Bach: Mass in B minor

Mass in B minor JS Bach

Score Interpretation

Intended for sole use of explaining JS Bach’s Mass in B minor. The information is not to be published, or used without first consenting presentation presenter; Lawrence V. McCrobie.

J.S. Bach (Eisenach 1685–Leipzig 1750) never wrote a Mass in B minor. Though this statement may seem a bit extreme and particularly out of place in the present context, it is, strictly speaking, correct. The piece you will hear today is in fact not what was intended by the word missa (“mass”) in Lutheran Germany, it is a not complete composition that Bach wrote to be performed in toto, and it is not in B minor. Though it does start in that key, a very rare and difficult key at the time, the main key is D major. The “Mass in B minor” is actually a later compilation of separate parts of the Latin mass (technically called a missa tota) that Bach had mostly composed previously over a period of decades. In the autograph manuscript he simply called it with the names of its parts, i.e. “No. 1 Missa; No. 2 Symbolum Nicenum [the Credo]; No. 3 Sanctus; No. 4 Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem.” It is known that he made use of the four parts separately even after having collected them together. In fact, in Lutheran Germany there would not have been any occasion in which Bach could have had a mass like this performed, for in the rare cases in which the choir was allowed to sing the Kyrie and the Gloria, the congregation would have had to sing the rest of the ordinary. The name by which it is known, “Mass in B minor,” was attached to the composition in 1845 by its first publisher Hermann Nageli, undoubtedly making a connection with Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. Towards the end of his life, the great Leipzig Chapel Master apparently felt an urge towards completeness, towards writing pieces that explored and exhausted all the possibilities of a certain compositional technique or style. This desire resulted in some of the greatest compositions of all times, such as the unfinished Art of the Fugue (an exploration of all possible contrapuntal uses of a single theme or subject, started first in 1740 and again restarted in 1747), the Clavier-Ubung IV, known since the 19th century as the “Goldberg variations” (a compendium of all possible ways of varying a single theme, 1747), the Musical Offering (also from 1747, an exhaustive exploration of all that could be done with one single musical idea, the ’royal’ theme written by Frederick the Great of Prussia, and used in two ricercares for keyboard in three and six parts; a trio sonata for flute, violin and continuo; and various canons for flute, violin and continuo with harpsichord obbligato), and the variations on “Vom Himmel hoch” (1747), besides the Mass in B minor (1748–49). In 1954, the eminent Bach scholar Friedrich Smend edited the mass and showed that it had originated from different parts of Bach’s life. The full autograph score was compiled in 1748-49, and its original destination is unknown. Helmuth Osthoff has suggested that Bach may have compiled it for the dedication of the chapel of the Dresden court (for which the Kyrie and Gloria—the Missa—had been composed in 1733), which was scheduled to be completed in 1748 but was not completed until 1751, one year after Bach’s death. There is no evidence that the mass as you will hear it today was ever performed during Bach’s lifetime. It has been recently shown that Bach was working on this work, and not on the Art of the Fugue, as previously assumed, in the period immediately before his death. What we usually intend by the word “Mass” is a setting of the ordinary of the mass, that is, of those parts of the liturgy that remain the same throughout the year, regardless of the feast of the day. These feast-specific parts are known as the proper of the mass, and they change every day




of the year. The ordinary of the mass sung every day in Catholic churches consists of the following five parts: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus (which includes also the Benedictus framed by two repetitions of the Osanna), and Agnus Dei. In the Lutheran tradition, a Missa is a setting of just the Kyrie and Gloria, which together are called “mass” because they are the only two parts of the ordinary that are sung at Sunday service. In 1724, the second year of his tenure in Leipzig, Bach composed a six-voice Sanctus for the Christmas service (because the Sanctus, without Benedictus or Osanna, is sung only on high feasts in the Lutheran church). Then, in 1733, he wrote a Missa for the Catholic Dresden court, as part of his application for the post of court composer, which he obtained only in 1736. Bach completed the rest of the mass at the end of his life. It is probably around 1747 that he composed the most magnificent, majestic, and architecturally and stylistically perfect section—the Credo, or Symbolum nicenum. Finally, when he compiled all of the music into a full score, he added the last movements of the ordinary (Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Dona nobis pacem), adapting music he had previously written in a widespread Baroque technique known as “parody,” whereby a composer adapts and partially rewrites existing music to a new text. In fact, most of the mass is a "parody"—according to present knowledge, only eight out of the mass’s 25 movements can be considered with certainty to be original compositions, though only the models for seven of the remaining 17 movements have been identified so far. The following table lists all the movements, the performing forces, both instrumental and vocal, and the models from which the mass movements were “parodied,” or the indication that the model is unknown. Notice the great variety in instrumentation, both within the orchestra and as obbligato (solo instruments that usually accompany vocal soloists).




Movement

T r u m p e t

C o r n o d a c a c c i a

T i m p a n i

F l u t e

O b o e

B a s s o o n

V i o l i n

V i o l a

C e l l o & B a s s

Solo Parts

Chorus Parts Parody model

Kyrie eleison 2 2 1 2 1 1 SSATB None, original work

Christe eleison 2 1 SS Unknown model

Kyrie eleison 2 2 1 2 1 1 SATB None, original work

Gloria 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 SSATB Unknown model

Et in terra pax 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 SSATB None, original work

Laudamus te 2 1 1 S Unknown model

Gratias agimus 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 SATB Cantata 29

Domine Deus 1 2 1 1 ST Parts of Cantata 193a

Qui tollis 2 2 1 2 SATB Cantata 46

Qui sedes 1 2 1 1 A Unknown model

Quoniam 1 2 1 B Unknown model

Cum Sancto Spiritu 3 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 SSATB None, original work (parody for Cantata 191)

Credo in unum Deum 2 1 SSATB None, original work

Patrem omnipotentem 3 1 2 2 1 1 SATB Cantata 171

Et in unum Dominum 2 2 1 1 SA Lost duet

Et incarnatus est 2 1 SSATB None, original work

Crucifixus 2 2 1 1 SATB Cantata 12 & Vivaldi

Et resurrexit 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 SSATB Lost concerto?

Et in spiritum sanctum 2 1 B Unknown model

Confiteor 1 SSATB None, original work

Et expecto 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 SSATB Cantata 120

Sanctus 3 1 3 2 1 1 SSAATB None, original work

Osanna 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 SATB SATB Lost Cantata 215

Benedictus 2 1 T Unknown model

Agnus Dei 1 1 A Lost serenata, Cantata 11

Dona nobis pacem 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 SATB Same as Gratia agimus




Kyrie: The first part of the mass, the Kyrie, is divided into three sections—Kyrie I, Christe, and Kyrie II. Traditionally the Kyrie was a ninefold invocation, the text of each of the three sections being repeated three times. Bach does respect this tradition in his three movements, of which the outer two are choral and the central is an enchanting duet for two sopranos with violin accompaniment. While the first Kyrie is a grandiose concertato piece with the first of a great number of fugues to be found in the whole score, the second Kyrie is a four-part chorus in a more ancient style, with no independent instrumental parts: flutes, oboes, bassoon and strings all double the vocal parts. The second Kyrie is one of the movements that shows Bach’s love for the old Latin style, that of the late renaissance masters. This older a capella style is referred to as stile antico and contrasts with the concertato style which made use of both voices and instruments and more homophonic texture. Gloria: The second part of the “Missa” is the Gloria, the section that lauds and glorifies the Lord. This section is subdivided by Bach into nine movements of different character. The opening movement is a happy, glorious concertato movement, the first that features brass and percussion together with woodwinds and strings. The second movement, “Et in terra pax,” is not separated from the first though it differs in flavor. It is a pastoral movement in D major, but not as peaceful a movement as Catholics would have expected it—there is an element of Lutheran ’passion’ in it. The third movement of the Gloria is an ABA aria for solo soprano accompanied by strings and a solo violin (violin "concertato"). The fourth movement, “Gratias agimus,” is again a grand choral movement in D major with the same instruments as the “Gloria” but with an ancient feel, slow, and with all instruments except the trumpets playing the same notes as sung by the voices. The “Domine Deus” that follows is a lovely ABA duet for soprano and tenor accompanied by flute and strings. It is interesting to notice that this is one of the earliest instances of music which calls for transverse flute, as opposed to the recorder. Movement six of the Gloria, “Qui tollis peccata mundi,” follows without break. The four choral voices engage in a dark fugue in B minor, fitting the faithful’s plea for mercy. Two ABA solo movements follow. The alto sings the gorgeous “Qui sedes ad dextram Patris,” competing, dialoguing, agreeing, and arguing with the accompanying oboe d’amore (an oboe with a warmer sound, larger than the regular oboe and pitched a third below). The alto aria is followed by the bass’s lovely aria, accompanied this time by two bassoons and a corno da caccia (hunting horn). This section concludes with the greatest concertato movement of the missa—the choral “Cum sancto spiritu,” which includes a fugue. Symbolum nicenum (Credo): To better understand Bach’s concern with symmetry and balance, and to catch a glimpse of his compositional techniques and ability, let us take a closer look at the largest section of the mass—the Credo, or, in Bach’s words, the Symbolum nicenum. If the latest scholarship is correct, then the Credo of the Mass was Bach’s last significant composition, perhaps his very last. In the Credo, Bach deliberately combines archaic with modern style, in a striking succession that blends effortlessly. Conspicuously missing, however, is the operatic style, which is evident in the absence of any da capo arias (i.e., ABA arias). The Credo comprises nine movements, but the fourth, “Et incarnatus,” was added as an afterthought. Of the nine movements only two, “Et in unum Dominum” and “Et in spiritum sanctum Dominum,” are solos. Of the seven choral movements “Credo in unum Deum,” “Et incarnatus,” “Crucifixus,”




and “Confiteor in unum baptisma” are in stile antico, the style that refers back to Palestrina’s time, while “Patrem omnipotentem” and “Et resurrexit” are in the modern concertato style. The central movement, “Crucifixus,” is the oldest part of the whole mass, since it is adapted from the opening chorus of cantata 12, which Bach had composed in Weimar in 1714 and which he adapted from a piece by Vivaldi—“Piango, gemo, sospiro e peno” ("I weep, moan, sigh, and suffer"). “Et in unum Dominum” is probably a parody of a lost duet, “Patrem omnipotentem” is modeled on the opening chorus of cantata 171, “Et in spiritum” is from an unknown model, and “Et expecto” is from the opening chorus of cantata 120 of 1728. Because of its character, there is a suggestion that “Et resurrexit” may also be a parody of the first movement of a lost instrumental concerto. Most importantly, the Credo is symmetrically arranged: at the upper and lower end are a pair of choral movements, one in ancient style and one in the newer concertato style; in third and third-to-last position are the two movements for solos, and the three central movements, all choral, have in the middle the fabulous “Crucifixus,” with its excruciating dissonances, and its chromatic passacaglia bass. The chart below shows this symmetry and provides some additional information:

Though the later addition of the “Et incarnatus” did not change the symmetry (in the center there had been two instead of three choral movements), there is a suspicion that Bach may have added it to make the movements add up to nine—three times three, a number with a very important theological meaning, and with a very strong presence in the mass (three movements in the Kyrie, each with three invocations, nine movements in the Gloria, three invocations in the Agnus Dei, and so forth). Fugues are found in most movements. Interestingly, both the “Credo” and the “Confiteor” include a gregorian melody as a cantus firmus. The latter movement, where the cantus firmus is first heard in canon between alto and bass, and then in longer notes in the tenor, is another living testimony of Bach’s unsurpassable art: while some voices declaim the gregorian (cantus firmus) melody, the others engage in a double fugue against it (thus making three independent melodies fit harmonically, melodically, and contrapuntally, with each other). Sanctus: Of the four traditional sections of the Sanctus—Sanctus, Osanna, Benedictus, Osanna—only the first was composed in 1724, while the others were added during the final compilation. The Sanctus is the only section for six voices (with the addition of one alto part), and it is among the most majestic and festive, requiring three trumpets, kettledrums, three oboes, strings, bassoon




and organ. After the opening section on the first line of text ("Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth") follows a lilting second section (at "Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria ejus") with a fugal theme and a plethora of quick runs. The following three parts of the “Sanctus” in the ordinary of the mass belong compositionally with the “Agnus Dei” and the “Dona nobis pacem,” both temporally and stylistically (they are all parodies). The Osanna is the only movement for two four-voice choirs and the whole orchestra (that of the Sanctus minus one oboe and plus two transverse flutes). It is a glorious movement of exultation, which includes antiphonal treatment of the choirs and a fugue. This is followed by the sweetest movement for tenor solo, the “Benedictus.” This ABA aria is accompanied by one instrument—the original source has no instrument indication; it could be either a violin (the instrument traditionally used) or a flute, though the flute is the most likely since the obbligato part does not make use of the G string, an occurrence which is found nowhere else in Bach’s output. The Osanna is repeated after the Benedictus. Agnus Dei: The Agnus Dei of the ordinary is similar to the opening Kyrie in that it is a threefold section, i.e., a section including three invocations (in the case of the Kyrie each of the three is repeated three times, but not in the Agnus Dei). The three invocations of the Agnus Dei are almost identical, except for the last three words of the third ("dona nobis pacem"), which Bach chose to set separately. The first two invocations are heard in a solo movement for alto and two violins in unison, which was taken from the fourth movement of Cantata BWV 11, known as the Ascension Oratorio, which was itself a parody of a lost serenata of 1725 “Entfernet euch.” The choir then concludes the piece with the “Dona nobis pacem,” which is the same music as “Gratias agimus” in the Gloria section, but with new words. There isn’t a more satisfying, encyclopedic, pleasing, challenging, complex, and rewarding work in the choral literature to match the B minor mass, regardless of its compositional history. It is all of the above for both performers and listeners, rewarding arduous and dedicated study, as well as attentive listening, with endless riches. Even after years of study, performance, or listening, this masterpiece offers everyone, with its wide palette of styles and sonorities, something new and previously unnoticed. And this in and of itself is a treat, to be enjoyed at will.


Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor contains many excellent examples of his genius in fugal

writing. This massive edifice is a compendium of all of the musical styles of his time; fugal,

older Renaissance imitative counterpoint, opera, use of chant cantus firmus, parody, and

Venetian polychoral texture. This Mass is not just his only complete setting of the Roman

Catholic text; it is a non-liturgical cyclic work that sums up a lifetime of composition. While

many of the choral parts are written in the older SSATB five-part voicing there are also

movements in the then newer SATB four-part voicing – “Kyrie” II, “Crucifixus,” “Credo” II,

“Gratias;” one in six parts – “Sanctus;” and one in eight parts for double choir - “Osanna.” The

oldest of the movements that constitute the mass is the “Sanctus,” composed for Christmas day

of 1724. This is the only movement we know that Bach performed. This collection was very

possibly not fully written out until those final years of compilation. The “Kyrie” and “Gloria”

movements form a complete artistic unity of themselves; some historians believe Bach did this as

a way to obtain a title with the Elector of Dresden’s court. The final portions of the Mass in B

Minor, “Osanna,” “Benedictus,” “Agnus Dei,” and “Dona Nobis Pacem,” were all rearranged

from a number of his own earlier compositions.

The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) by Johann Sebastian Bach is a musical setting of the complete

Ordinary of the Latin Mass. The work was one of Bach's last compositions, not completed until

1749, the year before his death. Much of the Mass gave new form to vocal music that Bach had

composed throughout his career, dating back (in the case of the "Crucifixus") to 1714, but

extensively revised. To complete the work, in the late 1740s Bach composed new sections of the

Credo such as "Et incarnatus est".

It was unusual for composers working in the Lutheran tradition to compose a Missa tota and

Bach's motivations remain a matter of scholarly debate. The Mass was never performed in its

entirety during Bach's lifetime; the first documented complete performance took place in 1859.

Since the nineteenth century it has been widely hailed as one of the greatest compositions in

musical history, and today it is frequently performed and recorded. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

archived this work as the Great Catholic Mass.

On 1 February 1733, Augustus II Strong, Polish King, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Elector of

Saxony, died. Five months of mourning followed, during which all public music making was

suspended. Bach used the opportunity to work on the composition of a Missa, a portion of the

liturgy sung in Latin and common to both the Lutheran and Roman Catholic rites. His aim was to

dedicate the work to the new sovereign Augustus III, a Catholic, with the hope of obtaining the

title "Electoral Saxon Court Composer”. Upon its completion, Bach visited Augustus III and

presented him with a copy of the Missa, together with a petition to be given a court title, dated

July 27, 1733; in the accompanying inscription on the wrapper of the mass he complains that he

had "innocently suffered one injury or another” in Leipzig. The petition did not meet with

immediate success, but Bach eventually got his title; he was made court composer to Augustus

III in 1736.

In the last years of his life, Bach expanded the Missa into a complete setting of the Latin

Ordinary. It is not known what prompted this creative effort. Wolfgang Osthoff and other

scholars have suggested that Bach intended the completed Mass in B minor for performance at

the dedication of the new Hofkirche in Dresden, which was begun in 1738 and was nearing

completion by the late 1740s. However, the building was not completed until 1751, and Bach's

death in July 1750 prevented his Mass from being submitted for use at the dedication. Instead,

Johann Adolph Hasse's Mass in D minor was performed, a work with many similarities to Bach's

Mass (the Credo movements in both works feature chant over a walking bass line, for example).

Other explanations are less event-specific, involving Bach's interest in 'encyclopedic' projects

(like The Art of Fugue) that display a wide range of styles, and Bach's desire to preserve some of

his best vocal music in a format with wider potential future use than the church cantatas they

originated in.

Bach did not give the B minor Mass a title. Instead, he organized the 1748–49 manuscript into

four folders, each with a different title. That containing the Kyrie and Gloria he called "1.

Missa"; that containing the Credo he titled "2. Symbolum Nicenum"; the third folder, containing

the Sanctus, he called "3. Sanctus"; and the remainder, in a fourth folder he titled "4. Osanna |

Benedictus | Agnus Dei et | Dona nobis pacem". John Butt writes, "The format seems purposely

designed so that each of the four sections could be used separately." On the other hand, the parts

in the manuscript are numbered from 1 to 4, and Bach's usual closing formula (S.D.G = Soli Deo

Gloria) is only found at the end of the Dona Nobis Pacem. Further, Butt writes, "What is most

remarkable about the overall shape of the Mass in B Minor is that Bach managed to shape a

coherent sequence of movements from diverse material." Butt and George Stauffer detail the

ways in which Bach gave overall musical unity to the work.

The first overall title given to the work was in the 1790 estate of the recently deceased C.P.E.

Bach, whom inherited the score. There, it is called "Die Grosse Catholische Messe" (the "Great

Catholic Mass"). It is called that as well in the estate of his last heir in 1805, suggesting to

Stauffer "the epithet reflects an oral tradition within the Bach family". The first publication of the

Kyrie and Gloria, in 1833 by the Swiss collector Hans Georg Nägeli with Simrock, refers to it as

"Messe" Finally, Nageli and Simrock produced the first publication in 1845, calling it the "High

Mass in B Minor" (Hohe Messe in h-moll). The adjective "high", Butt argues, was "strongly

influenced by the monumental impact of Beethoven's Missa solemnis." It soon fell from common

usage, but the prepositional phrase "in B Minor" survives, even though it is in some ways

misleading: only five of the work's 27 movements are in B minor, while twelve, including the

final ones of each of the four major sections, are in D major (the relative major of B minor). The

opening Kyrie, however, is in B minor, with the Christe Eleison in D major, and the second

Kyrie in F-sharp minor; as Butt points out, these tonalities outline a B minor chord.

The piece is orchestrated for two flutes, two oboes d'amore, one natural horn (in D), three natural

trumpets (in D), timpani, violins I and II, violas and basso continuo (cellos, basses, bassoons,

organ and harpsichord).

Bach conducted the Sanctus, in its first version, at the 1724 Christmas service in Leipzig, and re-

used it in Christmas services in the mid-1740s. Scholars differ on whether he ever performed the

1733 Missa. Arnold Schering (in 1936) asserted that it was performed in Leipzig on April 26,

1733, when Augustus III of Poland visited the town, but modern scholars reject his argument for

several reasons: 1) the proposed date fell during an official period of mourning "when concerted

music was forbidden in Saxon churches"; 2) the extant parts are written on a paper found only in

documents in Dresden, so were probably copied in Dresden when Bach went there in July; and

3) the copyists were not Bach's usual ones, but Bach and immediate family members (who

traveled with him to Dresden)—his wife Anna Magdalena, sons Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl

Philipp Emanuel—and a Dresden copyist.

Scholars differ, however, on whether the Missa was performed in July in Dresden. Christoph

Wolff argues that on July 26, 1733 at the Sophienkirche in Dresden, where Wilhelm Friedemann

Bach had been organist since June, it "was definitely performed … as evidenced by the extant

Dresden performing parts and by the inscription on the title wrapper" given to the king the next

day. Hans-Joachim Schulze made this case by pointing to the use of the past tense in the

wrapper's inscription: "To his royal majesty was shown with the enclosed Missa...the humble

devotion of the author J. S. Bach." However, Joshua Rikfin rejects the argument, pointing out

that the past-tense wording was typical of formal address often not related to performance. Also

skeptical is Peter Williams, who notes that "there is no record of performers being assembled for

such an event, and in August 1731 Friedemann reported that the Sophienkirche organ was badly

out of tune." However, there is evidence of an organ recital by Bach at the Sophienkirche on 14

September 1731, and Friedemann Bach was only chosen as Organist for the institution on 23

June 1733. He would again perform a 2-hour Organ recital on 1 December 1736 at the

Frauenkirche Dresden to inaugurate the new Gottfried Silbermann organ.

Scholars agree that no other public performances took place in Bach's lifetime, although Butt

raises the possibility that there may have been a private performance or read-through of the

Symbolum Nicenum late in Bach's life.i

Historical information was taken from a variety of sources. Those sources include: Cambridge Companion to Bach Historical Bach Society Writings New Grove Dictonary- JS Bach Norton Anthology of World History of Music Information found within this particular document, contains factual information. The use of this information is intended for a historical and background understanding of the work of Bach. It is not intended to be the personal work on the project presenter, but to aid in the presentation of the work by JS Bach for the participants to easily understand.

Under no circumstances is the author of this project, Mr. Lawrence V. McCrobie, claiming this factual information as being first hand information, or being presented in a new format. Completed December 2015- McCrobie, L.V.


Additional Information added to help better understand the various movements within JS Bach’s Mass in B minor

Movements and their sources Description of the Mass in B minor The work consists of 27 sections. Tempo and metrical information and parodied sources come from Christoph Wolff's 1997 critical urtext edition, and from George Stauffer's Bach: The Mass in B Minor. except where noted. Regarding sources, Stauffer, summarizing current research as of 1997, states that "Specific models or fragments can be pinpointed for eleven of the work's twenty-seven movements" and that "two other movements [the "Domine Deus" and "Et resurrexit"] are most probably derived from specific, now lost sources." But Stauffer adds "there is undoubtedly much more borrowing than this." Exceptions are the opening four bars of the first Kyrie, the Et incarnatus est and Confiteor. Butt points out that "only with a musical aesthetic later than Bach's does the concept of parody (adapting existing vocal music to a new text) appear in an unfavourable light" while it was "almost unavoidable" in Bach's day; he further notes that "by abstracting movements from what he evidently considered some of his finest vocal works, originally performed for specific occasions and Sundays within the Church's year, he was doubtless attempting to preserve the pieces within the more durable context of the Latin Ordinary." Details of the parodied movements and their sources are given below.

Kyrie and Gloria ("Missa")

Kyrie eleison (1st). Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in B minor, marked Adagio (in the four-bar choral introduction), then Largo in the main section, autograph time signature of common time. Joshua Rifkin argues that, except for the opening four bars, the movement is based on a previous version in C minor, since examination of autograph sources reveals "a number of apparent transposition errors". John Butt concurs: "Certainly, much of the movement—like many others with no known models—seems to have been copied from an earlier version." Christe eleison. Duet (soprano I, II) in D major with obbligato violins, no autograph tempo marking, time signature of common time. Kyrie eleison (2nd). Four-part chorus (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in F-sharp minor, marked "alla breve", and (in the 1748–50 score)"stromenti in unisono". Autograph time signature is ₵. That "the four-part vocal writing... points to a model conceived outside the context of a five-voice Mass." Note the 9 (trinitarian, 3 × 3) movements with the largely symmetrical structure, and Domine Deus in the centre. Gloria in excelsis. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, marked Vivace in the 1733 first violin and cello parts, 3/8 time signature. In the mid-1740s, Bach reused this as the opening chorus of his cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191.



Et in terra pax. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, no autograph tempo marking, time signature of common time; in the autographs no double bar separates it from the preceding Gloria section. Again, Bach reused the music in the opening chorus of BWV 191. Laudamus te. Aria (soprano II) in A major with violin obbligato, no autograph tempo marking, time signature of common time. Gratias agimus tibi. 4-part chorus (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, marked alla breve, time signature of ₵. The music is a reworking of the second movement of Bach's 1731 Ratswechsel (Town Council Inauguration) cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29, in which the time signature is the number 2 with a slash through it. (Stauffer adds that both may have an earlier common source.) Domine Deus. Duet (soprano I, tenor) in G major with flute obbligato and muted strings, no autograph tempo marking, time signature of common time. The music appears as a duet in BWV 191. In the 1733 parts, Bach indicates a "Lombard rhythm" in the slurred two-note figures in the flute part; he does not indicate it in the final score or in BWV 191. This rhythm was popular in Dresden in 1733; it is possible that Bach added in the 1733 parts to appeal to tastes at the Dresden court and that he no longer wanted it used in the 1740s, or that he still preferred it but no longer notated it. Qui tollis peccata mundi. 4-part chorus (Soprano II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in B minor, marked adagio in the two violin 1 parts from 1733 and lente in the cello, continuo, and alto parts from 1733; 3/4 time signature. No double bar separates it from the preceding movement in the autograph. The chorus is a reworking of the first half of the opening movement of the 1723 cantata Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei, BWV 46. In the autograph sources no double bar separates it from the previous movement. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris. Aria (alto) in B minor with oboe d'amore obbligato, no autograph tempo marking, 6/8 time signature. Quoniam tu solus sanctus. Aria (bass) in D major with obbligato parts for solo corno da caccia (hunting horn or Waldhorn) and two bassoons, no autograph tempo marking, 3/4 time signature. Stauffer notes that the unusual scoring shows Bach writing specifically for the strengths of the orchestra in Dresden: while Bach wrote no music for two obbligato bassoons in his Leipzig cantatas, such scoring was common for works others composed in Dresden, "which boasted as many as five bassoonists", and that Dresden was a noted center for horn playing. Peter Damm has argued that Bach designed the horn solo specifically for the Dresden horn soloist Johann Adam Schindler, whom Bach had almost certainly heard in Dresden in 1731. Regarding lost original sources, Stauffer says, "A number of writers have viewed the clean appearance of the "Quoniam" and the finely detailed performance instructions in the autograph score as signs that this movement is also a parody." Klaus Hafner argues that the bassoon lines were, in the original,



written for oboe, and that in this original a trumpet, not the horn, was the solo instrument. John Butt agrees, adding as evidence that Bach originally notated both bassoon parts with the wrong clefs, both indicating a range an octave higher than the final version, and then corrected the error, and adding that "oboe parts would almost certainly have been scored with trumpet rather than horn."[64] Stauffer, however, entertains the possibility that it may be new music. Cum Sancto Spiritu. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, marked Vivace, 3/4 time signature. Bach reused the music in modified form as the closing chorus of BWV 191. As to origins, Donald Francis Tovey argued that it is based on a lost choral movement from which Bach removed the opening instrumental ritornello, saying "I am as sure as I can be of anything". Hafner agrees, and like Tovey, has offered a reconstruction of the lost ritornello; he also points to notational errors (again involving clefs) suggesting that the lost original was in four parts, and that Bach added the Soprano 2 line when converting the original into the Cum Santo Spiritu chorus. Rifkin argues from the neat handwriting in the instrumental parts of the final score that the movement is based on a lost original, and he argues from the musical structure, which involves two fugues, that the original was probably a lost cantatas from the middle or late 1720s, when Bach was especially interested in such structures. Stauffer is agnostic on the question. II. Credo ("Symbolum Nicenum") Note the 9 movements with the symmetrical structure, and the crucifixion at the centre. Credo in unum Deum. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in A mixolydian, no autograph tempo marking, ₵. Stauffer identifies an earlier Credo in unum Deum chorus in G major, probably from 1748–49. Patrem omnipotentem. Four-part chorus (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, no autograph tempo marking, time signature of 2 with a slash through it in the autograph manuscript. The music is a reworking of the opening chorus of Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171.

Et in unum Dominum. Duet (soprano I, alto) in G major, marked Andante, . Stauffer derives it from a "lost duet, considered for "Ich bin deine", BWV 213/11 (1733) Et incarnatus est. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in B minor, no autograph tempo marking, 3/4 time signature. Crucifixus. Four-part chorus (Soprano II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in E minor, no autograph tempo marking, 3/2 time signature. The music is a reworking of the first section of the first chorus of the 1714 cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12. Et resurrexit. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, no autograph tempo marking, 3/4 time signature.



Et in Spiritum Sanctum. Aria (Bass) in A major with oboi d'amore obbligati, no autograph tempo marking, 6/8 time signature. Confiteor. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in F-sharp minor, no autograph tempo marking (until the transitional music in bar 121, which is marked "adagio"), ₵ time signature. John Butt notes that "the only positive evidence of Bach actually composing afresh within the entire score of the mass is in the 'Confiteor' section", by which he means, "composing the music directly into the autograph. Even the most unpracticed eye can see the difference between this and surrounding movements"; one part of the final transitional music is "still illegible...and necessitates the conjectures of a judicious editor." Et expecto. Five-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in D major, marked Vivace ed allegro, implicitly in ₵ (as it is not set off with a double bar in the autograph from the Confiteor). The music is a reworking of the second movement of Bach's 1728 Ratswechsel (Town Council Inauguration) cantata Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 on the words Jauchzet, ihr erfreute Stimmen. III. Sanctus Sanctus. Six-part chorus (Soprano I, II, Alto I, II, Tenor, Bass) in D major, no autograph tempo marking, common-time time signature; leading immediately—without double bar in the sources—into the Pleni sunt coeli , marked Vivace, 3/8 time signature. Derived from an earlier 3 soprano, 1 alto work written in 1724; in that 1724 Sanctus the first section was marked in ₵, perhaps suggesting a tempo faster than what Bach conceived of when he finally re-used it in the Mass. IV. Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Dona Nobis Pacem Osanna. Double chorus (both four parts) in D major, no autograph tempo marking, 3/8 time signature. A reworking of the A section of the chorus "Es lebe der König" (BWV Anh. 11/1 from 1732) or of "Preise dein Glücke" (BWV 215) from 1734. Benedictus. Aria for tenor with obbligato instrument in B minor, no autograph tempo marking, 3/4 time signature. Butt writes that Bach "forgot to specify the instrument" for the obbligato; Stauffer adds the possibilities that Bach had not decided which instrument to use or that he was "indifferent" and left the choice open. The Bach-Ausgabe edition assigned it to the violin, and Stauffer suggests this choice may have been influenced by Beethoven's use of the violin in the Benedictus of his Missa solemnis. Modern editors and performers have preferred the flute; as Butt notes, the part never uses the G-string of the violin, and modern commentators "consider the range and style to be more suitable for the transverse flute." Osanna (da capo). As above.



Agnus Dei. Aria for alto in G minor with violin obbligato, no autograph tempo marking, time signature. Parody of an aria, "Entfernet euch, ihr kalten Herzen" ("Withdraw, you cold heart"), from a lost wedding serenade (1725). Bach also re-used the wedding aria for the alto aria, "Ach, bleibe doch", of his 1735 Ascension Oratorio Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11; Alfred Dürr has demonstrated that Bach adapted both "Ach, bleibe doch" and the Agnus dei directly from the lost serenade's aria, rather than from one to the next.[70] Dona nobis pacem. 4-part chorus in D major, no autograph tempo marking, ₵ time signature. The music is almost identical to "Gratias agimus tibi" from the Gloria.


The translations of this text come from the Roman Catholic Missal translation companion. These may not be the “academic” actual translations, however they are the translations that are seen by the Catholic Church as being accurate and thus are included here as translation material for Bach’s music/libretto.

Kyrie

1. Coro 1. Chorus

Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy.

2. Duetto (Soprano/Mezzosoprano) 2. Duet (Soprano/Mezzo-soprano)

Christe eleison. Christ have mercy.

3. Coro 3. Chorus

Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy. Gloria 4. Coro 4. Chorus

Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory be to God on high.

5. Coro 5. Chorus

Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. And on earth, peace to men of good will.

6. Aria (Soprano) 6. Aria (Soprano)

Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te.

We praise you; we bless you; we adore you; we glorify you.

7. Coro 7. Chorus

Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. We give you thanks for your great glory.

8. Duetto (Soprano/Tenor) 8. Duet (Soprano/Tenor)

Domine Deus, rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe, altissime. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.

Lord God, heavenly King, God the almighty Father. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Most High Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.

9. Coro 9. Chorus

Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.

You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

10. Aria (Alto) 10. Aria (Alto)

Qui sedes ad dextram Patris, miserere nobis. You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us.

11. Aria (Basso) 11. Aria (Bass)

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.

For you alone are the Holy One. You alone are the Lord. You, Jesus Christ, alone are the Most High.

12. Coro 12. Chorus

Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. With the Holy Ghost in the glory of God the Father. Amen.



Credo 13. Coro 13. Chorus

Credo in unum Deum. I believe in one God.

14. Coro 14. Chorus

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorum coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

15. Duetto (Soprano/Mezzosoprano) 15. Duet (Soprano/Mezzosoprano)

Et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum do Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.

16. Coro 16. Chorus

Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sanctu ex Maria virgine et homo factus est.

And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man.

17. Coro 17. Chorus

Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est.

And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried.

18. Coro 18. Chorus

Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas. Et ascendit in coelum, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris, et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis.

And on the third day he rose again according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven. And sits at the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

19. Aria (Basso) 19. Aria (Bass)

Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit; qui cum Patre et Filioque procedit; qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur; qui locutus est per Prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one Catholic and Apostolic Church.

20. Coro 20. Chorus

Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. i acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.

21. Coro 21. Chorus

Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.

And I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.



Sanctus

22. Coro 22. Chorus

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria ejus.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

OSANNA, BENEDICTUS, AGNUS DEI ET DONA NOBIS PACEM 23. Coro 23. Chorus

Osanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.

Aria (Tenore) Aria (Tenor)

Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord.

25. Coro 25. Chorus

Osanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest. Agnus Dei 26. Aria (Alto) 26. Aria (Alto)

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

27. Coro 27. Chorus

Dona nobis pacem. Give us peace.


This is just an initial impression of the piece. It is not intended to be an overview, or a review of the Mass by JS Bach. More so first “thought” as it relates to the Mass in B minor.

Score Reading Initial thoughts on the score

Upon first taking a look at the piece, I was initially shocked from the shear size of the score.

This work is by all means on that is most certainly a monumental work, which is based on the

Roman Catholic Mass setting. I was initially drawn to the score layout, in particular the fact that

the voices were placed below the string and wind instruments [with the exception of the

continuo]. I was surprised to see this configuration, as normally the vocal settings find

themselves placed before the string and continuo are orchestrated. I am not sure from initial

appearances whether or not this was intentionally done, or whether it was done unique to the

score that I am using.

Another interesting aspect of the score is that I noticed on the instrument listing side of the

beginning of the score, and noticed that in the vocal block, that it was scored for SSATB; though

as a continued through the score as I took an initial listen following along I noticed that the

separate Soprano part eventually became a single soprano line, and eventually towards the end of

the work, the vocal lines split score wise to become SSAATTBB, though it is written

SATBSATB. Though the work humbly ends in the standard SATB scoring for vocal works.

Looking through it is interesting to note that there is a great deal of “fugal” qualities about many

of the vocal passages, and that the music instrumental wise really provide just a underlying

structural point for the vocalists, as much of what the instruments are playing is in theory exactly


This is just an initial impression of the piece. It is not intended to be an overview, or a review of the Mass by JS Bach. More so first “thought” as it relates to the Mass in B minor.

what the vocalists are singing; with the exception of the intros and the extensions of the piece

after the vocalists stop [in reference to some of the movements]. In others it is interesting to note

that they vocal parts are simply “lyrical” additions to the underlying melody, and retain aspects

of the moving instrumental parts, but take a more “relaxed” approach, and in instances also

functions in a “hocket” style of passing the melody off to the instrumentalists.


This is the personal opinion of the author, Mr. Lawrence V. McCrobie as to the flow and structural components of JS Bach’s Mass in B minor. This is not to serve as a complete detailed analysis of the work, but does in fact serve to cover as much detail as possible.

Flow of the Piece Overview structurally of the composition

*Many of the choral parts are written in SSATB (old version) 5-‐part voice. *Four of the movements are written in the new 4-‐part voicing: *Kyrie II *Crucifixus *Credo II *Gratias *One movement is written in a 6-‐ part voicing: *Sanctus *One movement is in a 8-‐part voicing for double choir: *Osanna *The Sanctus is the oldest of the movements [composed for Christmas Day 1724] *Kyrie and Gloria movements for a complete artistic unit. *The following final parts of the mass were all rearranged from a number of earlier works: *Osanna *Benedictus *Agnus Dei *Dona Nobis Pacem KYRIE I

*opens with four weighty measures crying to God [homophonic] *followed by a huge fugue that is build on a scale [b minor] s*orchestral and choral forces intertwine in rising and falling forces

FORM OF MOVEMENT

*two large halves each divided into 2 expository sections of orchestra followed by chorus and orchestra together. -‐then broken down into smaller: subject areas links episodes

ORCHESTRAL EXPOSITION



Subject Area I-‐ mm.5-‐9-‐Soprano enters in tonic key; alto enters in dominant key. Link I-‐ mm.10-‐14-‐ This confirms the dominant key using SM 3 and 4 and a pedal point. Episode I-‐ mm.15-‐18-‐ This episode employs canonic imitation using SM2 and a new motive. Link II-‐ mm.19-‐21-‐ This link modulates back to tonic through diatonic circle of fifths using a new texture. Subject II-‐ mm22-‐23-‐ This subject is shortened in the bass voice. Link III-‐ mm.24-‐29-‐ Here the tonic key is confirmed using a varied repeat of measures 10-‐14. This initial exposition is set for instruments alone, but Bach varies the standard composition technique {one voice over continuo] by scoring for the entire orchestra. Treble winds carry first statement of subject accompanied by string in counterpoint. This fugue is spread over 126 measures, which is remarkable.

CHORAL EXPOSITION Subject Area I-‐ mm.30-‐34-‐ Tenor enters in the tonic followed by the alto in the dominant. Link I-‐ mm.35-‐36-‐ The music modulates back to the tonic key using free counterpoint. Subject Area II-‐ mm.37-‐41-‐ The first soprano enters in the tonic key followed by the second soprano in the dominant key. Link II-‐ mm.42-‐45-‐ The music modulates to tonic via a cadence in D major with a false entrance in second soprano and free counterpoint. Subject Area III-‐ mm.45-‐52 The subject is heard in 3 successive voice rising a 5th with each entry, the bass in tonic, the second soprano in dominant, first doprano in supertonic Link III-‐ mm.53-‐57-‐ Here supertonic key of C# minor is confirmed using a pedal point, and material from subject 3&4 with variation of mm10-‐14.



Episode I-‐ mm.58-‐61-‐ This is a varied repeat of m15-‐18 in c#minor. Link IV-‐ mm.62-‐64-‐ Varied repeat of mm19-‐21 modulating to dominant key and using chromatic circle of 5ths. Subject Area IV-‐ mm.65-‐66-‐ The bass entry in dominant key is incomplete to keep it dominant. Link V-‐ mm.67-‐72-‐ The dominant key is confirmed through varied repeat of mm.10-‐14. BAROQUE BINARY FORM ATTACHED TO THIS MOVEMENT: First 2 expositions are a1 and a2. A1=tonic and a2=tonic to dom Binary B section is 2nd pair of expositions. B1=dom modulates to tonic B2=begins and ends in tonic (reuse original material)

ORCHESTRAL EXPOSITION II (shorter, lasts 1/3 of time) Subject Area I-‐ mm.72-‐74-‐ second oboe enters in dominant. Link I-‐ mm.75-‐76-‐ deceptive cadence and a circle of 5ths brings music to the key of D major in variations of mm.19-‐21. Subject Area II-‐ mm.76-‐78-‐ 2nd violin and 2nd flute enter in A major, the dom of the relative major key. Link II-‐ mm.79-‐80-‐ music modulates to tonic via a circle of 5ths in a variation of measures 19-‐20.

CHORAL EXPOSITION II Subject Area I-‐ mm.81-‐85-‐ Bass enters in tonic key followed by the tenor in the dominant key. Link I-‐ mm.86-‐87-‐ link uses free counterpoint to modulate back to the tonic using rhythms from mm.19-‐21. Subject Area II-‐ mm.88-‐92-‐ alto enters in the tonic over a deceptive cadence in the submediant key of G major in measure 88, first soprano enters normally in the dominant. Link II-‐ mm.93-‐96-‐ Music modulates towards the subdominant key of E minor using a variation on m10-‐14.



Subject Area III-‐ mm.97-‐99-‐ 2nd soprano enters in E Minor, confirming the sub dominant key. Link III-‐ mm.100-‐101-‐ using variation of m.10-‐14 music returns to the tonic. Subject Area IV-‐ mm.102-‐106-‐ 1st and 2nd sopranos enter in the tonic and dominant keys respectively. Link IV-‐ mm.107-‐111-‐ This link establishes the dominant key using variations of m.10-‐14 and m.15-‐18. Episode I-‐ mm.112-‐115-‐ music variation of m.15-‐18. Link V-‐ mm.116-‐118-‐ music returns to tonic key using variation of mm.19-‐20. Subject Area V-‐ mm.119-‐120-‐ single entry in the bass is shortened to stay in tonic key. Episode II-‐ mm.121-‐126-‐ in a variation form of mm.10-‐14 the tonic is firmly asserted using a I-‐IV-‐V-‐I progression.

SANCTUS: “Plenti sunt coeli” *manipulation of the fugal writing. *SSAATB voicing *FORCES: 3 strumpets , oboes with 5 separate groups. *SSA *ATB *trumpets and timpani *three oboes *strings *very challenging to sing due to brisk tempo and 16th note passages.

*ending cadence of the subject uses the “hemiola” rhythm [switching groupings of 3+3 into groups of 2+2+2.



*Bach also uses the technique of duetting to lend a textual continuity to the entire movement. *the use of 6 voices could have presented a unique challenge for Bach resulting in lengthy repetition of tonic and dominant entries, by doubling the voices in the 4th entry. (1st alto harmonized with diatonic parallel 3rd *use of only 5 subject entries (5th is in bass at m. 72-‐78), also doubled in 10th-‐allowing Bach to end in the tonic key. *an even number of voices would leave the composer in the wrong key (dominant) and would need them to return to tonic. *the link in mm93-‐98 takes the harmony to B minor (submediant key) *a second link returns the key to D major through the use of a trumpet pedal trill in m104-‐113.

OSANNA *an incomplete fugue (fugal expos leading to non-‐fugal music) *has 3 full voice expositions

*subject continues in sequential patterns. In each case the exposition of subject goes directly to antiphonal homophony with sequences derived from the subject. *chorus 1 introduces subject in m15-‐22; chorus 2 in m39-‐46 *all 8 vocal parts combine in extended 3rd exposition in m63-‐79. With orchestra playing a short version in m79-‐82. *choir is divided into two antiphonal 4-‐part ensembles supported by various combinations of the 4 groups of instruments. *subject ranges in length from 2-‐4 bars depending upon when Bach abandons it for sequential or free counterpoint.



*each of the voices are brought in using a different key: D major, G major, F# minor, B minor. Making it easy to modulate to other keys. This is done in the opening exposition. *there are 3 expositions: 1st in m15 2nd in m39 and 3rd in m63 *last entrance creates a giant 22 measure arch *last entrance in rising BTAS voice addition (choir I) *then in reverse in choir II *ends in tonic (D Major) *trumpet in m81-‐ sounds (after 19 measures of silence) to announce end of the section. *lengthy 32 bar coda

CREDO: *opens with “symbolum Nicenum” Bach uses a juxtaposition of Baroque fugal techniques and that of older polyphonic practices of the Renaissance “stile antico”-‐ done so by the use of 2/2 giving the half note the beat and the 5-‐part voicing of SSATB.

*The key signature of D major is also in old style, because the piece is actually written in A. Mixture of A mixolydian and A major, depending on use of G natural or G sharp. *A major is key because of “musica ficta” omitting final accidental in key and scale degree to alternate between natural and chromatic form. *final cadence is reached by a plagal cadence (IV-‐I). *Statements of the fugue are heard in tonic A major and answered in subdominant of D Major instead of dominant key of E major. *technique used: “moveable Do” in solfege (sol mi fa mi re sol la) *use of a cappella voices without indication of instrumental doubling *also use of 2 violins with chorus [early 17th century baroque Italian music]



*use of only one melodic phrase, the subject, with one textual phrase “credo in unum deum” *use of a stretto in measures 34-‐41 (occurs above isometric-‐like bass) *2 soprano voices enter in measure 34 one beat after the other on subjects pitched a third apart, the second being a tonal subject enabling the harmony between them to be diatonic. The alto voice enters with the second soprano voice in parallel 6th. *false subject entry in the tenor at measure 35-‐added musical interest. *repeated in two violins parts at m 38-‐41 with false entry in the tenor at m 38-‐39 and m 42-‐43 and second soprano at m 39. *rhythmic layers ranging from the double whole notes to eighth notes and propelled by the walking bass line of quarter notes= rich rhythmic texture

CUM SANCTO SPIRITU: *fluctuates between D major and A major

*the last movement of the “Gloria”

*modern baroque work, with concerto and fugal aspects; 5 large sections, two of which are fugal.

Concertato I-‐ mm.1-‐36-‐ the tutti forces begin in the tonic D major and modulate to the dominant key of A major. The music consists of running scales, sequences, arpeggiated triads, repeated notes, and imitation of short motives. Fugue Exposition I-‐ mm.37-‐64-‐ choir and continuo begin in the dominant and move to the relative minor key of B minor, using a subject and countersubject derived from the previous section.

Concertato II-‐ mm.65-‐80-‐ beginning with only the orchestra with the choir entering later the music modulates to the dominant key of B minor using new musical figures.

Fugue Exposition II-‐ mm.80-‐110-‐ all forces except the trumpets and timpani modulate from F# minor to the relative major key of D major. Here the choir is doubled by the winds and strings. This fugal Exposition uses both subject and



countersubject with full and false entries and strettos in a generally more liberal manner with additions of melismatice lines.

Concertato III-‐ mm.112-‐128-‐ this movement is concluded the same way it began, with tutti forces in the tonic D major. The head motive of the fugue is drawn from the opening rhythm of the choral parts in the 1st measure (3 eight notes beginning off the beat). The fugue subject itself is found in mm 37-‐41 in the tenor voice (leaping eighth notes, with rising arpeggios and finishing with a leap of a seventh.) Countersubject is found in the sequential “fortspinning” sixteenths in mm. 21-‐24 of the soprano, flute, oboe, and first violin parts. The countersubject is just a continuous pattern of 16th notes also found in m 43-‐46 of the tenor voice. In the first exposition there are 4 subject entries even though there are 5 voices (SSATB). Nearly unnoticeable due to the false entry of the 2nd soprano in m. 54. The first exposition alternated opposite of the way it is found in the credo, beginning in A major) dom-‐tonic-‐dom-‐tonic. The 4th subject entry is made possible by the move to D major at that point. There is a 4 and a half measure link that follows serving to modulate to the relative minor key of B minor. The 2nd fugal exposition section features the orchestra doubling the vocal parts with the absence of the trumpets and the timpani 9reserved for the final and concluding section). Both subject and countersubject are doubled. There are now 4 “false strettos” found. First in m 85-‐86, in F minor. The link to the final section (m. 105-‐110) uses several fragments of the subject head.

CONFITEOR: *double fugue built to accompany a cantus firmus derived from chant.

*The two subjects are introduced in two separate and successive expositions of equal length. These two expositions are further balanced by the order of vocal entries:

Exposition I= S1 S2 A T B Exposition 2=T A S2 S1 B



*The two subjects are built in such a way that together they provide 2 voices necessary to forma n authentic cadence with the first subject resolving up (ti-‐do) and the second subject resolving down (re-‐do). *scored for 4 voices with continuo *transitional body of the fugue stretches from m.32-‐72, the ending of this body being announced by the four measure C# pedal in the continuo bass. *it is also important that this fugue uses only voices and bass, bass moving independently in steady quarter note rhythms. *the slowing and stopping of motion at the pedal point indicates the nearing cadence to the listener. *m48-‐52 false and true entries of the first subject. *the second uses ascending entries in 4 voices each beginning a diatonic third higher than the previous one m57-‐61. *following pedal C is an unexpected second section, where the 2 subjects continue to be manipulated. *heard in cannon at the fifth between the bass and alto in m 73-‐87 *then a single statement in augmentation form in tenor voice m 92-‐117; while 1st subject starts in cannon at m81-‐83



Additional Information Details on the Movements within

No. 1 Missa Kyrie and Gloria The section Kyrie is structured, following tradition, in a threefold acclamation of God, a choral Kyrie I, a duet Christe, and a different choral Kyrie II. Kyrie I is in B minor, Christe in D major, Kyrie II in F-‐sharp minor. The three notes B, D and F-‐sharp form the B minor triad. Butt notes D major as the central key, corresponding to the "atonement of Christ". The Gloria is structured in symmetry as a sequence of choral movements and solo movements, arias and a central duet, in three sections. The first is opened by a chorus followed by an aria, closed in the last section in symmetry by an aria followed by a chorus; the middle section alternates choral music with solo. The trumpets are introduced as a symbol of divine glory in several movements, beginning and ending in D major, with a planned architecture of keys in the middle movements. The central duet is in the "lowly" key of G major, referring to Christ as a "human incarnation of God". A corno da caccia appears only once in the whole work, in the movement Quoniam, which is about the holiness of God. Kyrie I The first movement is scored for five-‐part choir, woodwinds and strings. As the Dresden Mass style required, it opens with a short homophonic section, followed by an extended fugue in two sections, which both begin with an instrumental fugue. Christoph Wolff notes a similarity between the fugue theme and one by Johann Hugo von Wilderer, whose mass Bach had probably copied and performed in Leipzig before 1731. Wilderer's mass also has a slow introduction, a duet as the second movement and a motet in stile antico, similar to late Renaissance music, as the third movement. Bach based the work on a composition in C minor, as mistakes in the copying process show. The vast movement has aspects of both a fugue and a ritornello movement. In the first fugal section, the voices enter in the sequence tenor, alto, soprano I, bass, soprano II, expanding from middle range to the extreme parts, just as the theme expands from the repeated first notes to sighing motives leading upwards. In the second fugal section, the instruments begin in low registers, and the voices build, with every part first in extremely low range, from bass to soprano I. In both sections, the instruments open the fugue, but play with the voices once they enter.



Christe The acclamation of Christ stresses the second person of the Trinity and is therefore rendered as a duet of the two sopranos. Their lines are often parallel, in an analogy to Christ and God proclaimed as "two in one". Probably a parody of an earlier work, it is Bach's only extant duet for two sopranos, stressing that idea. Rathey points out that the duet is similar in many aspects to the love duets of Neapolitan opera. Typical features of these duets are consonant melodies, in parallel thirds and sixths, or imitating each other, with sigh motifs as on the word Christe. Rendering Christe eleison as a duet followed the Dresden Mass style. Kyrie II The second acclamation of God is a four-‐part choral fugue, set in stile antico, with the instruments playing colla parte. The style was preferred at court in Dresden. The theme begins with intervals such as minor seconds and major seconds, similar to the motif B-‐A-‐C-‐H. The first entrances build from the lowest voice in the sequence bass, tenor, alto, soprano. According to Christoph Wolff, Bach assimilated the stricter style of the Renaissance only in the early 1730s, after he had composed most of his cantatas, and this movement is his first "significant product" in the style. Gloria The Gloria is structured in nine movements. The first and last are similar in style, concertante music of the eighteenth century. In further symmetry, the opening in two different tempos corresponds to the final sequence of an aria leading to "Cum sancto spiritu", the soprano II solo with obbligato violin "Laudamus te" to the alto solo with obbligato oboe "Qui sedes", and the choral movements "Gratias" frame the central duet of soprano I and tenor "Domine Deus". The text of the Hymnus Gloria begins with the angels' song from Luke's Christmas story. Bach used this section, the central duet and the concluding doxology as a Christmas cantata, Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 (Glory to God in the Highest), probably in 1745, a few years before the completion of the Mass. The opening is set as a five-‐part chorus, beginning with an instrumental presentation of the material. In great contrast to the first section Kyrie, it is in D major, introducing the trumpets and timpani. The first thought, "Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Glory to God in the Highest), is set in 3/8 time, compared by Wenk to the dance Giga. Et in terra pax The continuation of the thought within the angels' song, "Et in terra pax" (and peace on earth), is in common time. The length of an eights-‐note stays the same, Bach thus achieves a contrast of "heavenly" three eights, a symbol of the Trinity, and "earthly" four quarters. The voices start this section, and the trumpets are silent for its beginning, but return for its conclusion.



Laudamus te An aria for soprano II and obbligato violin express the praise and adoration of God in vivid coloraturas. It has been argued that Bach might have thought of the Dresden taste and the specific voice of Faustina Bordoni. Gratias agimus tibi A four-‐part chorus in stile antico illustrates the idea of thanks and praise, again with trumpets and timpani. It is based on the first choral movement of Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29, which also expresses the idea of thanks to God and praise of his creation. The first part of the text, devoted to thanks, is a melody in even tempo that rises gradually and falls again. The voices enter without instrumental support in dense succession. The countersubject on the second line "propter magnam gloriam tuam" (for your great glory), devoted to the glory of God, is more complex in rhythm. Similarly, in the cantata the second line "und verkündigen deine Wunder" (and proclaim your wonders) lead to a more vivid countersubject. Towards the end of the movement, the trumpets take part in the polyphony of the dense movement. Domine Deus The section addressing God as Father and Son is again a duet, this time of soprano I and tenor. The voices are often in canon and in parallel, as in the Christe. The movement is likely another parody, possibly from the 1729 cantata Ihr Häuser des Himmels, BWV 193a. As the Christe, it is a love-‐duet addressing Jesus. Both duets appear as the center of the symmetry within the respective part, Kyrie and Gloria. Here an obbligato flute opens a concerto with the orchestra and introduces material that the voices pick up. Rathey points out, that the scoring at a first glance seems not to match the text "Domine Deus, Rex coelestis" (Lord God, Heavenly King), but it matches the continuation "Domine Deus, Agnus Dei" (Lord God, Lamb of God), stressing the Lutheran "theologia crucis" (theology of the cross) that the omnipotent God is the same as the one revealed on the cross. Qui tollis When the text reaches the phase "Qui tollis peccata mundi" (who takes away the sins of the world), the music is given attacca to a five-‐part choir with an obbligato flute. The movement is based on the first choral movement of Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei, BWV 46. The cantata text was based on the Book of Lamentations, Lamentations 1:12, a similar expression of grief. Bach changed the key, and the rhythm for the different text. The key of B minor connects this description of "Christ's suffering and mankind's plea for mercy" to the similar quest in the first Kyrie. The keys G – B – D form the G major triad, leading to the "home key" of the Gloria, D major. Bach uses only part of the cantata movement, without the instrumental introduction and the second part.



Qui sedes The continuation of the thought, "Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris" (who sits at the right [hand] of the Father), is expressed by an aria for alto and obbligato oboe d'amore. It is probably a parody. In Bach's earlier settings of the mass he had treated "Qui tollis and "Qui sedes" as one movement, here he distinguished Jesus at the right hand of the father by dance-‐like music. Wenk likens it to a gigue. Quoniam tu solus sanctus The last section begins with an aria for bass, showing "Quoniam tu solus sanctus" (For you alone are holy) in an unusual scoring of only corno da caccia and two bassoons. Paczkowski points out the symbolic function of this corno da caccia as well as the polonaise. By using the polonaise, Bach not only expressed the text by musical means, but also paid respect to the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, August III, to whom the Mass in dedicated. Probably a parody, it is the only movement in the work using the horn. The unusual scoring provides a "solemn character". Butt observes that Bach uses a rhythmic pattern throughout the movement in the two bassoons, which is even extended into the following movement, although they originally were independent. The repeated figure of an anapaest provides the "rhythmic energy of the texture." Cum sancto spiritu On the continuing text "Cum sancto spiritu" (with the Holy Spirit), the choir enters in five parts, in symmetry to the beginning. A homophonic section is followed by a fugue. The concertante music corresponds in symmetry to the opening of the Gloria, both praising God. No. 2 Symbolum Nicenum The text of the profession of faith, Credo, is the Nicene Creed. It is structured in three sections, regarding Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Bach follows the structure, devoting two choral movements to the first section, beginning the second section with a duet, followed by three choral movements, and opening the third with an aria, followed by two choral movements. The center is the movement Crucifixus, set in E minor, the lowest key of the part. Crucifixus is also the oldest music in the Mass, dating back to 1714. The part begins and ends a sequence of two connected choral movements in contrasting style, a motet and stile antico, containing a chant melody, and a concerto. The chant melodies are devoted two the key words of this part: Credo (I believe) and Confiteor (I confess). Credo in unum Deum The Credo begins with "Credo in unum Deum" (I believe in one God), a polyphonic movement for five-‐part choir, to which two obbligato violins add independent parts. The theme is the Gregorian Chant, first presented by the tenor in long notes on a walking bass of the continuo. The other voices enter in the sequence bass, alto, soprano I, soprano II,



each one before the former one even finished the line. The two violins enter independently, reaching a seven-‐part fugue. The complex counterpoint of the seven parts, five voices and two violins, expands the theme of the chant, often in stretto function, and uses a variety of countersubjects. In the second exposition (sequence of fugue entries), the bass voice is missing, leading to anticipation and a climactic entry in augmentation (long notes) beginning the third exposition, just as an entry of the first violin ends the second exposition. Musicologist John Butt summarizes: "By using numerous stile antico devices in a particular order and combination, Bach has created a movement in which a standardised structure breeds a new momentum of its own". This movement in stile antico contrasts with the following modern concerto-‐style movement, Patrem omnipotentem. This contrast is reminiscent of the contrast between the two Kyrie movements and foreshadows the last two movements of the Symbolum Nicenum. Recent research dates the movement to 1747 or 1748 and suggests that it might have been the introduction to a Credo by a different composer, before Bach began to assemble the Mass. Patrem omnipotentem The thought is continued in "Patrem omnipotentem" (to the Father, almighty), in a four-‐part choral movement with trumpets. The movement probably shares its original source with the opening chorus of Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171 (God, as Your name is, so is also Your praise), which also expresses the idea of thanks to God and praise of his creation. The voices sing a fugue to a concerto of the orchestra. The bass introduces the theme, without an instrumental opening, while the other voices repeat simultaneously in homophony: "Credo in unum Deum" as a firm statement. The theme contains all eight notes of the scale, as a symbol completeness. Bach noted at the end of the movement that it contains 84 measures, the multiplication of 7 and 12, a hint at the symbolic meaning of numbers. The word "Credo" appears 49 times (7*7), the words "Patrem omnipotentem" 84 times. Et in unum Dominum Et in unum Domium: different articulation of the instruments, canon of the voices The belief in Jesus Christ begins with "Et in unum Dominum" (And in one Lord), another duet, this time of soprano and alto, beginning in a canon where the second voice follows the first after only one beat. The instruments often play the same line in different articulation. The movement is based on a lost duet, which serves already in 1733 as the basis for a movement of Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213. Bach headed the movement "Duo voces articuli 2" which can be translated as "Two voices express 2" or "the two vocal parts of Article 2". The text included originally the line "Et incarnatus est de Spiritu sancto ex Maria virgine et homo factus est", illustrating "descendit" by a descending figure for the violins. When Bach treated "Et incarnatus est" as a separate choral movement, he rearranged the text, and the figure lost its "pictorial association".



Et incarnatus est The virgin birth, "Et incarnatus est" (And was incarnate), is a five-‐part movement. It is probably Bach's last vocal composition, dating from end of 1749 or the first weeks of 1750. Until then, the text had been included in the preceding duet. The late separate setting of the words, which had been given special attention by previous composers of the mass, established the symmetry of the Credo. The humiliation of God, born as man, is illustrated by the violins in a pattern of one measure that descends and that combines the symbol of the cross and sighing motifs, alluding to the crucifixion. The voices sing a motif of descending triads. They enter in imitation starting in measure 4, one voice every measure in the sequence alto, soprano II, soprano I, tenor, bass, forming a rich texture. The text "ex Maria vergine" (out of the virgin Mary) appears in an upward movement, "et homo factus est" (and made man) even in upward triads. Crucifixus "Crucifixus" (Crucified), enter of the Credo part, is the oldest music in the setting of the Mass, dating back to 1714. It is a passacaglia, with the chromatic fourth in the bass line repeated thirteen times. Wenk likens it to the dance Sarabande. The movement is based on the first section of the first choral movement of Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12. Bach transposed the music from F minor to E minor, changed the instrumentation and repeated each bass note for more expressiveness. Bach begins the movement with an instrumental setting of the bass line, while the cantata movement started immediately with the voices. The suffering of Jesus is expressed in chromatic melodic lines, dissonant harmonies, and sigh-‐motifs. The final line, on the 13th repeat of the bass line, "et sepultus est" (and was buried) was newly composed, with the accompaniment silent and a modulation to G major, to lead to the following movement. At the end, soprano and alto reach the lowest range of the movement on the final "et sepultus est" (and was buried). A pianissimo ending of the movement, contrasted by a forte Et resurrexit followed the Dresden Mass style. Et resurrexit "Et resurrexit" (And is risen) is expressed by a five-‐part choral movement with trumpets. The concerto on ascending motifs renders the resurrection, the ascension and the second coming, all separated by long instrumental interludes and followed by a postlude. "Et iterum venturus est" (and will come again) is given to the bass only, for Bach the vox Christi (voice of Christ). Wenk likens the movement to the dance Réjouissance, a "light festive movement in triple meter, upbeat three eighth notes".



Et in Spiritum Sanctum A bass aria renders "Et in Spiritum Sanctum" (And in the Holy Spirit) with two obbligato oboes d'amore. Only wind instruments are used to convey the idea of the Spirit as breath and wind. Speaking about the third person of the Trinity, the number three appears in many aspects: the aria is in three sections, in a triple 6/8-‐time, in A major, a key with three sharps, in German "Kreuz" (cross). A major is the dominant key to D major, the main key of the part, symbolising superiority, in contrast to the E minor of the "Crucifixus" as the lowest point of the architecture. The two oboes d'amore open the movement with a ritornello, with an ondulating theme played in parallels, which is later picked up by the voice. The ritornello is played between the three sections, the second time shortened, and it concludes the movement. The sections cover first the Holy Spirit, then his adoration with the Father and the Son, finally how he acted through the prophets and the church. The voice sings in highest register for the words "Et unam sanctam catholicam ... ecclesiam" (and one holy universal ... church), and expands in a repeat of the text in long coloraturas the words "catholicam" and "ecclesiam". Wenk likens the movement to a Pastorale, a "Christmas dance", often on a drone bass. Confiteor The belief of one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, "Confiteor" (I confess), is expressed in strict counterpoint, which incorporates a cantus firmus in plainchant. The five-‐part choir is accompanied only by the continuo as a walking bass. The voices first perform a double fugue in stile antico, the first entries of the first theme, "Confiteor unum baptisma" (I proclaim the one baptism), from soprano to bass, followed by the first entries of the second theme, "in remissionem peccatorum" (for the remission of sinners), in the sequence tenor, alto, soprano I, soprano II, bass. The voices follow each other in fast succession, only one or two measures apart. The two themes appear in complex combinations, until the cantus firmus is heard from measure 73 as a canon in the bass and alto, and then in augmentation (long notes) from measure 92 in the tenor. Then the movement slows down to Adagio (a written tempo change, rare in Bach), as the altos sing the word "peccatorum" (sinners) one last time in an extremely low range. As the text turns to the words "Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum" (and expect the resurrection of the dead), the slow music modulates daringly with enharmonic transformations through several keys, touching E-‐flat major and G-‐sharp major, vividly bringing a sense of dissolving into disorder as well as expectation before the resurrection to come. Whenever the word "mortuorum" appears, the voices sing long low notes, whereas "resurrectionem" is illustrated in triad motifs leading upwards. Et expecto The expectation of a world to come, "Et expecto" (And I expect) is a joyful concerto of five voices with trumpets. Marked "Vivace a Allegro", the voices begin with the trumpets fanfares in imitation on the same text as before. The movement is based on the first choral movement of Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120, Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen (Exult, you delighted voices). After this statement, which ends in homophony, the



instruments begin a short section in which runs in rising sequences alternate with the fanfares, in which the voices are later embedded. The word "resurrectionem" appears then in the runs in the voices, one after the other in cumulation. A second turn of instruments, embedded voices and upward runs brings the whole section to a jubilant close on the words "et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen" (and the life of the world to come. Amen), with extended runs on "Amen". Wenk likens the movement to the dance Bourrée, a "quick duple meter with an upbeat". No. 3 Sanctus Sanctus "Sanctus" (Holy) was an independent movement written for Christmas, scored for six voices SSAATB and a festive orchestra with trumpets and three oboes. In the original, dating from 1724, Bach had asked for three soprano parts, alto, tenor and bass. Only the score and duplicate parts of this performance survived. The music in D major is in common time, but dominated by triplets. The three upper voices sing frequently alternating with the thee lower voices, reminiscent of a passage by Isaiah about the angels singing "Holy, holy, holy" to each other (Isaiah 6:23). The number of voices may relate to the six wings of the seraphim described in that passage. Pleni sunt coeli The continuation, "Pleni sunt coeli" (Full are the heavens), follows immediately, written for the same scoring as a fugue in dancing 3/8 time with "quick runs". No. 4 Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem Osanna in excelsis "Osanna in excelsis" (Osanna in the Highest) is set for two choirs and a festive orchestra, in the same key and time as the previous movement. The movement is based, as is the opening chorus of the secular cantata Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen, BWV 215, probably on the opening movement of the secular cantata Es lebe der König, der Vater im Lande, BWV Anh 11, of 1732. The movement contrasts homophonic sections with fugal development. Wenk likens the movement to the dance Passepied, a "fast triple meter with an upbeat". Benedictus The following thought, "Benedictus", "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord", is sung by the tenor in an aria with an obbligato instrument, probably a flauto traverso, leading to a repeat of the Osanna. The intimate music contrasts with the Osanna like the Christe eleison with Kyrie eleison. It is written in the latest Empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style) as if Bach had wanted to "prove his command of this style".



Agnus Dei "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God) is sung by the alto with obbligato violins in unison. The source for the aria is possibly the aria "Entfernet euch, ihr kalten Hertzen" (Leave, you cold hearts), the third movement of the lost wedding cantata Auf, süß entzückende Gewalt, BWV Anh 196 (it). It was the basis also for the fourth movement of the Ascension Oratorio, Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11, the aria Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben. Dona nobis pacem The final movement, "Dona nobis pacem" (Give us peace), recalls the music of the thanks expressed in Gratias agimus tibi. A choral movement in Renaissance style as the conclusion followed the Dresden Mass style. As the Gratias agimus tibi, the movement is based on the first choral movement of Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29, with minor alterations because of the different text. The text appears on both the theme and the countersubject, here stressing "pacem" (peace) at the beginning of the line. By quoting Gratias, Bach connects asking for peace to thanks and praise to God. He also connects the Missa composed in 1733 to the later parts.

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Bach: Mass in B minor

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