Bach

Bach’s place in Lutheran Church history is very important. He is connected directly with the Reformation through the chorale, which Luther so much encouraged as a means of spreading the new views of religion. Bach was a strict Lutheran; and the chorale, or hymn to be sung by the congregation, was perhaps the most important expression of Lutheran religious feeling. The words will explain this perhaps better than anything else, if we take an example at random from the Leipziger Gesangbuch, in literal prose translation—e.g. No. 171: “A strong castle is our God; a good defence and weapon; he freely helps us in all trouble that can meet us. The ancient wicked enemy is in earnest; his cruel armour is great power and much deceit: there is none like him on the earth.

“We can do nothing of our own power, we are soon lost: but there fights for us the right man, whom God himself has chosen. Dost thou ask his name? Jesus Christ is his name, the Lord of Sabaoth. There is no other God; he is bound to win the day.

“And if the world were full of devils, who would devour us, we need not fear much, for we shall conquer. The prince of this world, however sour he may appear, can do nothing against us: a word is able to slay him,” &c.

This is one of the chorales assigned to the Festival of the Reformation, and one can imagine with what force it would appeal to those disposed towards Luther’s teaching. Its well-known melody was composed by Luther, and it was used by Bach as the foundation of a cantata which is considered by Zelter to have been composed in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Reformation in 1717, but the composer re-arranged it in 1730. The orchestra contains three trumpets, one flute, two oboes, one oboe di caccia, two violins, viola, violoncello, organ and figured bass.

The first chorus set to the words of the first verse has the following vigorous opening, the orchestra playing an independent accompaniment. (For convenience of English readers we quote from Novello’s octavo edition.)

This is worked in bold fugato (both chorus and orchestra taking the subject or the counter-subject), for thirty-six bars, which are then repeated, note for note, to the words: “In need His help our freedom gains, o’er all we fear prevailing.”

A short quotation may serve to give some idea of the fulness of the writing and the boldness of the counterpoint, of which the effect, when sung with proper energy, is overwhelming.

The words “our old malignant foe” follow, with the new fugue subject

occupying twenty-four bars.

Then

&c. treated fugato for twenty bars; and each line is worked in the same way.

The whole chorus is 221 bars in length, and is a masterpiece of massive choral and orchestral writing, in keeping with the sentiment of the words. It opens with three trumpets, drums, violoncello, and organ manual, the pedal being silent for the first twenty-three bars. At the twenty-fourth bar (the first quoted on page 97) the pedal enters with the 16 feet Posaune, and makes a bold canon of eight bars, with the melody played in the highest register of the trumpet. The canon concludes with a drum passage on the dominant; and fresh canons between trumpet and pedal occur at bars 49, 88, 122, 147, 178 and 200.

These seven canons are all formed on the musical phrases of the tune: and one might almost look upon the chorus as a gigantic “choral-vorspiel” with long vocal and instrumental interludes between the phrases given out by the trumpets and pedal.

The second verse is set as a duet for treble and bass, still in the key of D. After a ritornello, the bass enters with the words “all men born of God our Father, at the last will Jesus gather,” set to exceedingly florid passages, above which floats the melody in the treble voice.

A bass recitative, commenting on the preceding sentiments follows, and then a treble aria, “Within my heart of hearts, Lord Jesus, make thy dwelling.” In the fifth number the whole chorus sings the melody in unison, now changed to 6/8 time, and with a very florid accompaniment.

This is followed by a tenor recitative, “Then close beside Thy Saviour’s blood-besprinkled banner, my soul remain,” &c., a duet for alto and tenor, “How blessed then are they, who still on God are calling;” and the cantata concludes with the chorale simply harmonised in four parts, “That word shall still in strength abide,” in the form familiar to English congregations.

We have given a fairly full description of this fine cantata in order to show our readers what is meant when it is said that Bach based his church music essentially on chorale. Most of the cantatas are constructed in the same kind of way, i.e. a chorale is used as the chief subject. But that Bach did not merely work on a fixed model is shown by the fact that no two of the one hundred and ninety cantatas published by the Bachgesellschaft are alike. Nothing astonishes us more than the enormous fertility of invention shown in these wonderful works, the variety of detail, and yet the unity of purpose. The one idea of the composer was the religious effect to be obtained by the highest efforts of art devoted to the service of God. Except in Germany, they are rarely heard in their proper place as part of the church service: but the mere reading through of the scores produces a most profound effect, and creates a perpetual astonishment in the reader at the enormous resources of the composer.

Bach is generally considered as the greatest composer for the organ, but his organ works, wonderful as they are, seem small in comparison with these marvellous cantatas, all different and yet all connected, as it were, by an underlying unity of purpose.

Bach took the melody of “Ein feste Burg” for one of his finest choral-vorspiele (Peters, 245, No. 22). This is a particularly interesting composition, since it is the only chorale in which we obtain any clue to Bach’s methods of registering. In Walther’s MS. are given a few indications “a 3 clav.” for three manuals. The left hand is to begin with the fagott, sixteen feet, and the right hand on the choir with the “sesquialtera.” The piece was doubtless intended for the organ at Mühlhausen which was renovated and enlarged under Bach’s directions, and which had three manuals, containing on one a sixteen feet “fagott,” and on another a combination producing a “good sesquialtera tone.” It is one of the larger choral-vorspiele, containing fifty-eight bars.

It is worth while noticing how Bach, in this, and all other choral-vorspiele, does not adhere literally to the notes of the melody, but introduces ornamental passages, or lengthens and shortens notes to serve his purpose, or introduces the subject in augmentation and diminution. This was the regular custom amongst German organists. The choral-vorspiel is, in its simplest form, merely intended to prepare the congregation for the melody that is to be sung, but instead of a mere bald playing through of the tune, as is usual in English churches, the organist was expected to use his art in elaborating it.

Bach, in his younger days, was accused of over-elaborating, not only the vorspiele, but the accompaniment. It was a fault of youth, and hardly called for the official censure that the Council at Arnstadt thought fit to administer. He was practically his own teacher. If he had been under the guidance of an older and more experienced organist, he would undoubtedly have curbed his zeal for “surprising variations.”

At that time he seems to have lost sight of the fact that he was expected to accompany the congregation. He forgot all about them, and gave free rein to his imagination so that the “congregation were confounded.” And well they might be, by the following example of his accompaniment.

He was in reality not suited to be a mere accompanist—his genius was too great to be tied down to the formal notes sung by the congregation, and a far lesser man would have suited this kind of work better. His choral-vorspiele are masterpieces of organ work; his extemporised or written accompaniments are artistic, but quite impracticable.

But when he harmonises a chorale in vocal parts for his choir to sing with the congregation, his genius shines forth in the most exquisite harmonic combinations possible. Examples abound, and a volume might be written on this subject alone. We can only indicate here a few instances of various treatments of the chorale.

Every one knows the opening double chorus in the Matthew Passion. After an instrumental introduction full of dignity and solemnity, built chiefly on tonic and dominant pedals (E minor), the first chorus sings, “Come ye daughters, weep with me, behold the Lamb as a bridegroom.” The second chorus exclaims, “Whom? How?” while the first continues its course, and a “Soprano ripieno” chorus enters with the chorale—

The work is now performed every Good Friday in the Thomas Church at Leipsic. The organ gallery occupies the whole of the west end of the nave and two side aisles. On each side are placed the singers, the soprano and alto parts being sung by women. This chorale is sung by the boys of the Thomas Schule, some forty in number, and the effect of the contrast of tone bringing it in is overwhelming. Poor Bach, with his miserable little rabble of a choir with three voices to a part, can hardly have realised how his music would sound many years after his death, when performed by a large body of enthusiastic and intelligent musicians.

The next chorale in the work is

harmonised for four voices, and accompanied by violins, flutes, oboes, violas and basses, in unison with the respective voices and figured bass organ part. This accompaniment is used for all the succeeding chorales, and we may remark that the melody is given to the two flutes and two oboes as well as the first violins, that it may be made prominent.

All the other chorales in this work, six in number, are thus arranged and accompanied. The well-known Phrygian melody

occurs no less than five times, sometimes harmonised in the Ionian, sometimes in the Phrygian mode, and he has arranged it in the latter mode as a very beautiful vorspiel for the organ (Peters 244, No. 27).

We may here remark that in playing the organ choral-vorspiele no notice is to be taken of the fermata, which are only used when the melodies are sung.[58]

Besides the choral-vorspiele, and the introduction of the melody in conjunction with a chorus, and the harmonisation in four parts, with orchestra doubling the voice parts, Bach makes many other uses of the chorale. In the Christmas Oratorio, for example, he combines it with recitative, the melody being freely accompanied by the orchestra, and interspersed with recitative passages of the nature of interludes between the lines. Or he harmonises it in four parts, with free orchestral interludes.

The above quoted melody appears in the Christmas Oratorio with brilliant orchestral accompaniment and interludes, three trumpets, drums and two oboes being used besides the strings and organ.

Erk has collected 319 chorales in two volumes (Peters), extracted from the church cantatas, &c., and has given full particulars of the sources. Sometimes they are worked up as fugues. Thus, the tune composed by Kugelmann about 1540, and generally known in England as the “Old Hundredth,” appears in the cantata “Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende” in the following form, the voice parts being doubled by strings, cornet, two oboes, three trombones and organ.

The choral-vorspiele published in the Peters’ edition number about 143—besides several sets of partitas or variations on chorales, and many “Varianten,” or different workings of the same vorspiel.

Although this eminently national German and Lutheran form of religious art sank deeply into Bach’s soul, and more or less influenced and coloured all his compositions for the Church, he was accused at Leipsic of being too proud to demean himself to conducting or accompanying a mere chorale!

What he did was to allow his genius full play on a form which intensely interested him, and to exhibit it in new and original aspects.

The orchestration of the cantatas is of great interest. It is generally known that Bach did not usually employ the orchestral instruments in the modern manner, but made each play an independent counterpoint. Thus there were as many contrapuntal parts as there were voices and instruments combined; and a cantata was described as being, for example, “in nine parts, for one oboe, two violins, one viola, one violoncello, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices with organ continuo,” or as a “concerto for four voices, two oboes, viola and continuo.” Sometimes, as in “Erforsche mich Gott,” there is a violin obbligato above the voice parts in the final four-part chorale. In other cantatas it is noted that the “cantus firmus (the chorale-melody) is in the soprano,” or other voice. In the opening chorus of “Herr Gott dich loben wir,” the cantus firmus is in the soprano, the other voices sing throughout, making the interludes which are usually allotted to the instruments.

Bach was fond of dividing his violas. Thus, part of “Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee” is scored for four voices, two flutes, two violins, four violas, fagotto, violoncello and continuo.

Or parts are written for a viola and a taille (the tenor viol). In “O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort,” the scoring is for three oboes, two violins, viola and continuo, with a tromba da tirarsi (slide trumpet) in unison with the soprano throughout. The cantata “Ich hatte viel Bekümmerniss,” known in England as “My spirit was in heaviness,” was composed and performed at Weimar on the third Sunday after Trinity, 1714, on his being made Concertmeister there. It is labelled “Per ogni tempi,” “suitable for any season.” It has one oboe and one fagotto, besides the usual strings.

“Es ist nichts gesundes” is scored for three flutes, cornet, three trombones, two oboes, the usual strings and four voices. Here the cantus firmus is given out by the organ in the bass with figures,

and there is no further reference to it until long after the chorus have entered, and have been singing contrapuntal passages, when, without any warning as it were, the three flutes, cornet, and three trombones, which have hitherto been silent, bring in the chorale in four parts, the voices and strings continuing their contrapuntal course. The effect is so peculiarly Bach-like that we cannot refrain from quoting a few bars.

The above quotation is only a specimen of what is found throughout a long chorus, all the sections of the chorale being introduced in turn, with a never-ceasing flow of counterpoint in the voice parts, accompanied in the same way by strings.

If we examine the voice parts we shall find that they practically amount to a double canon, the tenor imitating the bass, the treble imitating the alto. But the canon is not carried out with an iron-bound rule which would crush all beauty out of the music; on the contrary, the imitations are quite free and unconstrained. Each voice must have its melody, even if collisions occur now and then, such as between alto and tenor bar 15, last quaver: alto and bass just previously to this: the consecutive sevenths in the treble and alto bar 16, third and fourth quavers, or the entry of the tenor on F♮ bar 17, against the F♯ in the bass. This rough and healthy vigour is thoroughly characteristic; the parts must express themselves by their melody; if they happen occasionally to collide, this is of much less importance than that their vigorous melody should be sacrificed in order to sweeten the harmony.

The string accompaniment must also take its part. The instruments are all treated as individuals, not merely as filling up harmonies. Therefore they do not reiterate one note in each chord, but move about. The wind instruments play in four part harmony which is complete in itself. It might perhaps appear that this is merely a display of learning and contrapuntal skill, but a close examination of Bach’s most elaborate works will reveal the fact that the greater the contrapuntal task he sets himself, the more expressive is the music. Such choruses exhibit the highest possible technical skill, but all this is as nothing compared to the wonderfully artistic effect that the composition as a whole produces.

In some cases Bach writes an organ obbligato part in addition to the “continuo,” or figured bass. Thus the opening symphony of “Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir,” composed for the election of the Town Council at Leipsic in 1737, consists of the “Prelude” of the violin solo suite No. 6 transposed to D,

on the obbligato organ, with accompaniments for three trumpets, drums, two oboes, strings and continuo (to be played on another organ[59]).

Bach seems to have tried every kind of experiment with his orchestra. For instance in “Freue dich erlöste Schaar” an aria is accompanied by a flute, a muted violin, the rest of the strings pizzicato, and the organ part to be played staccato. One peculiarity, however, of his orchestration is that the combination of instruments he chooses for a particular movement remains the same throughout. Rests occur in the parts, but there is no variety of treatment within the movement. Thus in the above-mentioned aria the lower strings having begun pizzicato play pizzicato throughout, the first violins remain muted throughout, and the organ plays staccato throughout. Again, in the opening chorus of “Es ist nichts gesundes,” referred to above, the wind never plays anything but the chorale in four parts. Of variety there is plenty, but it is not produced by modern methods.

Bach was just as careful in the choice of instruments for his particular effects as in the choice of stops in organ playing. Many of the instruments he used are now obsolete, and their intonation must have been very faulty. Yet if they had the particular tone colour he considered fitting he would not hesitate to employ them, to the exclusion of, or together with, the more manageable instruments such as the violin, viola, oboe, &c. Amongst the obsolete instruments he employed to accompany the voices in his cantatas and Passion music were violoncello piccolo,[60] viola da gamba,[60] taille,[61] viola d’amore,[60] cornet,[60] oboe d’amore,[62] oboe da caccia,[60] lituus,[60] violetta,[60] violino piccolo.[60]

Some of the cantatas are called solo cantatas; they consist of a series of movements usually founded on a chorale, for one or more solo voices, and contain no choruses, though occasionally a chorale is to be sung by the congregation.

The cantatas are often called by Bach “Concertos.” Thus “Bereitet die Wege” for fourth Sunday in Advent is entitled “Concerto à 9, 1 oboe, 2 violini, 1 viola, 1 violoncello, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, col basso per organo di J. S. Bach.”

Chapter IX

The Matthew Passion and B Minor Mass[63]

It was Luther’s chief intention to make the congregation take more part in the service of the Church than they had formerly done. The first thing therefore was to diminish or abolish the use of Latin; and the people were made to sing what they could understand and appreciate.

Luther translated a number of excellent old church hymns, and made new tunes for them, being assisted in this work by friends. The newly arranged hymns were to take the place of the Graduals, Offertories, &c.

He also translated and reorganised the chief parts of the Mass; thus the Kyrie became “Gott Vater in Ewigkeit,” the Gloria, “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr,” the Creed, “Wir glauben all an einen Gott,” and the Agnus Dei, “Christe du Lamm Gottes.”

The Preface, the Benedictus, and Hosanna were left in Latin.

Besides the chorales, he instituted the motet for the choir, which was accompanied ordinarily by the organ, but on high festivals by cornets and trombones. The style of the motets was that of Palestrina and Orlando Lasso, and the texts were chosen from the Bible, especially the Psalms. On days of humiliation, a long Litany and several Latin hymns were sung instead of the Gloria. In Holy Week and on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, instead of the Epistle, the Story of the Passion was sung antiphonally from one of the gospels by two priests before the altar.

But several inconveniences gradually arose. In spite of Luther’s urgent order, “A priest must be able to sing,” there were, in course of time, only a few who could, and those sang badly—most priests could not even keep to a single note.

Let us imagine an unbroken monotone or monotonous chant badly intoned, of the length of perhaps over one hundred verses; and the service, being lengthened by the addition of hymns, &c., occupied sometimes from four to five hours, all in one wearisome unison, and entirely deprived of the variations which gave life to the Catholic service. Moreover if anyone came late or left early he was severely reprimanded.

Luther said, “We arrange the German Mass as well as we can; our successors will improve it.” But for a hundred years after his death men held most conscientiously to the letter of his sayings, and when alterations were made, they were done so sparingly that they were of little effect. The Latin songs were almost all assigned to other services, e.g. the “Rex Christe” was assigned to the vespers, the “Crux fidelis” to Thursday in Holy Week, and the singing of the Passion before the altar was changed to a mere reading from the pulpit.

But when read, only a very small portion of the congregation either heard or understood it in a large and well-filled church; and soon there arose disorders, especially when the old Protestant strictness of discipline began to decline, and the Thirty Years’ War had produced much roughness in manners. A way out of the difficulty was found, which must be mentioned, though it only lasted a few years. It was certainly conceived in accordance with Luther’s principles, but it was soon found to be entirely impracticable. The congregation were themselves to sing the Passion story. For this purpose a song was composed by Paul Stockmann (“Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod”) containing all the chief points in the story. Not only did the composition prove entirely unsatisfactory in itself, but can one imagine four and thirty strophes of eight lines each being sung straight away to one of the dullest and most monotonous melodies that was ever composed!

During this period, however, Figural music had, outside the Church, been gradually developing in a freer and more easily appreciated manner, and was therefore becoming widely cultivated.

It found favour with the people, since there was no law against its use, so that it began to enter the Church, not in ordinary services, but on festivals. The result was most favourable. We find expressly stated the attention and the devout pleasure with which the congregation listened to the conjunction of song and strings. Gradually, therefore, this music was received into favour, first on festivals and afterwards on Sundays in the principal churches, and that without any special care that the text and expression had any regular connection with particular parts of the Liturgy, much less with the special subject of the sermon. The cantor and music director in fact did not know beforehand what the subject was to be.

Everything else that had been used from former times remained, except that after Frederick Augustus, Elector of Saxony, entered the Roman Church in 1697, and organised such splendid services in his Court church as had never been before heard in North Germany, more freedom was allowed in the Lutheran churches.

The celebration of the Passion remained as before, and we have only to add that during the Fast and Advent weeks all instruments, including the organ, had to be silent, even during the singing of the thirty-four strophes.

At last there came to the head of spiritual affairs at Leipsic a man of decided character, highly esteemed as a learned theologian, a very impressive preacher, and respected for his strictness of teaching and life, Salomon Deyling, Doctor and Professor of Theology, &c. (1677-1755). He could no longer endure the state of things in Passion Week, and, since in 1723 the great and famous Sebastian Bach had become cantor of the Thomas School and music director of the two chief churches at Leipsic, he associated himself with him in order to see if his ideas could be put in practice. The idea which he propounded to Bach was this: “The early arrangement of the service was the best, but was only suitable to its own date: we must try and make our arrangement on the model of the earliest, but in keeping with modern requirements.

“On each Palm Sunday and Good Friday the history of the Passion of the Lord is made known antiphonally, according to one or other of the Evangelists, exactly in accordance with the sacred writer’s words! Who could improve on this? They must be sung, how else are they to be understood by all? But they must be sung by some one who can sing! namely by you: and so that everything may sound well and be impressive they must be musically sung, and accompanied.

“Your best singer, who can pronounce clearly and well, must sing the words of the Evangelist in recitative, and, in order to produce more impression and life and variety, the other persons of the story must be represented by other singers, and the Jewish people by a chorus. At the chief points in the story there will be pauses, during which, by means of an aria, the congregation shall lay to heart what they have heard; and that all of us shall be refreshed from time to time, there shall be well chosen verses from all the known hymns, in which the congregation can join. Now, your business is to carry all this out in a connected and artistic manner.” And thus arose Bach’s Passion music, which completely fulfilled everything that was expected of it. However few there were who could understand and honour and enjoy them as art works, these services, and Bach’s method of treating them, were gladly received by the congregation, and the performance of such oratorios became every time a truly edifying and Christian artistic feast.

This account refers of course chiefly to Leipsic. It is supposed that the decay of the performance of the Passion was due to the pupils and sons of Bach, who tried to improve on his and Deyling’s arrangement by the introduction of Italian and lighter methods, which, though pleasing, were soon found to be unsuitable to the simple words of the Bible and Hymn-book.

The custom of performing the Passion in an epic and dramatic form during Holy Week is exceedingly ancient. It exists still in the Catholic Church in an ancient traditional way, consisting of the relation of the gospel narrative by one singer, the speeches of Jesus by another, while a third represents the crowd called turba. Music and the dramatic element are little represented, and the performers only make use of accent or intonations. In the Reformed Church the performance of the Passion in German, and in artistic style, did not take place earlier than the last half of the sixteenth century. Winterfeld finds the earliest Passion music arranged for chorus after the Gospel of St Matthew in Keuchenthal’s Gesangbuch, Wittenberg, 1573. A short instrumental piece precedes it and another closes it, and for the rest, only the words of the turba are allotted to chorus. A similar work is the Passion according to St John, which is found in Selneccer’s Gesangbuch, 1587, but here there are hymns to be sung by the congregation.

The Passion according to St John, of Bartholomäus Gese, 1588, begins with a five voice chorus, followed by the gospel narration by a tenor in Plainsong. The words of Christ are usually sung by four chorus voices, the words of Peter and Pilate by three voices, those of the maid and servant of the High Priest by two voices, the turba are in five voices, and a five voice chorus concludes the work.

Heinrich Schütz, 1585-1672, in whose “Resurrection of the Lord” modern forms are found, has very sparingly used similar forms in his Passions according to all four Evangelists, but chiefly in the concluding choruses. The Passions in Vopelius’ Gesangbuch, 1682, show that the early forms were still in use at that date.

The Passion of Capellmeister Johann Sebastiani, 1672, at Königsberg, shows an advance in form here and there; and here also for the first time do we find the artistic use of hymn tunes, while in Schütz only the final movements of his Passions have any connection with the chorale. The biblical narrative is no longer in plainsong, but recitative, accompanied either by two violins or two violas and bass, and this is the first example of instrumental accompaniment in a Passion music. The turba are in four voice chorus, with a fifth part in high tenor for the Evangelist. Two violins, four violas and bass always accompany him. The hymns are directed only to have their melodies sung, the remaining parts being played by the strings.

A remarkable appearance was that of the Passion oratorios at Hamburg, in which Handel, Keiser and Mattheson introduced the regular song forms, the recitative, aria, and the duet of the opera, and in such a method as only could be performed by very highly trained singers. At first the words of Scripture in their original formed the basis.

In 1704, however, an entirely new departure was made in “The bleeding and dying Jesus” of Reinhold Keiser, with words by Hunold-Menantes. Here there was no Evangelist, nor were words of the Scripture introduced, but three cantatas or soliloquies, similar to dramatic scenes, took an important place. They were called the “Lamentation of Mary,” the “Tears of Peter,” and the “Lovesong of the Daughter of Zion.”

The novelty, which excited the fiercest criticism and raised a great contest, did not take root, although through its means a new way was opened up. For this attempt led the Hamburg Councillor Brockes to write a musical poem of a similar kind, in which the evangelist was retained in order to fill the gaps between the scenes.

This composition, which was greatly admired, was set to music by Keiser, and afterwards by Handel, Mattheson and Telemann. The first performance of Keiser’s setting took place in Holy week in 1712, and it is of special interest, since Bach took some of the words for the arias in his St John Passion.

In the Matthew Passion Bach follows that of Sebastiani with the addition of new forms derived from the drama, but enriched and ennobled by the mind of the Master. Scripture words and hymns no longer satisfied his contemporaries or himself; and as long as the kernel of the work was scriptural, according to use consecrated by time, no objection could be made to the introduction of what had already been accepted in other services in the Church. Only the soliloquies, those theatrical scenes in which biblical persons appear with words other than biblical, he would not introduce, for it was too like the stage. Thus in a form, which though new, was intimately connected with the old, did the Passions of Bach appear, and the congregation took part by singing the chorales. It is not known for certain how many Passions Bach wrote; the number is said to be five.

Regarding the author and composer of the St Luke’s Passion nothing is known for certain, for Bach gives neither in his copy. The arguments for its being his work are that it is in his writing, and is possibly a youthful composition, and that he recopied it in later years so that it should not be forgotten; while the chief argument against its genuineness is its insignificance. The Bachgesellschaft publish it with the above reservation.

It consists mostly of chorales in four parts with short recitatives between them. There are few arias or choruses, and a sermon is to be preached in the middle.[64]

The first performance of the Matthew Passion took place on Good Friday, 1729. The words, where not scriptural, are by Picander. All the resources of art are employed in this tremendous work. A double chorus, a ripieno chorus of sopranos, a double orchestra and double organ part; a part for the Evangelist which calls forth the very highest powers of the greatest singers; all the instruments known in Bach’s time are at various points brought into requisition. We have already alluded (p. 104) to the effect of the opening chorus when sung in the Thomas Church. The never-ceasing flow of quavers in 12-8 time, the call to the contemplation of the Passion, the questioning second chorus which finally unites with the first, the solemn and dignified march of the orchestra, have a devotional expression which has never been surpassed. Throughout the work the words of the Saviour are accompanied by strings alone in four parts, with the continuo (which was never omitted in those days). The chorales, which are of frequent occurrence, are to be sung in unison by the congregation, and harmonised by the choir and instruments. The words of the turba or Jewish people are always allotted to double choruses, which throw the expressions backwards and forwards at each other in a turbulent manner (see p. 123).

The disciples are also represented by a double chorus, as are the Christian congregation; and the music of the various double choruses is in keeping with sentiments which might be supposed to actuate the singers. The arias which fill the “pauses” suggested by Deyling are allotted to an alto, soprano, tenor, or bass, and are accompanied, in addition to the organ, by two flutes, or two oboi d’amore, or oboi da caccia, or by a viola da gamba, or by a violin solo with string band.

After Bach’s death this magnificent work was performed at St Thomas Church till the end of the seventeenth century, when it was laid aside until revived by Mendelssohn in 1829, just one hundred years after its first performance.

The gigantic B Minor Mass was gradually composed. At first it was to have been a “missa brevis,” but the rest was added later. Hilgenfeldt[65] makes the following remarks on it:—“This Mass is one of the noblest works of Art, full of inventive genius, depth of feeling, and astonishing artistic power: there is no other of the same calibre which can be compared to it. It was originally written for the Saxon Court, and was first performed at Dresden. On his other compositions of the same kind Bach has expended far less energy. It is possible that a Protestant artist such as he was could not entirely enter into the religious point of view which he was obliged to take in composing for the Catholic Church, and several of his other masses are merely collected from portions of his cantatas.”

This is, however, also the case with the B minor Mass: thus the Crucifixus occurs in the cantata “Weinen Klagen,” the Hosanna in “Preise dein Glücke,” the Agnus in “Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen.”

The Mass is dedicated to Frederick Augustus in the following words:—

“Illustrious Elector,—Gracious Master,—To Your Royal Highness I offer in deepest devotion this small fruit of the knowledge to which I have attained in music, with the most humble prayer that you will look upon it, not according to the poor composition, but with your world-renowned clemency, and therefore will take me under your powerful protection.

“I have for some years had the direction of the music in the two chief churches at Leipsic, but have suffered several disagreeable things, and my income has been reduced though I am myself blameless; but these troubles would be easily overcome if your Highness would grant me the favour of a decree, after conference with your Court orchestra.

“The gracious granting of my humble prayer would bind me to everlastingly honour you, and I offer myself to do anything with obedience that Your Royal Highness may require of me in the way of composing church or orchestral music, and to give unwearied industry, and to dedicate my whole strength to your service.—With ever-increasing faithfulness, I remain, Your Royal Highness’ most obedient Servant,—Johann Sebastian Bach.”

This letter was handed in to the Court at Dresden when Bach was there on a visit, July 27th, 1733. The reader will remember that he was at this time in conflict with Ernesti, and the Council;—the title of “Hof compositeur,” Court composer, was not however given him until 1736. Though Hilgenfeldt says the B minor Mass was first performed at Dresden, it is doubtful whether it was ever performed outside the two chief churches at Leipsic, and even there it was only done in parts. On a score of the “Gloria” made in 1740 the note occurs “on the feast of the Nativity.” The “Sanctus” also was originally intended as a Christmas piece. The “Kyrie” is of great length; its score occupies forty-six pages in the Bach Gesellschaft edition. Like the rest of the choral portions, it has five voices, two sopranos, alto, tenor and bass. The orchestra consists of two flutes, two oboi d’amore, two bassoons, strings and continuo.

The Gloria is scored for three trumpets, drums, two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, strings and continuo. It will be observed that for the joyful music of the Gloria the tone of the oboe proper was considered more suitable than the perhaps more plaintive tone of the oboe d’amore, which is used in the Kyrie.

At the very outset the hearers are made aware that a work of unusual proportions is commencing. The words Kyrie eleison are sung in a massive five part adagio with independent orchestral parts, coming to a full close at the end of the fourth bar. Here an instrumental “largo ed un poco piano” commences and continues for twenty-five bars; it foreshadows the vocal fugue, of which the following is the impressive subject: