Bach Flashcards
What are the four features of a cantanta?
For voice and instruments, in several movements
Medium length
Sacred or secular
Some movements for soloists, some for chorus
What was this pieces original purpose?
For reformation day. A major festival in the Lutheran church
Where does the melody originally come from?
Martin Luthers Choral
Is the melody conjunct or disjunct?
Conjunct
How is each phrase of the melody heard in movement one?
In turn
Which phrase is particularly ornamented?
phrase 1
What instruments are working in canon?
3 oboes and the violone
In movemet two is the melody more ornamented?
The ornamentation is more intense
Who is the soloist doubled by?
Solo oboe and additional ornamentation
Which part is not related to the choral melody?
The bass solo
How does Bach create melodic extension and development?
Extended melismas
How does Bach create instrumental character?
Bold leaps in non-melismatic passages
What are the vocal parts based on?
Triadic shapes and repeated notes
What form is movement 8 in?
Congregational form
Which of the following are used in the melody? Chromaticism Triplets Doubling Turns
Chromaticism
Doubling
What type of harmony does Bach use?
Functional
Why does he use functional harmony and how?
To establish the major and minor keys through tonic and dominant triads
What do passing notes create in movement 8?
Additional rhythmic movement and melodic flow
How is the harmony enhanced?
The addition of non-triadic notes
Where is there dissonance?
In suspensions
What is the overall structure of the 8 movements?
Chorus Duet Recitative Aria Chorus Recitative Duet Chorus
What does the structure of movement one depend on?
Structure of chorale melody
What are the 9 phrases of the choral?
Ein feste burg Ein gute wenler En wilft vus furei Die usis itzt hat Der alte bose Feind Mit Ernst Grob Macht Sein grawson Rustury Auf End ist Nicht
What is the tonic?
D major
What does the piece modulate to?
G A F sharp minor E minor B minor C sharp minor
How is movement 8 harmonised?
Homophonic style
Why is there so little minor tonality in movement 8?
Theme is confidence in god and Bach would’ve wanted to avoid any contrary ideas
What is the arrangement of the doubling?
Soprano, alto and tenor voices are doubled by the first, second violas and the viola
The bass is frequently doubled by the cellos
Why is there 3 oboes?
To help bring out the choral melody
When does the violone play?
Only in canonic sections - answering the oboes
What else is used to bring out the choral melody?
The added trumpets
What does the organ provide?
Harmonic support
How is movement 2 contrasting?
Soprano and bass solos
First and second violins play in unison
There is a continuo
What is an Oboe D’amoure?
A mezzo-soprano oboe with a gentler sound
What are the indicated dynamics?
Like in most Baroque works there is no indicated dynamics
What is the texture of movement one?
Contrapuntal throughout
Why is the treatment of phrases 1 and 3 special?
They create fugal expositions
What is hetrophony?
The simultaneous presentation of two versions of a melody
What is the texture of movement 2?
Contrapuntal throughout
What is the texture of movement 8?
Homophonic - Soprano accompanied by alto, tenor and bass
Why are there no tempo directions?
Performers were expected to judge the tempo from the character and note values
What is special about the cut common time signature?
Normally represents simple duple time but in earlier music it represents 2 minims per bar
What is the time sig. of movement 2 and 8?
Simple quadruple
How does Bach achieve textural clarity in movements one and two?
Through different rhythmic patterns and note values
Why does the canon stand out?
Use of long note values/augmented
Where is the most quaver movement in movement 8?
In the lower parts
Where are the only pair of semi-quavers in movement 8?
Final phrase
What is the purpose of fermatas?
To mark out the final chords
What chords does no.2 intro outline?
I,V, IV
What chords are outlined in No.8?
I, V IV, II
Dixit Dominus melody
latin - catholic orchestral intro not set less doubling in instruments leaps of octave and 7th mostly conjunct scalic repetative cantusfirmus sequencing melismas descending
dixit dominus harmony
functional lots of perfect cadences repetative some chromaticism accidentals
dixit dominus key
Gm
no modulations
dixit dominus Rhythm/tempo/metre
Repetitive busy but not complex basso continuo cross rhythms crotchet rests semiquaver scales motopapetuo semiquavers in strings
dixit dominus composer and date
Handel 1707
dixit dominus sonority
SATB
no dynamic markings
2 violas, 2 violins, basso continuo
Handel and the Glory of the lord
1742 The Messiah Basso continuo A major SATB Polyphonic canon melismatic doubling hemiola, sequence, ostinato peddles and cadences
Comparisons
Glory of the lord St. Nicolas Jerusalem Messiah Wachet auf Telemann Nelson Mass
Context
1731 reformation sunday baroque first performed in Lepizig at St Thomas Church Bach musical director over 800 chorales
What did the cantata originally come from?
composition Bach wrote in 1715 at Easter
Ales Was Von Gott Geboren
