J.S. Bach, Cantata, Ein feste Burg

Question 1

What is a cantata?

Answer 1

A cantata is a vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment and comprises many movements.

Question 2

What does ‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’ mean?

Answer 2

A mighty fortress is our God.

Question 3

What is ‘Ein feste Burg’ based on?

Answer 3

It is a church cantata in which both the text and music are based on a Lutheran hymn. Based on Martin Luther’s hymn of the same name.

Question 4

What is a cantus firmus?

Answer 4

A cantus firmus (fixed song) is a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition.

Question 5

What was the composition written for?

Answer 5

The composition was written for Reformation Day: a feast day in the Protestant Church celebrated on the 31st October.

Question 6

What are the eight movements in the cantata?

Answer 6

1) Chorus: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott.
2) Aria and duet (bass and soprano): Alles, was von Gott geboren.
3) Recitative and arioso (bass): Erwage doch, Kind Gottes.
4) Aria (soprano): Komm in mein Herzenshaus.
5) Chorale: Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel war.
6) Recitative and arioso (tenor): So stehe denn bei Christi blutgefarbten Fahne.
7) Duetto (alto, tenor): Wie selig sind doch die, die Gott in Munde tragen.
8) Chorale: Das Worst sie sollen lassen stahn.

Question 7

What is the first movement scored for?

Answer 7

SATB choir and tutti orchestra.

Question 8

What is the second movement scored for?

Answer 8

A duet for soprano and bass with string accompaniment and solo oboe.

Question 9

What is the eighth movement scored for?

Answer 9

A four-part SATB choir with orchestral accompaniment.

Question 10

Describe the texture of the first movement.

Answer 10

The texture is highly contrapuntal and written in a fugal style.

Question 11

Describe the texture of the second movement.

Answer 11

1) The orchestral introduction and postlude have a melody-dominated homophony.
2) The soprano and bass parts enter in a highly contrapuntal texture.
3) The soprano and oboe often create a heterophonic texture.

Question 12

Describe the texture of the eighth movement.

Answer 12

Typical of a chorale, the texture is homophonic.

Question 13

Describe the text setting of the first and second movements.

Answer 13

The vocal line frequently contains long melismatic passages.

Question 14

Describe the text setting of the eighth movement.

Answer 14

The chorale is typically entirely syballic.

Question 15

Describe the melody of the first movement.

Answer 15

1) It is predominantly conjunct with only small leaps of a fourth and fifth.
2) The theme is transposed down a fourth to present as an answer to the subject.
3) Ascending sequences.
4) Mainly diatonic melody but with some chromaticism.

Question 16

What is the range of the soprano in the first movement?

Answer 16

The range of an eleventh (from a D to a G#).

Question 17

What is the range of the alto in the first movement?

Answer 17

The range of a twelfth (from a G to a D).

Question 18

What is the range of the tenor in the first movement?

Answer 18

The range of an eleventh (from an E to an A).

Question 19

What is the range of the bass in the first movement?

Answer 19

The range of a twelfth (from an A to an E).

Question 20

Describe the melody of the second movement.

Answer 20

1) The soloist’s vocal lines are mainly scalic with occasional angular moments.
2) The bass line is highly scalic with melismatic running semiquavers (more ornate than the soprano melody).
3) Very few examples of sequences.
4) Trills in the oboe and the soprano parts.

Question 21

What is the range of the soprano part in the second movement?

Answer 21

The range of a ninth (from a D to an E).

Question 22

What is the range of the bass part in the second movement?

Answer 22

The range of almost two octaves (from F# to E).

Question 23

Describe the melody of the eighth movement.

Answer 23

1) Mostly diatonic and conjunct.
2) Only very small leaps.

Question 24

What is the range of the soprano part in the eighth movement?

Answer 24

The range of an octave (from a D to a D).

Question 25

What is the range of the alto part in the eighth movement?

Answer 25

The range of a ninth (from an A to a B).

Question 26

What is the range of the tenor part in the eighth movement?

Answer 26

The range of an eleventh (from an E to an A).

Question 27

What is the range of the bass part in the eighth movement?

Answer 27

The range of two octaves (from a D to a D).

Question 28

What key is the cantata written in?

Answer 28

D major (with modulations to closely related keys)

Question 29

Bars 1-16 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 29

Based on bars 1-4 or the eighth movement.

Begins in D major with a brief modulation to the dominant A major, returns to the tonic D in bar 3.

The theme (cantus firmus) is announced with the entry of each part.

In Bar 12, there is a short modulation to the subdominant G major, which then passes through A major and back to the tonic in bar 16.

The cantus firmus is unornamented and used in canon between the oboes, violone and organo.

Question 30

Bars 16-30 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 30

The theme is announced in the soprano against the countersubject in the alto.

Other vocal lines become more scalic and melismatic.

Fragments of other phrases of the chorale are introduced.

The section ends in bar 27 with a long tonic pedal note.

Question 31

Bars 30-45 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 31

This section represents the repeat of bars 1-4 from the eighth movement.

This section begins with the subject in the tonic key in the tenor, followed by the answer in the alto (bar 33), the subject in the soprano (bar 35) and the answer in the bass (bar 38).

There are ascending sequences in the soprano part.

There are brief glimpses of A major and D major.

Question 32

Bars 46-60 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 32

The soprano sings the subject, which is followed by the answer in the bass in bar 48, and then the subject in the tenor part.

In bar 51, there is a modulation to G major, before returning to D major in bar 53.

This section ends with a long tonic pedal note in bar 57.

Question 33

Bars 60-82 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 33

New thematic material is announced which is based on the 5th phrase of the eighth movement. It starts with a perfect 5th leap before becoming conjunct.
(Bass, tenor, alto and then soprano order)

Highly modulatory music in this section. When the 6th phrase of the eighth movement enters, it briefly passes through related minor keys such as F# minor (bar 73), B minor (bar 75), E minor (bar 76), back to B minor (bar 78) and returning to A major (bar 80).

Question 34

Bars 82-90 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 34

New thematic material is introduced which is based on the 8th phrase from the eighth movement.

The melody starts with three minims followed by a semibreve before moving into quavers.

It starts in A major, swiftly moves through F# minor and B minor before returning to A major (bar 88).

Question 35

Bars 90-100 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 35

Melodic material based on the 8th phrase of the eighth movement.

Starts with three minims but followed by crotchet-based rhythms.

(Soprano, alto, tenor and then bass order)

Passes through related minor keys.

Ends reaching a chromatic climax.

Question 36

Bars 100-114 (Structure & Tonality) [1]

Answer 36

Begins back in the tonic key with a melody in the tenor part. (Closely related to the opening theme and announced in different parts).

Passing modulations return to the tonic key.

Embellished versions of phrases of the choral (movement eight) are presented.

Ends with a final tonic pedal note.

Question 37

Bars 1-8 (Structure & Tonality) [2]

Answer 37

The orchestral introduction.

The upper strings play a lively semiquaver leaping melody accompanied by a strong quaver bass line, often starting on the offbeat.

Begins in the tonic key D major before modulating to the dominant A major (bar 4), briefly passing through G major (bar 5), before returning to the tonic.

Question 38

Bars 9-23 (Structure & Tonality) [2]

Answer 38

Bass enters first with an ornate melismatic line of scalic semiquavers followed a bar later by the soprano with an embellished version of the cantus firmus.

Begins in D major and modulates to A major in bar 12.

In bar 15, the soprano sings an embellished version of phrase 2 of the eighth movement.

Bar 19 onwards is a solo for the bass part.

Question 39

Bars 24-37 (Structure & Tonality) [2]

Answer 39

A repeat of bars 10-23 with only slight variations.

Question 40

Bars 37-60 (Structure & Tonality) [2]

Answer 40

Begins in D major, soon modulates to A major in bar 38.

This section mostly modulates rapidly through closely related keys including B minor (bar 53) and F# minor (bar 60).

Question 41

Bars 60-69 (Structure & Tonality)