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“Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” is important, as it is the last piece of music in the St Matthew

Passion, and therefore Bach’s last words to us during the Good Friday service. No one will ever

truly know what Bach’s intentions behind his music are, but by trying to get into Bach’s head to

get an understanding of what his music may have meant to him, perhaps performers of this work

can better convey a hidden meaning behind the music that would otherwise be lost to the vestiges

of time. Overall, however, even if these theories about allegories behind the music seem far-

fetched, it is important to note that music is Bach’s only way of communicating to us. Why

would he not include these sorts of allegories if he could? After all, “…Bach and his librettists

went out of their way to show… that we are not predestined to be damned or saved, but that

contrition, faith in Christ’s love and the imitation of Christ are the way forward.”56

56Butt,104.

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CHAPTER FOUR A Historical Biography of

J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 Steven Hildebrand

Before we can analyze the complex dimensions of a work as substantial as

J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion BWV 244, it is necessary to gain a thorough

understanding of the piece’s background, history, and original context. We must be

certain that we recognize some universal understanding of how a piece came about

before we can analyze what it means. Therefore, I propose to provide an in depth

description of the origin and nature of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 in

order to preface further conceptualization and discussion of more specific aspects of

the work.

The most fundamental understanding we can gain about this work stems

from recognizing the definition of the genre, the passion. A passion is the story of

the Crucifixion as told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are

recited during Mass on various days throughout the Holy Week, with the Gospel of

Matthew being recited on Palm Sunday57. Recitations of the passion texts have been

set to pitches since as early as the 12th century; however, it wasn’t until the 15th

century that we see polyphonic settings of the text. Bach expanded on the basic

polyphony, “motet” style of composing for the Gospels. He incorporated elements

of the oratorio by introducing instrumental sections as well passages with text that

57Braun,Werner."Passion."GroveMusicOnlineOxfordMusicDictionary.

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was not taken from scripture, but rather, was written for the passion58.

Bach wrote five passions: the St. Matthew Passion, the St. John Passion, the

St. Mark Passion, the St. Luke Passion, and the Weimar Passion. The St. Matthew

Passion is perhaps the most well known because of its use of two choirs and two

orchestras. These large-scale concerted passions were performed during the

Vespers, the early afternoon services, on Good Friday in the two principal churches

in Leipzig, the Nikolaikirche and the Thomaskirche, alternating between churches

each year. A typical church service structure during Good Friday Vespers

proceeded as follows: 1) a singing of the Hymn Da Jesus an den Kreuze stund, 2) a

performance of the first part of a passion, 3) a giving of the Sermon, 4) a

performance of the second part of the passion, 5) a performance of the motet Ecce

quomodo moritur, written by Jacob Handl, 6) the Collection of the Offering, 7) the

Benediction, and finally 8) the Hymn Nun danket alle Gott59.

Referred to by composer Felix Mendelssohn as “the greatest of Christian

works”, the St. Matthew Passion is a setting of the Passion story from the Gospel of

St. Matthew and was first performed on Good Friday, April 11 1727 at the

Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Germany60. Historically the work was not thought to have

been performed until 1729; however, after uncovering various pieces of evidence, in

1975, many scholars accepted that the passion was indeed first performed in 1727.

Although the original manuscript score and parts are no longer extant, scholars have

58Conservapedia."St.MatthewPassion."AvailablefromBraun,Werner."Passion."GroveMusicOnlineOxfordMusicDictionary..Internet;accessed24March2010.59Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.360‐26160Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.430

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found copies and manuscripts from various later sources including the libretto by

Christian Friedrich Henrici (1729), the 1748 manuscript of the score by J.C Atkinol,

one of Bach’s pupils, and a incomplete copy of the score by J.F Agricola, another

pupil of Bach61. Besides these manuscripts and copies, there are numerous pieces of

evidence that suggest that the premiere date was in 1727.

Evidence suggests that Bach began preparing the St. Matthew Passion as

early as 1725. There is a connection between the fourth movement of Cantata 127

Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott, first performed in February of 1725, and

the chorus Sind Blitze, sind Donner from the passion. The cantata movement

melody echoes the melody of the passion chorus, suggesting that Bach composed

the chorus before the cantata movement62. More evidence comes from a libretto

composed by Picander (actual name) that was part of a collection of cantata librettos

entitled Sammlung Erbaulicher Gedancken über und auf die gewöhnlichen Sonn-

und Fest-Tage (1724-25). Christian Friedrich Henrici, who composed the libretto

for the St. Matthew Passion, wrote text for nos. 39, 49, and 68 as parodies of

movements from his libretto found in the 1724-1725 collection63. More evidence is

found on the verso of the viola part from the Sanctus BWV 232, prepared in 1726.

Written upside down in the bottom right corner of the manuscript is a sequence of

notes that is found in the first violin part of the aria Mache dich, meine Herze, rein

61Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.43162Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.43063Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.431

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from the passion64. Finally, the last piece of evidence confirms that the passion was

not first performed in 1729; movements of the St. Matthew Passion were parodied

for a memorial service for Prince Leopold of Cöthen in March of 1729. The funeral

cantata for this service, Klagt, Kinder, Klagt es aller Welt contains parodies from

nos. 3, 5, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, and 24 of the St, Matthew Passion.65 Although

these pieces of evidence seem small and fragmented, they have persuaded scholars

to universally accept that the passion was not first performed in 1729, but rather, in

1727.

As mentioned above, most of the libretto for the St. Matthew Passion was

composed by a German poet by the name of Christian Friedrich Henrici (1700-

1764). Henrici’s pseudonym was Picander, and he is most often referred to as such.

Picander studied poetry at the University of Leipzig and later wrote for many of

Bach’s cantatas and passions. The Passion is composed of Picander’s own text, text

that he borrowed from other German poets as well as segments of biblical

scripture66.

As mentioned above, part of what makes St. Matthew Passion so well known

is the use of doubled ensembles. The scoring calls for two SATB choirs

accompanied by two orchestras, each containing two flutes dolce, two transverse

flutes, two oboes, two oboes d’amore, two oboes da caccia, two violins, one viola,

one viola da gamba, and basso continuo. These two ensembles were placed opposite

64Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.43165Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.25566Conservapedia."St.MatthewPassion."AvailablefromBraun,Werner."Passion."GroveMusicOnlineOxfordMusicDictionary..Internet;accessed24March2010.

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one another to create an antiphonal effect. Bach also wrote sixteen vocal solo parts.

He assigned two sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass to one choir as soloists and then

another soprano, alto, tenor, and bass to the second choir as soloists. The remaining

seven soloists, soprano, tenor, and five basses, performed outside of either

ensemble67. Twelve of the soloists are named and outline the story of the Passion.

The characters are as follows: Erste Magd (First Servant Girl), soprano; Zweite

Magd (Second Servant Girl), soprano; Pilati Weib (Pilate’s Wife), soprano; Zeuge

(Female Witness), alto; Evangelist (Narrator), tenor; Zeuge (Male Witness), tenor;

Jesus, bass; Petrus (Peter), bass; Judas, bass; Pilatus (Pontius Pilate), bass; Pontifex

I, bass; and Ponitfex II, bass68.

The Passion is divided into two sections with a total of sixty-eight

movements, or numbers, including choruses, recitatives, and arias. Bach used many

hymn tunes to compose the choruses in the Passion, which allowed his audience to

be more familiar with the work and to more easily relate to it. For example, the

Passion begins with a chorale fantasia based on the hymn O Lamm Gottes

unschuldig, composed by Nicolaus Decius. No. 3 is a chorale setting of Herzliebster

Jesu by Johann Crüger; nos. 10 and 37 are settings of O Welt ich muss dich lassen

by Heinrich Isaak; no. 25 is a setting of Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh Allzeit, an

anonymously composed hymn based off a secular German song; no. 29 is a setting

of Es sind cloch selig alle by Matthias Greiter; no. 32 is a setting of In dich hab’ ich

gehoffet by Seth Calvisius; and finally, no. 40 is a setting of Werde munter, mein

67Green,Jonathan.AConductor'sGuidetotheChoral­OrchestralWorksofJ.S.Bach.Lanham:TheScarecrowPres,Inc.,2000.50268Green,Jonathan.AConductor'sGuidetotheChoral­OrchestralWorksofJ.S.Bach.Lanham:TheScarecrowPres,Inc.,2000.503

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Gemüthe by Johann Schop69. Bach also used the chorale melody O Haupt voll Blut

und Wunden, often referred to as the “Passion Chorale” composed by Hans Leo, five

times throughout the Passion (nos. 15, 17, 44, 54, and 62) as well in his Christmas

Oratorio and Cantatas 135, 159, and 16170.

The structure of the Passion follows a simple pattern that progresses the story

of the Passion as told by the Gospel. First, a biblical narrative is sung, primarily by

the Evangelist. The narrative tells of the Crucifixion and advances the Passion

story. The narrative is then followed by a comment. The comment, usually a

recitative, reflects on the narrative and relates it to the audience. Finally, the prayer

follows the comment. The prayer occurs in the form of an aria and is a

transformation of the comment. It turns the emotion and understanding of the

comment into an artistic and beautiful expression. This pattern repeats throughout

the Passion, interrupted by chorales. These chorales punctuate the narrative at

various junctures throughout the story. They give the audience time to reflect on the

story, and they often prepare for the next repetition of the pattern71. Examples of the

pattern include nos. 4, 5, and 6; nos. 11, 12, and 13; and nos. 21, 22, and 23- all

examples of a narrative, comment, and prayer72.

Furthermore, the Passion was also composed on a chiastic structure. The

term chiastic refers to the symmetry of the movement orders. Bach often wrote in a

69Green,Jonathan.AConductor'sGuidetotheChoral­OrchestralWorksofJ.S.Bach.Lanham:TheScarecrowPres,Inc.,2000.50370Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.36171Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.43272Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.432

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pattern such as chorus, recitative, aria, recitative, and chorus. This creates an “X”

shape when analyzing the order of the movements. The “X” refers to the Greek

letter “chi”. The letter “chi” is the shape of the Greek cross (an “X”), which is

similar to the shape of a Christian cross. The connection between the Cross and the

structure of the Passion holds great significance, as it reinforces the meaning of the

Crucifixion.

It is important to note that Bach made a few key revisions to the Passion in

1736. One of the most important of these additions included the addition of two

organs, placed in opposite balconies to accompany the ensemble. Bach also

replaced the chorale Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht, which ended the first part of the

Passion, with a more elaborate fantasia setting of O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde

gross. Interestingly, the latter was used as the opening movement of the second

version of the St. John Passion73. The earliest manuscript of the Passion dates from

1736 and includes all of these revisions. This manuscript also happens to be one of

the most beautifully perfected manuscripts from the Baroque era. Bach clearly held

this Passion in high regard above most of his other sacred works; for he was inspired

to copy the entire Passion in a blackish ink while using a bright red ink to compose

the chorale melody in the opening movement O Lamm Gottes unschuldig as well as

the text that was taken from the Gospel74. Bach would make later minor revisions to

the Passion in 1739 and 1745. The Passion was not heard out of Leipzig until 1829

73Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.43274Rifkin,Joshua."ThePassionAccordingtoStMatthewBWV244."BachCantatas.Availablefromhttp://www.bach‐cantatas.com/Articles/SMP%5BRifkin%5D.htm.Internet;accessed24Mar2010.

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when Felix Mendelssohn conducted a version in Berlin with many of his own

revisions.

It is obvious at this point that Bach held the St. Matthew Passion with high

regard and believed it conveyed an impassioned theological message. Serving as

cantor at the Thomaskirche, Bach was essentially the musical preacher for the city of

Leipzig. He was tested on his knowledge of the Gospels before attaining this

position, and therefore was extremely well versed in the story of the Passion75. Bach

composed the Passion not as an independent oratorio; rather, he composed the work

to be heard in a specific liturgical context (i.e. the Good Friday Vespers). The

Passion was meant to include congregational hymns, preaching, and prayer. This

facilitated a clearer and more direct telling of the story of the Passion according to

the Gospel of Matthew. Bach structured his Passion to convey the story of the

Crucifixion to his audience, while allowing them to relate to it and appreciate some

universal truth by which to live their lives.

A main theme to be understood from the St. Matthew Passion is one of

repentance. Unlike other passions the St. Matthew Passion ends with the

Crucifixion and not the Resurrection. This places the Crucifixion as the moment of

humanity’s redemption, and it encourages us all to seek repentance for whatever sins

we may have committed. The text of the opening chorale O Lamm Gottes

unschuldig is a paraphrase of the Agnus Dei that was to be sung at the end of the

75Marissen,Michael.Lutheranism,Anti­Judaism,andBach'sSt.JohnPassion.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1998.7

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morning Hauptg ottesdienst on Good Friday76. This serves as a reflection on God’s

sacrifice and man’s repentance. Another chorale, Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen

(no. 40) reflects on this theme; it is essentially a prayer for mercy. The idea of

repentance is shouted in more chorales such as the ending chorale of the first section

and the final chorale of the Passion, echoing the redemption from the Crucifixion.

All of the information stated above is a brief overview of some of the

important details that are necessary to acquaint oneself with in order to analyze the

work further in depth. It is important to note the liturgical context in which Bach

composed this Passion. This allows one to further appreciate why he composed

such a large-scale work and who it was intended for. It is only after this that one can

analyze how Bach achieved conveying specific messages and how it affected his

audience. With this foundation having been laid, it is now possible to explore the

deeper theological and conceptual implications of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

76Boyd,Malcolm.OxfordComposerCompanions:J.S.Bach.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1999.432

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CHAPTER FIVE Digging Deep into the Descent:

The Musical Potential of Descending Bass Lines Andrew Pham

According to Laurence Dreyfus, for Bach “the function of the continuo part was not only

a practical matter, but also the basis for composition.”77 Given this statement, Bach had likely

thought very carefully about the continuo writing in much of his music, particularly a large scale

piece such as the St. Matthew Passion, which employs the continuo virtually throughout the

entire work. Dreyfus also adds that “the function of the continuo part was more important than

the instruments that happened to play it.”78 He emphasizes the significance of continuo for

encompassing the harmony of a piece of music. For the purpose of this paper, the term continuo

refers to the instrumental realization of the harmony, but I venture to put aside the realization of

the figured bass to argue the importance of the single monophonic line that is the continuo’s bass

line.

The bass line provides opportunities for a composer to manipulate several aspects of the

music. Monteverdi, for example, in his “Lament of the Nymph,” exploits the descending

tetrachord figure in the bass to derive several other interesting melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic

implications for the rest of the ensemble. “By employing suspensions, syncopation, and phrase

overlapping, he creates affective dissonances of harmony, melody, rhythm, and texture. In

addition, he achieves structural dissonances by exploiting the ambiguity of phrase length, the

double function of the tonic note as the beginning or ending of a phrase, which is increased by

ostinato repetition of the pattern.”79 The bass line alone is a source for musical gestures that

77 Dreyfus, 2.78 Ibid.79 Rosand, 349.

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complement the meaning of the text. For instance, the descending minor tetrachord figure

conveys a sense of emotional heaviness and functions historically as a lament.80

Descending contours in the bass line also appear in the first eight measures of “Erbarme

Dich” and “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,” two emotionally contrasting arias from Bach’s St.

Matthew Passion. Whereas “Erbarme Dich” elicits a sorrowful and lamenting tone, “Mache dich,

mein Herze, rein” evokes a more hopeful and uplifting mood. Although the descending minor

tetrachord functioned historically as a lament, Bach demonstrates the versatility of a conjunct

descending bass contour. Bach achieves contrasting musical effects through careful construction

and interplay of the bass line with the rest of the ensemble, highlighting many effects on melody,

harmony, rhythm, and text painting according to how it might be perceived by modern listeners.

“Erbarme Dich,” an alto aria, occurs in the middle of the St. Matthew Passion and

follows the recitative in which Peter denies knowing Jesus for a third time. The text poetically

reflects Peter’s remorse as he weeps bitterly, asking for God’s mercy. The bass line effectively

depicts his sorrow, and the opening eight bars set up the listeners for what takes place in the bass

line for the majority of the aria. Example 1.1 excerpts its first three measures, which contains the

bass line’s primary material: a steady pulse of eighth notes descending stepwise. This figure

varies throughout the aria, sometimes occurring as an ascending contour and sometimes using

arpeggiated chords rather than three repeated notes, but the rhythm persists with a stream of

eighth notes, which carry a potentially hypnotic effect on the listener. This minimalistic use of

constant eighth note motion perhaps alludes to Peter’s dazed state as he comes to terms with his

guilty betrayal of Jesus.

80 Rosand, 346.

Example1.M.1­3.

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Example 1.1. J.S. Bach, “Erbarme Dich,” from St. Matthew Passion BWV 244, mm. 1-3.

The bass line achieves this effect not only with the steady beat of eighth notes but also

with patterns of alternating descending and ascending contours. The descending stepwise motion

spans a fifth in the opening and becomes emphasized by the three repetitions of each pitch. The

downward motion then inverts upwards in measure two, only to descend again in measure three.

This descending and ascending contour in the opening measures creates an entrancing circular

motion, creating the sense that the bass notes spin around the listener. This revolving sense also

emerges on a microcosmic scale with the descending and ascending notes of the broken e minor

triad on beat 3 in measure two.

The unchanging rhythm in the bass line counters the rhythms of the solo violin, which

freely explores faster notes that weave in between the eighth notes. This bass line creates a

rhythmic constraint against which the solo violinist plays, ultimately directing attention to the

grace notes in the melody. In the first measure, the violinist plays a B on virtually every beat.

Because of the descending contour in the bass, space between the melodic B and the bass line

gradually increases, and the grace notes convey a sense that the melodic line is losing a grip on

the bass line, which seems to slip away. This essentially oblique motion between outer voices in

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the first measure elicits the effect of something fleeting or dissipating while also emphasizing the

static nature of the violin part. This unique interplay also suggests contrasting characters of the

violin solo and the bass line. Though highly expressive and rhythmically free, the violin solo

remains fixed around the same pitch as if portraying an insistent pleading for forgiveness. The

perpetual descending eighth note motion, however, seems to insist on Peter’s inevitable guilt and

increasingly lowering spirits. The pickup into the first measure shared by the violin solo and bass

line emphasize the joint relationship of these two characters, demonstrating that the remorse and

guilt go hand in hand.

The bass also moves in contrary motion with the Violin I, Violin II, and Viola. The

contrary motion becomes especially effective because the longer notes in the inner string parts

contrast with the eighth notes moving underneath. As a result of this motion, the displacement

between the low note in the bass line and the high note in the Violin I part doubles from one

octave in the downbeat of measure 1 to two octaves on the downbeat of measure 2. Moreover,

the short decay and ringing timbre of the pizzicato notes in the bass line contrast the bowed long

notes in the strings, creating yet another striking contrast. These factors draw attention to the

slower, dragging motion of the inner strings, perhaps suggesting a heavy languidness that

accompanies Peter’s remorse.

The structure of the bass line in the first three measures also provides much harmonic

variety and ambiguity. Bach explores different harmonies such as a dramatic Neapolitan chord

on the downbeat of the third measure before returning to the tonic in the fourth measure. While

the harmony changes on virtually every dotted quarter note beat, the grace notes and faster

moving notes of the violin solo tug at the harmonies and create a harmonic instability within the

dotted quarter division. For example, the first beat of the violin line consists of many instances of

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C sharp that function as passing tones that clash against the tonic harmony. Then in the second

beat, the tonic harmony established by the sustained strings becomes further embellished by the

newly descended upon A4 in the bass line and the A sharp 5 neighbor tone. This harmonic

tension implies inconsolability and bitterness, which appropriately fits the mood of the singer

who weeps before God and begs for mercy. Moreover, the ambiguous tonicization in a long

harmonic progression creates an unsettling restlessness that distorts the listener’s harmonic

orientation, reinforcing the idea of Peter’s dazed state.

Erbarme dich, Have mercy, Mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen! My God, for the sake of my tears! Schaue hier, Look here, Herz und Auge weint vor dir My heart and eyes weep before you Bitterlich. Bitterly. 81

The bass line serves an important purpose in alluding to the poetic text. The descending

pizzicato notes seem to depict teardrops, and the plucked articulation suggests the sound of a

drop of water or tear splashing upon a surface. This image most clearly illustrates the tearful eyes

of the text, but the pizzicato notes also seem to liken to the vibrations of a beating heart,

suggesting a dual image created by the text’s description of a weeping heart. The ascending

contours in measure two suggest an increasing emotional intensity, as if graphically depicting a

raised awareness of the thumping heartbeat. On the downbeat of measure three, the ascent up to

E4 in the bass line conveys a feeling of an anguished heart lifted beneath one’s chest.

The bass lines in the alto aria “Erbarme Dich” and the bass aria “Mache dich, mein

81 Francis Browne, “Saint Matthew Passion BWV 244 – English Translation,” http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV244-Eng3.htm. Both translations come from this source.

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Herze, rein” share common features, but Bach manages to achieve a much more joyous and

hopeful effect in the latter aria. The aria takes place close to the end of the St. Matthew Passion,

after Joseph, one of Jesus’ disciples, requests Jesus’ dead body from Pilate. Example 1.2 contains

the first three bars of the aria, in which the bass line gradually descends. Like “Erbarme Dich,”

this aria employs a bass line that descends stepwise to the perfect fifth below the starting tonic

before changing directions, but the change of direction happens by the middle of the third

measure opposed to the downbeat of the second measure in the previous aria.

Interestingly, the bass lines of both arias share a 12/8 meter, but the implied tempo

difference sets the two apart. In his book, The Art of Strict Musical Composition, Johann Philipp

Kirnberger states that “One meter can be used for contrasting passions, depending upon the

tempo and other factors.”82 Even though the bass aria typically assumes a faster tempo than the

alto aria in most modern performances, the arrival on the low note takes at least a few seconds

more in the bass aria. Furthermore, the arrival on the low note takes place in a different part of

the harmonic progression, occurring immediately before a clear outlining of the dominant chord.

This clear harmonic direction contrasts the harmonic ambiguity that surrounds the arrival of the

low E3 in “Erbarme Dich.” Bach’s descending bass line in “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein” thus

achieves a more harmonically clear and fulfilling effect than the descending bass line in

“Erbarme Dich.”

82 Kirnberger, 776.

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Example 1.2. Bach, “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,” mm. 1-3.

“Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,” also implies the presence of at least two voices in the

bass line of the opening three measures. The first voice occurs in the register of B flat 3 and the

second voice occupies the register of B flat 4. Although both lines descend, the eighth note

pickups into the quarter note downbeats create a light, less anchored quality that suggests more

motion in the music. The rhythm and alternation of two voices lengthen each line, enabling Bach

to stretch the descent of the bass altogether. The octave difference between the voices also

creates an opportunity for the listener to experience a refreshing break from the descending

motion of either of the two lines. This contrasts with the unyielding eighth notes of the single

implied voice in the bass line in “Erbarme Dich,” which offers no respite from the continuous

eighth note motion of the bass. Furthermore, the arrival on measure 4 a few notes after the

lowest note brings about a dramatic arppeggiated ascent, which contrasts both the rhythmic

material preceding it and the gradual stepwise ascent of the alto aria’s bass line.

Another aspect that factors into the differences between the bass lines includes the major

tonality and the difference in the harmonic potential. Whereas “Erbarme Dich” explores various

harmonies before returning to the tonic established by the opening, “Mache dich, mein Herze,

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rein” assumes a more conservative harmonic progression. For the entire first measure, the bass

line holds a B flat pedal tone, maintaining the major tonic harmony for the full measure. As

mentioned earlier, the presence of two voices lengthens the descent, so as a result of the octave

displacement, the bass line assumes the same fundamental pitch longer in at least two instances

in the third and fourth dotted quarter beats of measure two and the first and second of measure

three. Ultimately, this allows the music to dwell on the same harmony longer, and much of the

harmony dwelt upon is reassuringly major rather than minor.

The synergy of the bass line and the other instruments in the ensemble consist of a more

unified approach compared to the interplay in “Erbarme Dich.” The bass line often shares similar

motion with the two top instruments. Many of the octave leaps prepare the listener for the

ascending motion in the third dotted quarter division of measure one in the oboe da caccia and

violin parts, which differs from the contrary motion that pervades much of the opening of

“Erbarme Dich.” between the bass line. The bass arpeggiations in measures 4 and 5 in Example

1.3 emphasize persistence in rising upwards even when the line descends in the Oboe da caccia I.

Measures 4 and 5 also emerge as the strongest examples of homophonic similar motion,

demonstrating a strong directional emphasis on upward movement, which contrasts the subtle

descent of the opening.

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Example 1.3. Bach, “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,” mm. 4-5.

As for the significance in text painting, the inclusion of at least two voices in the opening

bass line potentially suggests the presence of Jesus with an individual. When one voice descends,

the other descends with it, as if depicting one walking with Christ, demonstrating a reassurance

that Jesus is now with the speaker of the text as suggested by the text translation below:

Mache dich, mein Herze, rein, Make yourself pure, my heart Ich will Jesum selbst begraben, I want to bury Jesus himself within me, Denn er soll nunmehr in mir For he now within me Für und für Forever Seine süße Ruhe haben. Shall have his sweet rest. Welt, geh aus, lass Jesum ein! World, depart from my heart, let Jesus enter!

The arppeggiations in measures 4 and 5 suggest an optimistic lifting upwards to heaven,

perhaps foreshadowing Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. Also, in both the opening three

measures and the arpeggiated measures, the movement upward becomes accented by large

intervallic strides and leaps that overshadow much of the downward stepwise motion. This

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emphasis on ascent over descent creates a shifting focus from being grounded to the world to

lifting one’s perspective to heaven. The rhythm of the bass in the first three measures also carries

a general sense of stateliness that convey the image of Christ the king. Additionally, many of the

aforementioned features also imply a dance-like nature to this aria. The quick tempo, 12/8 meter,

slow harmonic movement, and homophonic textures suggest features of the Italian gigue, which

provides a fitting uplifting rhythm for a rather joyous text.83

Bach’s descending bass lines demonstrate abundant musical potential as shown by the

analyses of the openings of these two arias, yet further analyses can extend into several other

issues. For instance, the bass line of “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein” in measure 2 demonstrates

an unusual digression. The bass line establishes the expectation that the top voice will descend as

the bottom voice descends, but on the fourth beat, Bach deliberately violates this expectation,

allowing the lower voice to descend while the top voice repeats the same pitch. Did Bach

perceive these two voices as portraying different characters on a theologically symbolic level,

and if so, what does this pattern of descent suggest? Do the two voices suggest God’s

relationship with man? Also, this paper omitted discussion of the bass line’s interaction with the

vocal soloist in each aria. Further analysis of each aria may yield additional insight about the role

of the bass line.

83 Grove Music Online, “Gigue (i),” http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/11123 (accessed May 4, 2010).

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CHAPTER SIX J.S. Bach’s Use of National Styles in the St Matthew Passion

Ashley Porter

One of the most striking aspects of the compositional style of Johann Sebastian Bach was

his ability to move between various genres with ease while still maintaining a style very distinct

to him. Throughout his compositions, Bach employed numerous techniques and genres making

it difficult to classify his compositional style as being one particular manner. The St Matthew

Passion (BWV 244) is no different in this respect. This discussion will focus specifically on the

different national styles Bach utilizes in the St Matthew Passion and how their usage emphasizes

and furthers the meaning of the text.

The term “style” itself signals a wide variety of meanings. The term can refer to an

individual composer’s style or the style of an age, as well as genre or even form.84 For this

discussion, the term style will apply exclusively to that of the eighteenth-century in the various

countries.

The Italian style of the eighteenth-century is characterized by dramaticism, virtuosity,

forward moving harmonic motion, and sustained tension and release.85 In eighteenth-century

Italian music, you will often see long strings of fast notes and grand gestures often on variations

of scales and arpeggios. These gestures serve not only to show off virtuosity, but also to create

the element of drama in the music. This introduction of the idea of virtuosic playing is often

attributed to Antonio Vivaldi as he employed these techniques often, especially in his violin

84Laurence Dreyfus, Bach and the Patterns of Invention (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996), 189. 85 Susan McClary, “The blasphemy of talking politics during Bach Year,” in Music and society: the politics of composition, performance and reception, ed. Richard Leppert and Susan McClary (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987), 41.

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mq�

concertos. A good example of this can be found in the solo violin part in the first movement of

Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin in F Major (RV 293):

Italian music of the eighteenth-century places heavy emphasis on drama and is full of dramatic

moments. 86 The drama is created from the kinetic energy of the fast moving notes, as well as the

perpetual forward moving motion. The feeling of moving forward is created not only by the

direction of the notes, but also by the harmonic motion that seems to be leading the ear of the

86 Ibid.�

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m” �

listener forward towards resolution.87 Furthering the aspect of drama, eighteenth-century Italian

music also often utilizes strings of suspensions all in a row. A good example of the use of

suspensions in a row can be found in the second movement of Archangelo Corelli’s Concerto

No. 3 in C minor:

The suspensions created amongst the tied notes in the upper violin parts and the moving notes

draw the listener in, almost making them beg for the music to resolve at last. Generally

speaking, eighteenth-century Italian music places emphasis on drama and expression of emotion

through the energy of fast notes, harmonic and melodic forward motion, and sustained tension

and release.

The style of French music from the eighteenth-century is almost completely contrary to

” q� Ibid., 41.

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that of the Italian.88 Eighteenth-century French music is characterized by deliberate gestures and

rhythms, dance styles, quick releases of harmonic tension, and the heavy usage of ornaments,

also known as agréments. Much of the French music from this time was influenced by the court

music for Louis XIV and especially Jean-Baptiste Lully who composed for him and virtually

controlled the genre of French music from 1653 until his death in 1687.89 The element of court

music, especially the dances, can be heard and easily identified in French music from this time.

The deliberate strong beats that would have been dictating how the dancers would have moved

are one very clear way to distinguish eighteenth-century French music. The instance of a short

note directly preceding a long note on the beat is another characteristic that comes from the

French court dances. Eighteenth-century French music was also notorious for its use of

flourishes and agréments. Below is a good example of the style of French music from this time

from Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Ballet de l’Amour Malade (LWV 8):

88 Ibid, 42. 89OxfordMusicOnline,s.v.“Lully,Jean‐Baptiste.”

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French music from this time period also made use of quick harmonic tensions and releases

unlike the long strings of suspensions found in the Italian music of the day. Generally speaking,

the French music of the eighteenth-century, heavily influenced by Lully, sought to be the

contrast of the Italian90. The French method placed emphasis on dance styles, deliberate gestures

and rhythms, and the use of agréments.

German music of the eighteenth-century was heavily influenced by both the Italian and

the French styles. 91 The musicologists Arno Forchert and Bernd Sponheuer termed this,

“cosmopolitan-universalist”, meaning taking the best of the Italian and French styles and

creating a mixture. 92 Italian musical compositional styles and forms had infiltrated Germany,

while the German nobility modeled themselves after the French nobility and thus doing so

90 McClary, “The blasphemy of talking politics during Bach Year,” in Music and society, 41.91 Ibid, 42-43. 92 Celia Applegate, Bach in Berlin (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2005), 76.

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acquiring some of their ideas concerning the courtly dances in the French courts.93 Some key

specifically German characteristics include the use of chorale melodies as the basis for their

compositions and the use of counterpoint. The use of chorale melodies represented the ties to the

Lutheran church. By using the chorale melodies as the basis for many of their compositions, it

forced the German composers to choose whether to follow the ways of the pre-tonal conventions,

to use the more tonal conventions of the day, or to combine the two ways together.94 The usage

of counterpoint prevalent in German eighteenth-century music gives the music a fuller quality

than the unison lines found in Italian music, as well as giving the music a sense of direction. The

usage of counterpoint was also popular because it remained attractive to the intellectuals of the

German society.95 For the German composers at that time, it became commonplace to borrow

from both the Italian and French styles. In this manner, Bach was no different. Overall, the style

of German eighteenth-century music drew upon style conventions from both Italy and France,

however the German usage of Lutheran chorale tunes and counterpoint sets the German music

apart.

In looking at the St Matthew Passion, there are many instances where Bach is clearly

taking from the various national styles as well as instances in which Bach melds the national

styles together. Perhaps one of the clearest instances in which Bach uses the French style is in

the tenor aria,” Geduld, Geduld!”. The most striking French feature of the aria is the use of

dotted rhythms. The dotted rhythms are seen throughout the movement in the continuo part,

only departing for a short time every few measures. In the French court music of Lully, dotted

rhythms were used more as a vehicle to push the music forward. Here, it seems as though Bach

93 McClary, “The blasphemy of talking politics during Bach year,” Music and society, 42-43. 94 Ibid. 95 Ibid.

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has used them to portray a sense of labor as the dotted sixteenth notes move up and down by

steps and leaps, while the thirty-second notes remain on the same pitch for several repetitions

before they venture upwards. The dotted rhythms also sound even more laborious due to the

slow nature of the tempo used in most recordings and performances of the piece. There is a clear

direction as seen in the dotted sixteenth notes, however the use of the thirty-second notes

conveys a feeling of struggle as they often go back to the same pitch for several repetitions while

the dotted sixteenth notes move on:

When observing the text, the use of the dotted rhythms and the reaching nature of the dotted

sixteenth notes becomes clear. The solo tenor enters at measure five singing, “Geduld, Geduld!”,

meaning, “Patience, Patience!”.96 Bach seems to be delivering the message of patience through

the music as well as the text here. The French style here is effective because especially at this

slow tempo, the dotted sixteenth notes and the toil of the thirty-second notes that are always

reaching and are patiently waiting to reach a destination are really brought out. The combination

( B� Bach Cantatas Website, “St Matthew Passion BWV 244-English Translation,” http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV244-Eng3.htm.

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of the tenor voice singing, “Patience, Patience!” 97 and the rhythms patiently trying to reach a

goal that they can never quite make it to, gives further meaning to the whole text of the aria than

if just observing the music or the text separately.

The influence of the Italian style on Bach may have begun due to his exposure to the

Italian opera of the day and the innovations of Italian composers especially Antonio Vivaldi98. A

clear example of Bach’s use of the Italian style occurs in the soprano aria, “Blute nur, du liebes

Herz”. There are several eighteenth-century Italian influences in this movement. The form of

this aria comes from Italian operatic convention as it is a da capo aria. By the beginning of the

eighteenth-century in Italy, the da capo aria (ABA) was the dominant form for arias99. The

accompaniment usually consists of continuo and just a few instruments as is seen here in “Blute

nur” as the solo soprano is only accompanied by two flutes, two violins, and viola. Da capo

arias also had the voice in octaves or unisons with one or more of the instrumental parts. While

there is no instance of the voice being in octaves or unisons with any of the instrumental parts in

this movement, there are several instances where the voice is in thirds with an instrumental part.

For example, this can be seen in measure thirteen through twenty one where the flute is in thirds

with the solo soprano:

97 Bach Cantatas Website, “St Matthew Passion BWV 244-English Translation”. 98 Robert L. Marshall, The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach (New York: Schirmer Books, 1989), 7. 99 Oxford Music Online. Jack Westrup et al., s.v. ”Aria.”

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The most obvious Italian characteristic that Bach uses here is the use of tension and release

through suspensions in succession and delayed resolutions. The first example of suspensions in

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succession occurs in measure five of the aria. Here, flutes one and two as well as violins one and

two create suspended tension with the continuo line. The entire measure consists of suspensions

between the voices and is not resolved until the downbeat of measure six:

Another example of Italian tension and release occurs from measure seventeen to measure

nineteen:

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Here, flute one and the soprano hold an E through measure seventeen while the other voices take

the entire measure to finally resolve on beat one of measure eighteen. Then, the roles are slightly

reversed and the violins and viola sustain while the flute and soprano move through the measure

to finally resolve on beat one of measure nineteen. The rest of the movement is filled with

scenarios such as these as well as many other instances where strings of short dissonances in a

row create long term tension and release moments, such as in measures thirty-three through

thirty-five in the soprano line. These suspensions serve to create a dramatic atmosphere in the

movement. When observing the text, it seems as though Bach very carefully chose to use the

Italian style as opposed to French or German. Immediately preceding this aria, Judas had just

accepted thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. The soprano voice sings, “Bleed now, loving

heart!/Ah! A child, whom you reared,/That sucked at your breast,/Is threatening to murder its

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guardian/For that child has become a serpent.”100 By using the sustained tensions and releases,

Bach is able to convey the text’s message of turmoil and struggle through the music. The use of

the suspensions adds a drama to the aria that neither the French or German styles would have

been able to achieve in the same manner.

Bach utilizes his own native German style often throughout the work. As the St Matthew

Passion was written to be performed in a Lutheran service, it makes perfect sense that Bach uses

Lutheran chorales often throughout the work, all in all thirteen chorales throughout the one

hundred movements of the work. These chorales would have been pieces that the congregation

would have been familiar with. All of the twenty-two choruses Bach uses employ extensive

counterpoint a key stylistic element of the German style. Two chorus movements to note are

“Lass ihn kreuzigen” at its first appearance as movement sixty-one, and then movement sixty-

seven when “Lass ihn kreuzigen” appears a second time slightly altered. These choruses have

both of the orchestras playing with each voice only being doubled by its mirror voice in the

opposite orchestra. The spinning counterpoint that is created by the quick tempo and the ten

voice counterpoint creates a state of chaos to the ear of the listener. The text of the movements is

simply, “Lass ihn kreuzigen!” meaning, “Let him be crucified!”.101 These choruses occur at the

part of the story where Jesus is awaiting his judgment. The Governor has the choice to release

either Jesus or another prisoner, Barabbas. When the Governor asks the crowd who he should

release, they all answer together,”Barabbas!”. When the Governor then asks the crowd what

should be done with Jesus, they all answer together that he should be crucified. Looking back at

how the music relates to the text, the spinning counterpoint makes perfect sense to represent the

frenzied crowd. The use of the Italian style to create drama or even the dotted rhythms of the

100 Bach Cantatas Website, “St Matthew Passion BWV 244-English Translation. 101 Ibid.

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French style would not have been able to convey the same meaning as the German counterpoint.

Finally, Bach was also a master of combining national styles. A good example of his

fusing of national styles occurs in the alto aria, “Erbarme dich, mein Gott.” This aria contains

both French and Italian characteristics. The constant eight notes in the continuo line give the

movement a dance feel, as well as a feeling of always moving forward, characteristics of the

French court music of the time. The solo violin begins with a melody filled with ornamentation

and dissonances that give it a sorrowful tone, characteristic to both the Italian and French

conventions of the time:

The Italian influence in this movement comes in the form of the drama that is created from the

long suspensions. The first example of this occurs in measure one beginning on beat four and

finishing on the downbeat of measure two:

The solo violin sustains a B while violin one, violin two, and viola all move to D sharp, A, and G

respectfully, finally resolving on the downbeat of measure two. Many of the other examples of

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long suspensions in this movement are created in this manner where one voice sustains and the

others slowly move to resolution. The combination of the French and Italian styles further the

meaning of the text. The text of this aria reads,”Have mercy,/My God, for the sake of my

tears!/Look here,/My heart and eyes weep before you/Bitterly.”102 The suspensions heighten the

drama of the movement, while the sorrowful succession of ornamental notes in the solo violin

resemble weeping, and more specifically, tears being shed.

After thorough examination of the St Matthew Passion, it becomes quite clear that Bach

deliberately used different national styles to further convey the meaning of the text. The three

national styles that can be identified throughout the work, French, Italian, and German, all have

unique characteristics that lend to being able to convey certain moods. Bach was a master at

being able to swiftly move between these three national styles as well as being able to combine

them all together. While Bach was clever throughout the work in his use of the various national

styles, it cannot be forgotten that the usage of the various national methods of composition was

not unique to Bach. In fact, it was a common German compositional technique to imitate the

French and Italian styles of music. As Bach was a devout Lutheran, it could also be said that he

was adding his own commentary on the story of Christ’s crucifixion through the usage of text

painting and switching between Italian and French modes of composition. Bach’s clever use of

different styles at specific points of the text serves to further its meaning in a manner that could

not have been accomplished otherwise. The sheer musical genius Bach displays in this work

has allowed for it to make a lasting impact and continue being one of the greatest works ever

composed even today.

102 Ibid.

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CHAPTER SEVEN Violone and Double Bass in the St. Matthew Passion

Evan Sarver

It is known that in vocal-instrumental works of the Baroque period, whether on a

massive scale such as the St. Matthew passion, first performed on Good Friday, or just a single

cantata from a year long cycle, the basso continuo was the body of instruments that acted as the

core of the rest of the ensemble. Falling in with the ripieno for boisterous choruses, or standing

alone in the accompaniment of an aria, the continuo group was a defining characteristic of

Baroque performance. However for such an indispensable piece of the Baroque sound, the

makeup of the basso continuo group was hardly ever concrete. Basso continuo groups by the

1720’s typically always had cello and a keyboard instrument, be it harpsichord or organ,

however, often times the continuo group included a bass instrument which could be a variety of

instruments including viola da gamba, bassoon or violone. The violone is a bass string

instrument whose time of prominence precedes that of the modern double bass. For modern

performances of works like the St. Matthew Passion, a double bass would be used in place of the

violone. So for us modern day double bass players who want to play Baroque period music, we

must start by looking back to see how extensively the violone was implemented in the musical

forces. This paper will concentrate on the use of the violone as a commonplace participant in

Bach’s continuo group for the St. Matthew Passion.

For ensembles today that are up for the challenge of performing the St. Matthew

Passion and other works with intact violone parts from the Baroque era such as cantatas 71 and

208, and each of the six Brandenburg concertos, staffing the continuo group presents a unique

challenge. Most of Bach’s scores, particularly from the Leipzig phase do not give a specific

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instrumentation for the continuo. It just reads “continuo”. Even if it was discovered exactly

what instruments Bach would have used, without exorbitant funding, a typical small orchestra

will have to make do with substituting the authentic baroque instruments with modern

instruments that evolved from or are closely related to Bach’s instruments.

The modern string bass, or double bass, or contrabasse, or bass violin, or upright bass

makes a perfectly suitable alternative to the Baroque violone. The violone and the string bass

share many similarities. The two instruments play identical roles in the orchestra and both

transpose their part an octave down. Research on one of Anna Magdalena’s scores of Cantata 62

shows the Violone part written a perfect octave above the cello.103 The only sensible explanation

for this is that the two lines are intended to be in unison but violones are transposing. Although

the size of the violone was not consistent, the larger violones, usually tuned in D were of very

similar size and shape to the modern double bass. A bass and violone look similar because the

double bass is a descendent of the viol family as opposed to the violin family. Violones usually

had six strings, whereas a bass has four, but the bulk of the playing was done on the top five.

One of the characteristics that the modern double bass dropped is the use of frets. Violones and

other viol family instruments make use of strings of gut tied around the neck to serve as frets.

The strings themselves represent a major difference between a modern double bass and a

Baroque violone.104 My own bass, an instrument built in the 1940’s by John Juzek, is outfitted

with typical modern strings and they are flatwound steel strings with stranded steel cores. The

addition of steel wrapped strings to the double bass gives it much more response when striving

for well articulated low bass notes. Metal wrapped strings were introduced in the 1660’s but the

103 Laurence Dreyfus. Bach’s Continuo Group: Players and Practices in His Vocal Works. (Cambridge,Massachusetts:HarvardUniversityPress,1987).162‐164104 Richard Partridge, “The Brandenburg Bassist,” Double Bassist issue 41 (2007): 48

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core was gut. Even with the introduction of metal wrapped gut strings, many players still used

all gut strings in Bach’s time. When gut strings break, tying another piece of gut to the broken

string can repair them. If they become unusable as strings then they can be tied around the neck

and used as frets.105

Violone and string bass lie in the middle of the spectrum of bass continuo

instruments.106 On one end is the Viola da Gamba whose mystical appearances are somewhat

symbolic. By the time Bach moved to Leipzig in the early 1720’s, the viola da gamba was

already considered an instrument of the past and a mere instance of its participation in a group

was noteworthy. For example, in the bass aria Komm, süßes Kreuz, the viola da gamba is given a

solo role that rivals the singer’s part in terms of importance. The light, dotted figures in the

gamba part make use of French note inégale which symbolizes royalty due to its resemblance to

a French overture. However, the viola da gamba was not as well suited to play continuo bass

lines compared to the other low string instruments of Leipzig, such as violoncello and violone.

The underhand bow technique used to play the viola da gamba is not advantageous when

attempting to articulate robust bass notes in the bottom of the gambas range. Traditionally, parts

for the viola da gamba have made use of the instruments wispy alto and tenor registers.107

On the other end is the cello, a work horse of the continuo. It doubles every sustained

fundamental of the keyboard in support of the singer. By the 1720’s the violoncello had become

a constant in Baroque continuo groups.108 In the middle are the double bass instruments whose

deep sonorities highlight the colors of a given passage and direct the impact of a performance.

105Partridge,48.106 Dreyfus,176. 107Dreyfus,166‐167.108 Karl Hochreither. Performance Practice of the Instrumental-Vocal Works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. 2002. 11

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The performer must choose how to conceptualize the atmosphere of a piece of music by letting a

contrabasse string instrument anchor the ensemble.

In Bach’s time, the word violoncello always translated to what we think of as a

Baroque period cello. However, the word violone did not refer to a standardized instrument.

Some were slightly bigger than a cello and tuned just like a cello but a whole step down, others

were twice as big as a cello and could play an octave lower than the cello’s low C.109 In Johann

Mattheson’s publication Das neu-eröffnete Orchestre of 1713, he describes contrasting roles of

violoncello and violone.

The excellent violoncello is a small Bass-Fiddle…with five or also six strings upon which one can play all types of fast pieces, variations, ornaments more easily than on the large instruments…The rumbling Violone, Basse de violone in French, large Bass fiddle in German, is fully twice as large or often larger that the aforementioned. Consequently the thickness and length of its strings are proportionally greater. It sounds in the 16-foot register and is an important and cohesive fundament to polyphonic pieces such as choruses and the like and is also very necessary for arias and recitatives in the theater because its heavy sound projects and is heard farther than the harpsichord and other bass instruments.110

There were also contrabass instruments more similar to the modern double bass being played in

Italy around this time for dramatic operatic productions. However, the violone was more

prevalent in Germany. The violone that Bach made use of in Leipzig was one of the larger

violones that the church of Leipzig owned. It was considered a 16 foot instrument along with the

Italian contrabasses.111

The first known instances of Bach using violone were in cantatas from Muhlhausen from

around 1707. The instrument used in Cantata 71 was probably a smaller violone tuned in G.

109Dreyfus,136.110Dreyfus,139.111Dreyfus,158.Thedesignation“16ft”referstotheregisterinwhichtheinstrumentsounds.Itcorrespondstothelengthofthepipeonanorgan.Thelongest,lowestsoundingpipeonanorganis16feetwhichisinthecontrabasserange,thereforea16footstringinstrumentsoundsinthesamerange.

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The score for Cantata 208 contains two bass staves. One is labeled Violons e Bassons and there

is Cont. e Violono grosso. The importance is in the labeling because the fact that he

differentiates between violons and violono grosso means there are two different bass string

instruments. In this case violons indicates cellos and violono grosso can translate to a larger

instrument, probably a violone. The part for the larger instrument contains a low C, two octaves

below middle C. This evidence points strongly in favor of a large violone.112

The most noteworthy surviving violone parts left from Bach’s time at Cöthen of the

Brandenburg concertos. There are specific violone parts in each of the six concertos. What is

particularly interesting is that the range in which Bach writes the part varies slightly in each

piece. This suggests that different sized violones were used. Subsequently, because the

ensemble was likely to change slightly over time, this supports the idea that the time in which

Bach wrote the Brandenburg concertos spanned the eight years that he resided in Cöthen and not

all at once.113

In Leipzig, Bach usually specified for one violone in his ensemble. However, it

was probably seldom that he had the luxury of employing a violone player. His church was

reluctant to give him enough funding to support an ensemble with a violone player. There are

even documents in which he lists both the violone and violoncello slots vacant.114 Cantatas 78

and 137 have parts written out specifically for violone however they are written on the back of a

horn part and a third trumpet part. The horn player and third trumpet player were actually the

same person which means this person slid over to the continuo to play violone for a couple

movements and then went back to the brass section. This was common practice at Leipzig

112Dreyfus,153.113Dreyfus,142.114Dreyfus,156.

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because the horn players had to audition on all of the brass instruments and also violone.115 It is

impossible to imagine that the caliber of instrument specialists was very high in his ensemble,

judging by the amount of doubling that was being done in relation to the amount of pay. Many

of Bach’s works were performed without violone even if he had requested it. However, for large

scale work such as the St. Matthew Passion a sixteen foot violone was absolutely necessary.

The score to Cantata 195 contains a specific violone part for every movement. It is clear that

Bach saw the need for the violone in his continuo. It was more of just a question of finding a

body that was free to play the instrument.116

There are numerous movements in the St. Matthew Passion in which a 16 foot

bass string instrument can be heard on recordings. The recording I am referencing is by John

Eliot Gardiner with The English Baroque Soloists orchestra and The Monteverdi Choir. The

English Baroque Soloists is a Baroque period ensemble that performs on period instruments.

The liner notes list the instruments used but the violone part is listed as double bass. This refers

to a Baroque period double bass and not a violone.

The three movements that I shall focus on are the opening chorus, Kommt, ihr

Töchter, helft mir klagen, a soprano aria Blute nur, du liebes Herz, and one of the Evangelist’s

recitatives, Und siehe da, der Vorhang. In the Chorus, the bass pedals on a low E in the second

115Dreyfus,157.116Dreyfus,165.“Mostlikely,theLeipzigviolonewasawelcomememberofthecontinuogrouptotheextentthatBachcouldfindsomeonetoplayit.”Thesentimentissimilartoday.WhenIshowuptoachurchgigtoplayHandel’sMessiah,thechurchchoirmembersareoftenintriguedbytheforeignsoundingdoublebassandwhatitaddstotheirensemble.ThisparallelsDreyfus’sdescriptionofBach’scircumstancesbecauseeventoday,thedoublebassisnotaweeklyparticipantandchurchinstrumental‐vocalgroupsbecauseeitheritisnotmusicallyappropriateormoreoftenthereisnotabassistreadilyavailableie.notonethatisamemberofthecongregation.Sowhenchurcheshireoneoutforamajoreventintheliturgicalyear,suchasEasterorChristmas,the“local”churchmusiciansaredelightedtohavetheextrasupportgivenbythedoublebass.

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octave below middle C, the tonic of the minor key in a note inégale style for the first five twelve-

eight measures. This is a build of tension until it is released in an ascent of eighth notes up the

scale.

The low register in which this part is played allows it to add much weight and gravity to the line.

When the voices come in, the note inégale rhythm is continued but the bass line has more

harmonic motion and the ascending line of eighth notes in groups of three recurs throughout the

movement. This is one of the few movements in the passion that the violone part is heard all the

way through.117

The violone makes its presence known once again in the soprano aria Blute nur,

du liebes Herz. Although according to Mattheson, the violone is “very necessary for arias and

recitatives in the theater,”118 the St. Matthew Passion has many aspects of opera even though it is

a sacred work. The violone adds to this operatic aesthetic greatly during this movement. During

the first verse, the violone is playing almost inaudibly under the singer but the ensemble sound

smolders due to the depth given by the violone. For the second verse the violone lays out

completely but during the instrumental interludes it returns and releases a deluge down to a low

D below the bass clef staff just before the singer enters again.119

The Evangelist recitative, Und siehe da, der Vorhang is toward the end of the work

117 Dover Miniature Scores. Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 in Full Score. From Bach-Gesellschaft Edition, ed. Julius Rietz. Mineola, New York: Dover 1999. 1-3. RR” � � 7� a� 18c� Rp( l�RR( � � . 0� 7c� pt epql�

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and opens with a very intense and difficult passage for the instrumentalists. The continuo group

has thirty-second note runs followed by measured tremolos at the same speed. The bass strings

have this too and while for the most part, their notes are very distinguishable, there is one

particularly tricky run that skips from a low G to a C more than an octave higher and then

descends all the way back down to the lowest C, an octave below the cello’s range, in just two

beats of the 4/4

measure.120

It sounds like the lowest string players could not quite get their left hands moving that fast.

However, immediately following that the tremolos are perfectly locked in time. Keeping in mind

the limited talent available to Bach at Leipzig, whoever, if anyone, was playing violone on this

movement most likely did not play at the same level as the bass players on the Gardiner R: y � � . 0� 7c� : t ( l�

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recording. There are documents that state that violone players would drop out in lieu of

sounding ragged on hard parts or would just play the first note in each grouping during a fast

passage. Johann Quantz treatise on the violoncello touches upon this issue.

If florid passages should occur in the bass so fast that the violone player would be unable to play them distinctly, he might play of each figure (whether sixteenth- or thirty-second notes) the first, third, or last note. But he must always seek to be guided by the principle notes, which constitute the bass melody……Except in florid passages like these (which some find too fast to play comfortably), the violonist must play everything. If he were to play only the first eighth-note of a four-note group and skip three (as some occasionally do-especially when accompanying a piece they did not compose), then I do not know how he could escape the charge of laziness or malice.121

This was probably a fairly common occurrence in Leipzig seeing as most of the violonist was

actually a brass player of some sort. In the time period of the St. Matthew Passion no one only

played bass, or violone for that matter. It was just another instrument that multi-instrumentalists

took up to add to their skills.122

It is clear that Bach enjoyed making use of the violone whether he wrote explicitly for

it or not. The fact is he was denied the choice of the violone more often than not by illness or

lack of enough funds to permit hiring a violonist. One of the choices we must make as modern

performers is whether or not to make use of an ample string bass section if Bach called for it but

was not actually able to implement it. The solution lies in the sound of the ensemble. Evidence

from scores and treatises do not have to be treated as absolute truths.

121 Hochreither, 12 122Partridge,49

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CHAPTER EIGHT Hearing the St. Matthew Passion

Rebecca Springer

Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion will never be heard again as it was

originally intended, composed, and performed. Many scholars consider this straightforward

statement in a negative light, condemning the modern performances. Helmuth Rilling once said,

“…it was all very well that we have original instruments and original performance practices, but

unfortunate that we have no original listeners.”123 On the other hand, many scholars regard this

statement in a positive light, suggesting that we disregard worrying about the original

performance altogether and, instead, mold the music to serve our present ears. Susan McClary,

for example, proposes the “age-old strategy of rewriting the tradition in such a way as to

appropriate Bach to our own…ends.”124 The purpose of this paper, however, is not to side with

either viewpoint. The intention is to analyze Bach’s original purpose for his Passion, consider

how it was received by his original audience, specifically in regards to its religious context, and

compare it to the 21st-century performance intent and audience reception.

Looking back to the 1720s when Bach composed this work, we can first observe Bach’s

specific purpose for composing this passion. At this time, J.S. Bach was employed as church

cantor at St. Thomas church in Leipzig, Germany. In this position, Bach was responsible for

producing music for two large churches, St. Thomas and St. Nicholas, and completing minor

duties at three other churches. The required composed music included a cantata every Sunday,

123DanielR.Melamed,“Bach’sSt.JohnPassion:CanWeReallyStillHeartheWork—andWhichOne?”inTheWorldofBaroqueMusic,editedbyGeorgeB.Stauffer(Bloomington,IN:IndianaUniversityPress,2006),233.124SusanMcClary,“TheblasphemyoftalkingpoliticsduringBachYear,”inMusicandSociety,editedbyLeppertandMcClary(1987),61.

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special music programs at Christmas and Easter, Passion music on Good Friday, funeral motets

when needed, and music for special ceremonies.125 In 1727, Bach chose to compose his requisite

passion from the Gospel of Matthew.

Beyond a required undertaking, Bach's character and purpose for composing this passion

was, most importantly, his intention for his personal worship of God. As evidenced in most of

his works, the letters “SDG,” representing “Soli Deo Gloria” (To God alone the glory) are

written at the end of each piece, signifying that the utmost reason for his composition was to

bring God glory. As Stiller states: “There could be no clearer documentation to show that for

Johann Sebastian Bach his entire creativity and activity…was in fact worship in the widest sense

of the word.”126 This aspect of glorifying God through worship was instilled in Bach through

adolescence as he received strict Lutheran orthodox education consisting of the close connection

of liturgical training and worship- the center of Christian life.127 One may conclude that Bach

directed every text and musical idea to the glory of God.

Through observation of the text in the St. Matthew Passion, it becomes evident that a

strong emphasis of his composition is on the proclamation of Jesus Christ to his congregation.

Through direct quotations from the book of Matthew and poetic interpretations of Scripture

passages, Bach gives a vivid and exalting view of Jesus, bringing his audience into a reverential

state of worship.

“These texts do not want to be inspected and judged in the first place, but they want to be

heard together with the music and be taken seriously in their proclamation… ‘the person of

125RussellH.Miles,JohannSebastianBachAnIntroductiontoHisLifeandWorks(EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:Prentice‐Hall,Inc,1962),page88.126GuntherStiller,JohannSebastianBachandLiturgicalLifeinLeipzig(St.Louis,MO:ConcordiaPublishingHouse,1984),page211.127Ibid,211.

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Christ… realistically comes to the fore, as if one saw the Savior Himself and spoke with Him,’ is

basically true for all of Bach’s… texts that are engaged in the service of liturgical

proclamation.”128

Bach aims to captivate the listener through solid Biblical text and dramatic musical

images of Christ’s crucifixion.

Bach also composed the St. Matthew Passion for the purpose of teaching Bible. As the

music director in Leipzig, Bach was given the tremendous responsibility of teaching basic

theology through music, specifically teaching Luther’s Small Catechism (the biblical doctrine as

interpreted by Martin Luther).129 Bach’s usage of theological development within his music is

comparable to the form of preaching. Being a devout Christian, Bach seemed to have enjoyed

this responsibility of teaching Bible through his music. As demonstrated by his second copy of

the St. Matthew Passion, written ten years later, after the first was damaged, Bach’s main interest

seems to rest in the accuracy of the presentation of Scripture, as all biblical passages were neatly

and boldly underlined in red ink.130 Bach therefore views the textual passages directly produced

from the Bible as the most important, and he intentionally uses the neatly labeled score as a

demonstration of his compositional intent for his successors. W. Herbst states:

“Above all, he attached the greatest importance to making the music’s text also proclaim

the Gospel as purely as possible. He would rather opt for an imperfect form, an infelicitous

rhyme, or an uneven rhythm but retain instead the spiritual content that he wished for in the text

128GuntherStiller,JohannSebastianBachandLiturgicalLifeinLeipzig(St.Louis,MO:ConcordiaPublishingHouse,1984),page214.129RobinA.Leaver,“Thematurevocalworksandtheirtheologicalandliturgicalcontext,”inTheCambridgeCompaniontoBach,editedbyJohnButt(NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,1997),121.130GuntherStiller,JohannSebastianBachandLiturgicalLifeinLeipzig(St.Louis,MO:ConcordiaPublishingHouse,1984),page216.

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and that was not watered down by rhetorical superfluity… Measured by the standard of the

aesthetics of the Enlightenment, his corrections can frequently only be rejected, but for him the

theological proclamation outweighs the aesthetic element.” 131

The ultimate intention for the Passion was to vividly proclaim Jesus Christ to his

audience by accurately portraying the gospel through the text. To emphasize the importance of

Good Friday, Bach generated specific musical elements to create tension and to portray the

agony of Jesus in preparation for the final and glorious resolution in an Easter Sunday cantata a

few days later.132

Based on the purpose and goal of Bach’s composition, the personal context of his

composition is evident, and one can next observe the reaction and interpretation of Bach’s

original audience. As Melamed comments, there are many factors of performance practice that

may be considered, but Bach’s listeners are the most important component of the piece. The

most determinant factor of the purpose of the piece is the music’s liturgical context and

significance, and the experience, knowledge, assumptions, and conventions that the listeners

brought to a performance.133

Eighteenth- century Leipzig was a predominantly Lutheran town, consisting of less than

one percent practicing Catholics, Calvinists, and Jews. Records show that by the 1710s, about

9,000 of the 30,000 Leipzig citizens attended church regularly on Sunday mornings. References

131GuntherStiller,JohannSebastianBachandLiturgicalLifeinLeipzig(St.Louis,MO:ConcordiaPublishingHouse,1984),page213.132ChristophWolff,JohannSebastianBachTheLearnedMusician(NewYork:W.W.Norton&Company,2000),page302.133DanielR.Melamed,“Bach’sSt.JohnPassion:CanWeReallyStillHeartheWork—andWhichOne?”inTheWorldofBaroqueMusic,editedbyGeorgeB.Stauffer(Bloomington,IN:IndianaUniversityPress,2006),237.

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demonstrate that the churches were often full and a demand for pews continually existed.134 Of

course, not all congregants were devout Christians as many attended church for social or family

reasons. However, even though the congregants segregated by social class and profession, they

were all able to gain the full experience of the service each week and participate through worship

music.135 A customary church service consisted of hymns, prayers, cantatas, scripture reading,

and a sermon. Records show that the church-goers of Leipzig became familiar with the order of

services and chants, as a guide for visitors was available each Sunday.136 Because a Passion

presentation was performed annually, this became a familiar event to the vast majority of those

in attendance. Based on the familiarity of the service, we can assume that most of the church

attendees had a basic knowledge of the Bible, a belief in Jesus, were accustomed to hearing the

gospel, and were anticipating the conviction and emotions associated with the Passion.

In regards to Bach’s aspiration to invoke worship through this passion, the listener was

“invited to identify himself with the sufferings of Jesus, to share His anguish and pain, to feel the

impact of human cruelty, and to realize anew that it was for him that Jesus died upon the

cross.”137 Bach uses the musical elements in support of the text to “draw the hearer into the story

but also to make a broad theological point, namely, the central importance of the individual’s

personal relationship to the Passion story in Lutheran theology.”138 Thus, Bach achieved his

purpose in his audience by drawing them into emotional responses, personal reflections, and

134TanyaKevorkian,Baroquepiety:religion,society,andmusicinLeipzig,(Burlington,VT:AshgatePublishing,Ltd.,2007),30.135Ibid.,2.136Ibid.,31.137RussellH.Miles,JohannSebastianBachAnIntroductiontoHisLifeandWorks(EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:Prentice‐Hall,Inc,1962),page106.138DanielR.Melamed,“Bach’sSt.JohnPassion:CanWeReallyStillHeartheWork—andWhichOne?”inTheWorldofBaroqueMusic,editedbyGeorgeB.Stauffer(Bloomington,IN:IndianaUniversityPress,2006),240.

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ultimately closer communion with God.

An aspect in support of Bach's achieved purpose could be found in the context of the

Lutheran church calendar. The Lutheran church observed a "closed period" throughout Lent

during which the churches played no music from the beginning of Lent until Easter Sunday, with

the exception of a Marian feast and the Good Friday service.139 Consequently, the 18th-century

listeners entered a church service after a long musical “drought,” which could arguably have

increased the strong emotional response among them as the first music they heard was a vivid

description of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Another interesting feature of the original composition of the passion is Bach’s

intentional division of the piece into two separate parts with the intent that a sermon could be

placed between the two.140 The sermon most likely remained on the topic of the story of Jesus

and his death. Therefore, church-goers received reinforced teaching throughout the entire

service through the various cantatas, the passion, and the sermon, further leading to their worship

of God and learning of Scripture. From these factors, a conclusion may be made that Bach’s

audience was somewhat accustomed to the church service and music of this time, and so began

listening to the passion with a preconceived expectation of being led into further personal

reflection.

In contrast, the audience of 2010 brings drastically different expectations, assumptions,

knowledge, conventions, and experience to the performances of the St. Matthew Passion.

Continuing with observations noted by Daniel R. Melamed, several comparisons exist. First,

many specific aspects of performing forces cause the music of today to be performed and heard

differently from the original. Some of these forces include: size of the chorus(es), difference in

139Ibid.,238.140Ibid.

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the gender and age of the performers, vocal training and production, frequency and productivity

of rehearsals, instrumentation, instrument types, instrumental techniques, pitch standards,

number of written parts, and type of performance venue including acoustics, set-up, and focus of

the audience.141 However, after considering all of these elements, the main and most obvious

difference of the 21st-century listener is the lack of familiarity with Leipzig church services.

Twenty-first-century listeners are not exposed to the Passion in the same setting and

context as were the 18th-century Leipzig listeners. Today, we rarely, if ever, hear the St. Matthew

Passion performed during a Good Friday service or any church service. If one wanted to attend

a performance of the St. Matthew Passion, a simple online search may bring him to the website

of the New York Philharmonic, for example. Here, the professional performers with respective

biographies are listed, stating their years of experience and previous honorable performances,

signifying that the emphasis of performance is the high level musicianship and accuracy of the

specific musical elements. A separate link displays each available concert and the price of

tickets per seat preference, a luxury the original Leipzig audience never had. The performance

of the Passion then occurs in a recital hall, complete with comfortable seating, program notes and

translations, and an intermission for audience members to stretch and rejuvenate rather than to

continue sitting solemnly for the sermon. Today’s audience members may range from Bach

scholar who has listened to every recording available of the St. Matthew Passion to one who has

simply “heard of Bach,” from devout Christian who can follow the Passion word-for-word from

scripture memory to atheist-- quite a contrast from that of the 1727 Leipzig experience.

Overall, Bach’s ultimate goal of bringing the congregation into self-reflection and

141DanielR.Melamed,“Bach’sSt.JohnPassion:CanWeReallyStillHearTheWork—andWhichOne?”inTheWorldofBaroqueMusic:NewPerspectives,editedbyGeorgeB.Stauffer(Bloomington,IN:IndianaUniversityPress,2006),236‐237.

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worship is rarely achieved with the 21st century audience, as worship is rarely the goal of the

modern performances. Instead, the Passions have shifted from sacred to secular performances,

and the performance goal has shifted from personal conviction and worship of each audience

member to the personal enjoyment and entertainment of each audience member.

To further contrast the original and present audience members, most modern listeners

have not been raised with the theological ideas, based on the doctrine of Luther, which were used

throughout church services and were incorporated in Bach’s Passion. Hans Blumenberg states:

“… We also think about the listener many years later from whose horizon the images and

analogies, the holy stories and sermons, the words and hymns of Bach’s parishioners have

vanished, without being substituted by anything comparable.”142

Even devout church-goers of today have different theological viewpoints, much different

from the Reformation era. Therefore, 21st-century listeners may not even be able to grasp Bach’s

goal for them of learning more theology and coming into closer communion with God. They

listen to the passion with much less devotion, and the approach of an audience member attending

a St. Matthew Passion performance would no longer be to learn Scripture, but to be entertained.

“…the later generations no longer even remotely possessed that knowledge of the Bible,

and therefore the appreciative access to the numerous references and allusions to the stories,

pictures, and wording of the Bible had to remain a closed book to them…”143

Therefore, the modern audience differs greatly from the 18th-century audience, explaining

the differences in interpretation and purpose for attending the performance.

142MartinZenck,“Bachreception:someconceptsandparameters,”inTheCambridgeCompaniontoBach,editedbyJohnButt(NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,1997),223.143GuntherStiller,JohannSebastianBachandLiturgicalLifeinLeipzig(St.Louis,MO:ConcordiaPublishingHouse,1984),page214.

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Because of the drastic shift in performance and religious practices, the Passion will never

be heard the same as it was in 1727 Leipzig. However, some mysterious element still draws

listeners out to hear it, and perhaps some mysterious element of Bach’s composition achieves a

purpose in modern-day listeners that was not possible originally. So then, the lingering question

may be: Would Bach really have cared if his Passion was performed and heard differently? This

is an on-going debate with no definitive answer. So, we must consider this shift in performance

over time and try to discern what still draws people to the St. Mathew Passion. Many of today’s

listeners may feel an association with the performance of Bach’s passion because of its

significance to their faith. Others may instead relate to the emotional aspects which are

portrayed in the composition, namely, guilt, fear, peace, and joy. Perhaps the work is well-

known and audience members are curious; perhaps audience members want to just experience a

small taste of the music of Bach; perhaps the musical elements and seemingly ingenious

structure of the music captivates people; or perhaps there is something deeper than the music that

still remains and still causes audience-members to be moved.

Johann Sebastian Bach, composer and theologian, was an influence in his time and

remains one today with his music and bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel. Bach believed

the Gospel story and set it to music in his St. Matthew Passion. He had an audience of believers

as well. Today the audience has changed; the setting has changed; the purpose may have

changed. Yet, his music still transforms the listener in some manner.

“This suggests, among other things, that Bach’s passion music, able to engage listeners in

even radically different circumstances, is compelling at some level that transcends performance

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practices and contexts.” 144

144DanielR.Melamed,HearingBach’sPassions(OxfordUniversityPress,Incorporated,2005)page131.

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