In the conclusion of the series of the music of the "Thirteen" we will look at certainly the main figure in the Baroque, J. S. Bach (1785-1750). Indeed, his death will signal a new period in music, the classical.
"The Thirteen" ventures outside of the Renaissance to perform Baroque works. For example ,earlier this year performed "St John’s Passion", a prominent Bach work. What did Bach do for vocal music ? Bach specialized in Cantatas and Oratorios. Like operas they have a story line. Bach is known for voluminous output and for extending the length of various musical forms.
Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas, of which many have survived. They were assigned a number – 1–200 sacred cantatas, 201–216 secular cantatas, 217–224 cantatas where Bach’s authorship is doubtful. The Cantata was written for one or more solo voices, choir, & orchestra and were designed for church services, though many later were taken outside of the church.
A typical Bach cantata of his first year in Leipzig follows the scheme:
- Coro – opening chorus
- Recitativo
- Aria
- Recitativo (or Arioso)
- Aria
- Chorale
Typically Bach employs soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists and a four-part choir. He sometimes assigns the voice parts to the dramatic situation, for example soprano for innocence or alto for motherly feelings. The bass is often the the voice of Jesus, when Jesus is quoted directly. Like an opera there is a story line, but there is no acting.
The specific character of a cantata or a single movement is rather defined by wind instruments, such as oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d’amore, flauto traverso, recorder, trumpet, horn, trombone, and timpani. In movements with winds a bassoon usually joins the continuo group.
The cantatas followed the Lutheran liturgy. Specifically, it was expected that reading from the Epistle and Gospel would be heard. Music was expected for all Sundays and Holidays except the quiet times (tempus clausum) of Advent and Lent; the cantata were supposed to reflect the readings. Many opening movements are based on quotations from the Bible. Ideally, a cantata text started with an Old Testament quotation related to the readings, and reflected both the Epistle and the Gospel Most of the solo movements are based on poetry of contemporary writers
The story of Bach’s cantatas begins with his first employment at the age of 18, in August of 1703, when he was appointed organist to the New Church in Arnstadt having recently dazzled the congregation with his brilliant performance at the dedication of their new organ. While his duties as organist did not require the composition of cantatas, Bach nevertheless produced some of his earliest choral works at this time.
Bach wrote many of the sacred cantatas in annual cycles for each Sunday of the year. He started the first on the first Sunday after Trinity of 1723. After Trinity of 1724 he started a second annual cycle of mainly chorale cantatas. The chorale was typically the chorale prescribed for that week. These cantatas were performed even after his death probably because the well-known hymns were appealing to the audience. After Trinity of 1725 Bach began a third annual cycle which extended for several years. Beginnning in 1727, his later cantata compositions are partly not documented as well.
Bach’s cantatas employed many famous melodies. On #147, contained "Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring":
Bach’s oratorios can be considered as expanded cantatas, a larger scale work. They are more story telling than the Cantata and featured an expanded choir and more varied performances between the singers .
They were also meant to be performed during church services or not. Other than in the cantatas, a narrator, the Evangelist, tells a story in the exact Bible wording, soloists and the choir have "roles" such as Mary or "the shepherds", in addition to reflective chorales or commenting arias interspersed with the story. The St Matthew Passion and the St John Passion were intended to be performed on Good Friday, before and after the sermon. The six parts of the Christmas Oratorio were intended to be performed on six feast days of the Christmas season, each part composed as a cantata with an opening chorus (except in Part 2) and a closing chorale.
Here is the first chorus in St. John’s Passion which the Thirteen has performed
If you want to know more about Bach’s and his vocal music, Yale University has presented a series of lectures on music. Here is the one on Bach and in particular his vocal music