Context Flashcards
What was the main cause for Bach’s passions falling out of standard usage?
Changes in opinions on the appropriateness of the poetry and poetic style they contain Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
Bach’s passions were strongly influenced by the form of what other genre?
Italian Opera Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
Who was Bach’s employer in Leipzig? Why is this unique?
Thomasschule, not a church, but the town’s Latin School. Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
For how many choirs/churches did the Thomasschule provide music in Leipzig?
Four choirs, five churches Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
Which churches in Leipzig were Bach’s primary responsibilities?
Nikolaikirche/Thomaskirche Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
How did many of Thomasschule’s vocal students regularly perform in churches?
As instrumentalists. Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
How were Bach’s four Liepzig choirs organized?
Carefully graded with an increasing level of difficulty; only the best sang/played Bach’s own compositions Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
What was Bach’s primary concern in choosing music for his second choir?
The capabilities of available performers Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
How were motets viewed during Bach’s time?
Easy music, performed repeatedly, old school, boring… Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
Who was primarily responsible for conducting motets?
Prefect; the cantor handled the concerted works almost exclusively. Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
Who most clearly defines the historic roles of concertists and ripienists?
Michael Praetorius; Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
What is the basis for Praetorius’ teaching on concertists and ripienists?
Venecian practices; Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
What is the orchestral parallel for a concertist?
obliggato violinist/Section leader–featured soloist, but also an ensemble member; Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
Which group of singers was often considered optional?
ripienists; Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
Great quote regarding “tutti” passages…
“It sounds beautiful if one hears just one bass, tenor, alto and treble; whereas if everybody is shouting indiscriminately it is nothing but the bleating of a flock of sheep…” –Johann Christian Strodtmann, Rector of the Ratsgymnasium in Osnabrück; Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
How many singers are needed to double the volume of a quartet?
32; Parrott, Essential Bach Choir
What operatic conventions appear in Bach’s passions?
rage aria, associations between character types and voice ranges; Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
What differences separate passions from operas?
presence of a narrator; liturgical restrictions–no dramatic resolution; Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
What tradition preceded the use of “characters” in passions?
Reader’s theatre-style musical renderings of the stories; Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
Why was it easier to accept one singer performing all tenor parts and roles in Bach’s time?
Most listeners could not have seen the individual singer due to where he/she would have stood.; Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
What keeps the use of one singer for multiple roles/parts from becoming confusing to the listener?
Character and style of the music (recit, aria, chorus, etc.); Melamed, Hearing Bach’s Passions
Why didn’t Bach include many of the pre-Weimar cantatas in his work at Leipzig?
Most were not appropriate for weekly services, and also sounded “dated”; Wolff, World
What forms the basis of several of Bach’s early sacred Leipzig cantatas?
Earlier secular cantatas (especially from Cothen) with new texts; Wolff, World
What were Bach’s compositional influences? (4)
“church compositions…from far and wide”, North German composers, Italian scores; family members (aka Thuringian composers); Wolff, World
What genres and styles of vocal music were most important in protestant churches around and after 1700? (4)
various types/forms of cantatas; Latin settings of the Kyrie and Gloria, a cappella motets set to biblical texts usually with chorale tunes; large-scale oratorios for major feast days; Wolff, World
What influence did secular music have on Bach’s compositions before Leipzig?
Some, but very limited; occasional stylistic similarities, but usually well hidden or altered; Wolff, World
Describe the character of Bach’s relations with the town council in Arnstadt.
Strained and argumentative, but with license because they recognized his great abilities; Wolff, World
Describe Bach’s compositional output at Arnstadt.
Mostly instrumental, mostly for organ; Wolff, World
Describe Bach’s cantatas/vocal music at Muhlhausen.
Mostly for special occasions; Wolff, World
What was awkward about Weimar?
Ruled by two dukes who were constantly undermining each other; both had legal control over the court musicians, so they were often caught in the middle; Wolff, World
What was the result of Bach’s travel to Halle while working at Weimar?
A promotion to concert master and a raise at Weimar; Wolff, World
When and why was Bach imprisoned?
For forcing the issue of his dismissal from the Weimar court; Wolff, World
Why are there so few manuscripts from Bach’s time at Cothen?
The prevailing rule was that a composer had to leave behind all works composed while employed by the court. Unfortunately, the court didn’t see fit to preserve them as well as Bach did.; Wolff, World
Who died in Cothen?
Bach’s youngest child and his first wife.; Wolff, World
What composer did Bach study while in Weimar?
Vivaldi; Alwes, CJ 11/00
Why are there often fewer soprano solos in Bach’s Leipzig cantatas?
They would have been sung by boy sopranos who were often the youngest and least experienced ; Crist, CJ 11/00
How is Bach’s treatment of simple recit different from that of his contemporaries?
While much simple recit was melodically boring, Bach uses it to great success; Crist, CJ 11/00
What were the five main responsibilities of the Cantor of Thomasschule in Leipzig?
instruction of the school students; music direction of four churches; training the city’s pro musicians; direct the university music program; maintain the organs; Crist, CJ 2/99
What were some reasons for Bach leaving Cothen?
Bad memories of his wife and child’s death; the new, unmusical princess; Crist, CJ 2/99
What ironic statement did Councillor Platz make regarding Bach’s consideration for the Leipzig post?
“Since the best man cannot be obtained, mediocre ones will have to be accepted.”; Crist, CJ 2/99
Who was Bach’s most continual colleague and librettist at Leipzig?
Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander); Finlay, ML 7/50
What was the stereotypical setting/topic of a Baroque secular cantata?
mythology; Finlay, ML 7/50
How did Bach ensure that his congregations would understand his music better?
He distributed cantata texts ahead of time; Gingrich, CJ 51/1
What is the main idea of Hamer’s CJ article?
Bach used structures (especially chiasms) to highlight important moments–especially ABCBA constructions; Hamer, CJ 11/00
Why would Baroque organs not have changed their tuning frequently?
It was extremely labor intensive, and they were known not to hold tuning well, depending on weather and other conditions; Lindley and Ortgies
Why is the phrase “Die Juden aber schreien…” so painful for Jewish people to hear? (from St. John Passion)
Because that word was almost exclusively used by Nazi’s during and before WWII; Marshall, BN F/12
How else could Luther have translated the term, “Die Juden”?
As the Judeans–residents of the area, not specifically Jews; Marshall, BN F/12
Why is the author of the gospel of John not an anti-semite?
Because John was a Jew; Marshall, BN F/12
Why was Bach able to compose more complex and intricate music in Leipzig than in Weimar?
His experiences writing more secular and/or instrumental music for Cothen.; Rathey, CJ 7/07
Describe Bach’s orchestra.
diverse; 153+ different orchestras, rarely the same combination within a single cantata; 1 Whittaker
How do German Baroque madrigal settings differe from traditional Italian ones?
No fixed number of lines, concealed rhymes, unequal line lengths, changes of meter, punchline at the end; Durr Cantatas
What was the typical form used to set Biblical words?
Motet (palestrina style with madrigalian influences); Durr Cantatas
What Italian compositional devices found their way into the German cantata? (2)
Concerto, monody with continuo accompaniment; Durr Cantatas
Why is Bach’s fascination with the chorale so remarkable?
It had otherwise fallen out of style for cantatas in Germany; Durr Cantatas
Describe the survival rate of Bach’s sacred and secular cantatas.
3 of 5 complete cycles survived, plut a few pieces from the other two; more of the secular cantatas were lost than survived; Durr Cantatas
Characteristics of early Bach cantatas… (4)
Biblical words and chorale, later with free verse text added; highly sectional; influenced by motets; gradually transitioning to unified large forms; Durr Cantatas
Three types of late Weimar cantatas:
- Franck’s transitional type (no reict); 2. Neumeister’s 1st and 2nd cycless (recit and aria, w/o Biblical words or chorales); 3. Neumeister’s 3rd and 4th cycles (recit and aria with Biblical words and/or chorales); Durr Cantatas
Characteristics of early Weimar cantatas…
Extended arioso in recit; brief arias, purely da capo; Durr Cantatas
Characteristics of Cothen cantatas
Secular, for New Years and for birthday of Prince Leopold (Dec. 10), Friedrich Hunold librettist; mini opera; duets; serenata; Durr Cantatas
How does Scheibe describe Bach’s music?
“…beauty has been darkened by an excess of art.”; Marshall, Bach S/90
What was the purpose of a cantata in the lutheran tradition?
To serve as musical sermons; Marshall, Bach S/90
What terms does Marshall use to describe the opening movement of 78?
Terms of oratory from Quintilian: Exordium, Transitus, Narratio (main point), Argumentatio, Peroratio (Conclusion); Marshall, Bach S/90
Describe the political climate when Bach was hired at Leipzig.
Electorate of Saxony in battle between absolutists who wanted a Kappellmeister/Court Musician and The Estates (nobility and coties) who wanted a Cantor/Teacher for the schools.
Butt 22
How does Leaver describe Bach’s approach to parody?
An attempt to make music that was limited by an event more accessible throughout the year, thus broadening the audience for his music.
Butt/Leaver 90-91
After Forkel, name two early Bach Biographers and approximate times of writing.
Bitter (1865), Spitta (1873-1880)
Butt/Stauffer 210
