Johann Sebastian Bach

1
Baroque EraCh 11, 4, 12, 13

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• Fugue
• Baroque Suite
• Chorale
• Chorale Prelude
• Cantata
• McGraw-Hill Help with these topics

2
Johann Sebastian Bach

• Church Musician
• Write music for services
• Play organ
• Teach choirs
• Teach soloists
• Conduct orchestra, choirs
• Court Musician
• Wrote music for entertainment
• Wrote commissioned pieces
• School teacher
• Organ teacher
• Organ construction consultant
• Composersacred secular music
• Husband/father

Dont write this down!
3
Bachs Music

• Extremely large output
• Finest quality
• Great variety of genres
• keyboard music (organ, harpsichord)
• concertos
• sonatas
• motets
• cantatas
• even a Mass!
• orchestral suites
• NO OPERA

Dont write this down!
4
Fugue

• Instrumental or vocal music
• polyphonic composition based on only one main
  theme (subject)
• Voice parts used to designate lines (topsoprano
  bottombass)
• 3-voice, 4-voice, 5-voice, etc.
• Subject recurring main melody unity
• Episode non-subject music contrast

5
Picture this fugue
Episode
6
Episodes digressions, musical wanderings,
between reappearances of the subject.
7
Fugue

• After all voices present the subject, it may
  reappear in any voice.

Listen to the excerpts belowWhich voice has the
subject? Upper? Lower?Which voice has the
Decoration? Upper? Lower?
Tricky!
A bit harder
Easy
(answers next slide)
8
Fugue
9
Log

• Bach
• Organ Fugue in G Minor
• Fugue
• I
• 4-voice polyphony

10
Baroque Suite

• Contrasting dance-inspired mvts (C)for
  listening, not dancing
• All mvts in same key (U)
• Mvt. 1 serious French Overture (C)(strange way
  to open)

11
Log

• Bach
• Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, Bourrée
• Dance Suite movement
• I
• Driving, exuberant rhythm
• AABB form
• Attention to timbre

p. 133 CD 2, Tk 10
12
Chorale

• Hymn for congregational singing
• easy to sing
• easy to remember
• Homophonic
• in German
• Strophic

CD 2Tk 15
13
Chorale Prelude

• A chorale decorated, i.e., woven into a
  more elaborate piece

• Played on organ
• Uses
• as introduction to congregations singing of
  chorale
• as prelude music before service

14
Think about it

• Furniture, machines, architectural components,
  musical instruments (e.g., pipe organ)all highly
  decorated, become beautiful works of visual art
  as well as useful devices
• Shrubbery is pruned into visually interesting,
  exotic shapes (topiary)
• A simple chorale for congregational singing is
  woven into an elaborate, more complex, and
  lengthier piece of music
• See a pattern here?

15
Cantata

• most sacred, some secular

Large-scale work

• multi-movement, lengthy
• chorus, soloists, orchestra, organ

• in German
• usually based on Sundays scripture
• many based on familiar chorales

Usefulness in worship VIMP
16
Cantata

• Bachs output HUGE (gt350)
• variety
• style
• performing forces
• highest artistic standards
• sincere religious devotion

17
Log

• Bach
• Cantata 140, (Wachet auf )
• Sacred cantata
• I
• Mvt 4 2 highly contrasting ideas combined in
  Ritornello-like organization
• Mvt 7 simple homophonic chorale

CD 2
Tk12
Tk15
18
Wachet auf chorale melody
Zi -
on
hört
die
Wäch-
ter
sing -
en
19
Wachet auf, Mvt 4 combines 2 highly contrasting
ideas
faster R angular gestures
Orchestra plays complex decoration
sin------ hört die
Wäch-ter gen----- on Zi -
Tenors sing simple chorale melody
slower R smooth arched phrases
CD2, Tk12
20
Wachet auf, Mvt 4
Form
Decor
Decor
Decor
Decor
Chorale
Decor
Decor
Decor
Chorale
Chorale
Decor musical decoration (see previous slide)
How does this movements structure resemble
ritornello form? How does it differ from
ritornello form?
Name the elements or events that create
UNITY. Name the elements or events that create
CONTRAST.
CD2Tk12