Unit VII Vocal Music of the Baroque

1
Unit VIIVocal Music of the Baroque

• Chapter 23
• Bach and the Baroque Cantata

2
Cantata

• Term comes from Italian cantare (to sing)
• Multi-movement work for soloists, chorus and
  instrumentalists
• Recitatives, arias, ensembles, choral movements
• Generally short, intimate
• Mostly sacred, but secular cantatas do exist

3
The Cantata

• Cantatas closely tied with Lutheran tradition
• A new cantata was sung as a part of each weekly
  service. The annual collection of such cantatas
  is known as a cycle.
• Bach wrote 4 complete and a 5th partial cycle

4
The Lutheran Chorale

• Many of the sacred cantatas of the Baroque are
  based on Lutheran chorales
• Martin Luther and followers wrote many chorales
  (hymns) in the German language as service music
  for their new church.
• Originally sung in unison by the congregation, 4
  part harmonizations were sung by the choir

5
Johann Sebastian Bach

• 1685-1750
• Culminating figure in Baroque music of all genres
  but the opera
• Raised by an older brother who was organist in
  Ohrdruf

6
Three major periods of Bachs composition

• Weimar period - court organist and chamber
  musician to Duke of Weimar
• Many of Bachs most important organ works written
  during this time

7
Three major periods of Bachs composition

• Cöthen Period - (1717-23) served the prince of
  Anhalt-Cöthen as court composer
• Wrote many chamber works (suites, concertos,
  sonatas, six Brandenburg Concerti Grossi
• First wife dies, marries Anna Magdalena, one of
  his court singers

8
Three major periods of Bachs composition

• Leipzig Period (1723-1750) Served as Cantor of
  St. Thomas Church until his death
• From 1729 served as director of the collegium
  musicum

9
The Leipzig Years

• Supervised the music for the citys four main
  churches, training the choirs and orchestras for
  each while composing a new cantata for each
  weekly church service

10
The Leipzig Years

• Constantly bickered with church and civic leaders
  for more money, time and resources

11
Bachs Musical Output

• Early in his career Bach gained renown as an
  organ virtuoso. His organ works are among the
  most important of the Baroque
• Bachs 48 preludes and fugues found in the 2
  volumes of The Well-Tempered Clavier remain a
  staple for pianists today
• 4 Orchestral Suites

12
Bachs Musical Output

• 6 Brandenburg Concertos (Concerti grossi)
• Over 200 church cantatas in 5 cycles
• B minor Mass
• St. John and St. Matthew Passions

13
Bachs Musical Legacy

• Bach, along with Handel, was the great
  culminating force in the musical Baroque. He
  brought all genres excepting opera to their
  highest stage of development
• His Musical Offering and The Art of the Fugue are
  left as a legacy of the height of Baroque
  contrapuntal procedure

14
Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

• 8 movements
• Centers around the Luther chorale of the same
  title
• Luthers words found in movements 1, 2, 5 and 8.
  The rest of the text is by Salomo Franck
• Note pallindrome structure of the movements (See
  p. 137)

15
Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

• Listening Guide 13 pp.137-138 (CD 1/43-49)
  Movement 1 - Choral fugue in which each line of
  the text has its own fugal treatment
  (fuguepolyphonic composition based on imitation)
• Each phrase is an embellished version of the
  original chorale tune
• Trumpets and drums added by Bachs son Wilhelm
  Friedemann

16
Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

• Middle movements are freely composed arias and
  recitatives which surround a central choral
  movement
• The central movement is a unison chorale in which
  the orchestra sets the stage for a battle between
  good and evil in the recitative and aria which
  follows
• Each movement features a single affection or
  emotion, as was the practice of the day

17
Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

• Listening Guide 13 p. 138 (CD1/50-51) Chorale -
  Final movement - simple homorhythmic setting of
  the chorale tune for chorus and orchestra in the
  manner of a hymn
• The congregation typically would join in the
  singing of this movement