A Moment of Bach

Widerstehe doch der Sünde (BWV 54): opening

Gift!! (That is..."poison" in German.) Put up your guard and resist the curse and poison of sinning -- this is the admonition which Bach gives us in this cantata for solo singer, strings, and continuo. The very first chord with its unstable harmony hits us with this force. 

We explore how Bach achieves this and other shocking dissonances even a few progressions (retrogressions?) which don't follow harmonic rules. Clearly the heartbeat bass line could be our resistance against sin -- but does the beautiful sequence of rising notes above represent indelicate passion, or the fight against it?

 

Widerstehe doch der Sünde as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, sung by alto Maarten Engeltjes and led by Lars Ulrik Mortensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBwjv-QJhIk

Companion video interview with the vocalist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGjJDFP-AyM&t=0s

Companion video interview with the conductor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNxeXKRiJg&t=0s

Mass in B minor: Kyrie eleison (II)

We complete our three-part miniseries on the Kyrie section of the Mass in B minor, focusing on the third movement.  And three is the number of the day -- everything here seems to have a three-part structure, from the largest sections of music down to the smallest cell.  The Rule of Three pervades.

Netherlands Bach Society performs the Mass in B minor (this link takes you directly to the movement we discuss in the episode):

https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE?t=956

Rule of Three:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)

 

Mass in B minor: Christe eleison

The “Kyrie” section of a mass comes first and must make an impression. Composers of ages past had learned to write a contrasting phrase in the middle: “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.” Bach takes this to an extreme; two grand archaic Kyries frame a stylish, Italian opera style soprano duet. It couldn’t be more opposite. 

 

The beautiful intervals of thirds and sixths make the duet harmony, except when a special moment is called for, when we hear tense seconds and sevenths. But everything has its opposite, even within this duet. Thirds later become sixths, and seconds sevenths. Bach uses these relationships to balance the structure of the delicate prayer “Christ Have Mercy.”

 

Christe Eleison (Netherlands Bach Society):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLbiDrn8IE&t=667s

 

Renaissance Kyrie example: William Byrd, Mass for Four Voices (Ensemble Morales)

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Mass in B minor: Kyrie eleison (I)

In January 2021, on our very first episode, we explored a "bass drop" moment at the very end of Bach's monumental Mass in B minor, where the soaring high voices and instruments suddenly give way to a deep, full, bass sound, in one of the most satisfying moments of music of all time!

Today, we revisit the evergreen Mass in B minor, and find another "bass drop" moment suggested by listener Bill -- this time from the very first movement.  Here, the fugue subject enters for the first time in the bass voices, and in a stroke of genius, the Netherlands Bach Society has the full bass section enter for the first time at this critical moment.

The video by the Netherlands Bach Society is a true artistic treasure -- not to be missed!  See it here -- and listen with headphones or good speakers -- enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLbiDrn8IE

French Suite no. 4 in E-flat major (BWV 815): Allemande

"The psychological effect of all this key-shifting, some jerky, some smooth, is very difficult to describe...perhaps it is the magic of Bach that he can write pieces with this kind of structure which have such a natural grace to them that we are not aware of exactly what is happening." In this episode we use these words by author Douglas Hofstadter to explore Bach's harmony as a deep stack of entangled and recursive structures. A moment from listener Santiago is the smallest of these stacked units, and we use it to zoom out. 

 

French Suite no. 4 as played by harpsichordist Pierre Hantaï for the Netherlands Bach Society (the Allemande is first):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2rQtGtxpOw

Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes (BWV 40): opening chorus

Today, we give a play-by-play of the opening chorus of this extravagant cantata, which was suggested to us by listener Riley. We talk horns, stretto, and... why you should listen to all different kinds of music.

See this delightful work as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLDTvI1RrgI

Thanks to all our listeners! And this week, an extra thank-you goes to Riley for suggesting this cantata!

Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21): two choruses

A divine duality: our bad thoughts and God's comfort, our imperfections and God's forgiveness, our guilt and God's love nevertheless. In this long cantata masterwork, Bach does the Psalms justice and expresses their vast emotions. He uses a set of spry and agile musical tools as varied as each phrase of the psalms he puts to music. 

This is the second of two episodes this month on BWV 21. Performance of this cantata by the Netherlands Bach Society (Shunske Sato, director):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGT0iPpU9is

Special thanks to listener Eliezer for a new perspective for us to talk about on this cantata. 

Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21): soprano aria

All Bach arias are duets.

This is the first of two episodes on BWV 21, which is one of Bach's earlier works.  It's a cantata rich with meaning, with biblical truths spread out from the Psalms to Revelation.  And, Alex has a revelation of his own about Bach arias -- sparked by this very piece.

Performance of this cantata by the Netherlands Bach Society (Shunske Sato, director):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGT0iPpU9is

O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross (organ chorale prelude, BWV 622)

In this hymn prelude about bewailing our sins, Bach chooses not to set the familiar melody starkly and austerely. Instead, the most flowery and passionate ornaments decorate the song. Organists know that our moment is going to be at the end: the famous c-flat major chord which strikes the word "Kreuze" (cross) and the following twists to the slow end on "lange" (long). Let's explore how these harmonies are not randomly chosen but are instead striking alterations of a regular harmonic progression. It's not hard to see why this chorale prelude has long been one of Bach's most popular.

 

Thanks to aMoB listener Dan for the suggestion!

Erwin Wiersinga plays the organ chorale prelude for the Netherlands Bach Society All of Bach project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oha0oITfYk

Mass in B minor: Cum sancto spiritu

Listener Alysse requested this triumphant moment from the energetic "Cum sancto spiritu" -- which happens to be Alex's favorite movement of the Mass in B minor.  This movement is full of verve and rhythmic complexity.  In this episode, we marvel at these rhythms and how they manifest in the two fugues.  And, along with listener Alysse, we stand awe and admiration of the mind that brought this music into the world.

Netherlands Bach society performs Mass in B minor, led by Jos van Veldhoven -- link takes you straight to the movement we discuss in the episode:

https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE?t=3033