Johan Sebastian Bachs Mass in B-Minor - Essay Example

?Johan Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B-Minor Introduction Johan Sebastian Bach is one of the European composers to have attained the glorious seats of musical geniuses. His distinguished Mass in B Minor has succeeded over the decades and became one of the Catholic Church’s divinity and praise classical songs, since it depicts the life of Jesus Christ. As how Talbeck (n.d.) described his music, Bach revealed the “essence of Baroque unity, order, and control, residing with unshakable confidence beneath his broad brow.” Furthermore, Bach’s life is more fortunate than the other composers his age who suffered from social criticisms. His positive position in the society had offered him opportunities to improve with his craft, including Mass in B-Minor. The composition is greatly influenced by the composer’s religious views, his personal connections and traditions of his time. About Mass in B-Minor The Mass in B minor was composed by Bach for the Roman Catholic Church. Although it is quite peculiar to think why a devout Lutheran would compose a song for the Catholics, Bach’s relationship with the rest of the society and his roles on it could justify this contrasting idea. The work is consisted of 27 sections divided into four major sections, and six of them are distinctively unchanging and all of which were written in different periods of Bach’s life. Therefore, it is logical to assume that the work is basically “an anthology” of music written by Bach in the late years of his life (Towe, 1991: 46). The major sections, “Kyrie,” “Gloria,” “Symbolum Nicenum or the Credo,” and “Sanctus, Hosanna, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei” were written for different purposes in different times; although all of which have a lot to do with the religious proceedings of the Catholic Mass. As how Spitta (n.d.) reviewed the composition, the work is “the ideal and ‘concentrated presentiment’ of the development of Christianity from Sin (Kyrie), through Atonement with Christ (Gloria), to the Church proceeding from him (Credo) and the memorial supper - the culmination of the doctrine (Sanctus...)” (as cited in Jenkins, 2001); while a lay-man observation would notice the pattern of life Christ followed: birth, death, and resurrection. Kyrie and Gloria Initially, the Kyrie and Gloria were written separately; it was not until 1733 that the two collections were put into one and played in a single setting and became the “two fifths of the entire work” (“History,” 2007). Kyrie and Gloria served as a “presentation piece to the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland” with whom Bach had indulgence of being the Court Composer (Towe, 1991: 46). The Kyrie is presented to have charming duets of sopranos and interplay or strings and organ (Aylesbury Choral Society, 2004), of which Bach first gained his fame. It started out with a group of choral sopranos, where the ambiance can be best described as an act of awaiting for a predestined suffering; an event where Jesus Christ is particularly famed for. Talbeck (n.d.) noted that the second part of the Kyrie has “fugal style weaves all voice parts beautifully around the text, portraying a community grounded in hope.” The major sections were divided into several cantatas, which probably were composed also at different times. Most notably, his “Gloria,” as how the Aylesbury Choral Society (2004) predicts, “was probably reworked from a now lost instrumental movement.” The cantatas have duets of tenors, sopranos, a combination of both, and an exploration of other voice ranges to suit the purpose. Symbolum Nicenum The introduction of the “Symbolum Nicenum” has a slower tempo, where the strings were audibly significant, compared to that of “Gloria” and denotes ascendance to the throne. The original text is in Latin, but if translated into English, it is known to be the Apostle’s Creed (e.g. Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem as I believe in one God, Father Almighty in English). Thus, the Symbolum Nicenum is also known as the “Credo.” This part is considered to be the most famous and the most widely played among the Mass in B Minor collection. The “Crucifixus,” a part of the Symbolum Nicenum where Bach wants to emphasize Christ’s death would naturally have slower tempo than the others. In fact, the last notes of the section are very low. This is unusual because sopranos in Bach’s time do not really sing very low pitch. However, Bach purposely created a low-pitched ending “to reflect the lowering of Christ's body into the grave” (“The mass,” 2003). In the analysis based on the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, there are four movements which were depicted in the Credo which makes it distinct from the rest of the Mass in B Minor parts. It has been found out that introductory part of the Symbolum Nicenum was very much like today’s versions of a cappella. Furthermore, the musical motive was “criss-crossed” which was influenced by “older repertior” (“The mass,” 2003). To summarize, the Credo is divided into three where the musical arrangement visualizes the agony and miracle of Christ as Savior of humanity from sins. The first part of the Symbolum depicted the “strength of faith” or “Credo in unun duem.” The second denotes praising of God’s name and acknowledgement of His miracles, and the last would be a lamentation, as observed in “Crucifixus” (Aylesbury Choral Society, 2004). Sanctus, Hosanna, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei Sanctus, Hosanna, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei are the last part of the Mass in B Minor. As opposed to Symbolum Nicenum, the last part of the Mass in B minor does away with lamentation and grief but deeply exorcised with heavenly bliss. As depicted in the beginning of sanctus, the audience could imagine the Resurrected Christ, as the word “sanctus” is being repeated by Sopranos. The same case can also be noted for Hosanna, but the Benedictus part was more of an emphasis of serenity. With a tenor to sing as the Benedictus begins, the oboe plays with low pitched cello tunes. Similar aura goes with Agnus Dei, but this time, more emphasis of ‘holiness’ can be observed as an audience listens to the music. Heidi Eipstein (2003) noted some significant observations within the entire context of the Mass in B Minor. She asserts that the God being portrayed by Bach’s composition is not about the “Timeless One,” but more of the “Holy One who was available by this bounded existence through the boundedness of the historical figure of Jesus Christ” (p. 107). What is more distinct is that the composition is just a compilation, but it was able to achieve “thematic unity,” (Pelikan, n.d., as cited in Eipstein, 2003, p. 107) with the life of Jesus Christ on Earth as the main focus. While music is not composed exclusive for religious worship even during Bach’s time, religion has greatly influenced majority of Bach’s compositions which survived until the present days. Butt (1991) contends that, although the Mass in B Minor was not composed primarily for public performance, it has contributed significantly to Classical Music’s history and religion alike. Perhaps, it is reasonable to discover the influence of J.S. Bach and the reasons behind his greatest compositions. Bach and His Influences As noted, the Mass in B Minor is an anthology of Bach’s past compositions which were from different times and different purposes. However, if there is one thing which is common to all sections of the Mass, it is its unwavering inclination to religions, especially to the Roman Catholic rites. Mentioned in the first parts of this paper, Bach became the Court Composer with the aid of the King of Poland who was also the Elector of the Saxony. Perhaps, one might assume that he made the two-hour musical composition as tribute to the people he owed. On the other hand, Bach was also raised and followed his patrons who “trained their scholars in the fear and wisdom of God” (Terry, 2003: 150)--which might explain Bach’s attachment to religion, especially with Lutheran ideals. Furthermore, his education could explain his religious devotion shown in most of his compositions, if not the entire of it. According to Wolff (2002), Bach’s past musical environment contributed much to the tone and the underlying meaning. The St. Michael School became Bach’s first venue of which his musical ideals developed. The liturgical themes dominating in Bach’s composition can be associated with his extensive study of theology during his stay in Leipzig, where his compositions reflect the kind of life he leads on that time. Wolff (1991) added that “his compositional activities supposedly reflected more or less accurately his official responsibilities” (p. 223). His ability to play the organ was also demonstrated well in the Mass in B Minor; most of the sections begin with a typical organ play while violins harmonized with the organ’s tunes. Such talent was one of the things he had developed when working as a Court Composer at Weimar in the early 1700 (Marshall, n.d.). However, the root of it all might have been in his early years, when he and his brothers were left orphaned in 1695. Johann Sebastian and his brother Johann Jakob have to be in custody with their eldest brother Johann Christoph. Their stay at Eisenach could have been the arena of where Johann Sebastian first gained interest in music aside from the influence brought by his father and eldest brother. Johann Christoph worked as a church organist in Eisenach and the place where they stay was near the church. One could imagine that almost every time, the young Bach is able to listen to music through church songs (Geck, 2003). This period of Bach’s life could justify the line of compositions he has. His concertos are generally for religious practices and church rites. Although Bach is a devoted Lutheran, his compositions were also used in the Church, which would suggest that his songs’ universality transcends belief and philosophy. This ‘universality’ of his music has led him to be quoted as “the fifth Evangelist;” B Minor Mass is a “living [and] breathing, proclamation of the gospel of Christ” (Hofreiter, 2002: 222). The decades of which Bach has to live for his lifetime belong to an era after the Renaissance, known as the Baroque period. The traditions prevalent in this time also accounts for the structure and tone of Bach’s magnum opus. On a book by Neumann (1983), the author contends that ‘ornamentation’ is the trademark of the Baroque period, whether for visual arts, music, or architecture (p. 1). For Baroque music, polyphony is becoming traditional and the general trend; this is apparent in Bach’s Mass in B Minor where the tunes and tones of the notes are inconsistent yet harmonious, especially in the transitions of one section to the other. Although the whole piece does not portray a single mood, it is still congruent with Bach’s purpose of chronologically portraying the life of Jesus Christ through music. Bach’s polyphonic orchestra may have stemmed from his fondness of incorporating musical styles from different countries. As how Neumann (1983) quotes it, Bach’s style is an “adoption of multinational models, mostly French and Italian, which he then assimilated as an integral part of his musical idiom” (p. 42). Conclusion Bach’s Mass in B Minor is basically a song for his passion of religion. The composer may have perfectly understood the life of Christ since his music is accepted in both Lutheran and Roman Catholic, or perhaps in other Christian sects. The musical pattern of Bach’s masterpiece is largely relevant in the two aspects of his life: 1) the people who have influenced him and 2) the trends of the Baroque period. His sophisticated musical patterns reflected by the Mass in B Minor could serve as a remembrance of Bach’s influences on his life, as he incorporated what he learned as a student concerning musicality with his state obligation as Court Composer. Although there was no account for an exact person of whom Bach was inspired, it is evident that the culture surrounding him is one of the major influences of his life. References Aylesbury Choral Society, 'Mass in B Minor - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)', (2004), [accessed 10 March 2011] (par. 10 of 15) Carol Talbeck, 'Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)', San Fransisco Choral Society [accessed 11 March 2011] (para. 1 and 9 of 17) Charles Stanford Terry, Bach: A Biography, (Montana: Kessinger Publishing, 2003) p. 150. Christopher Wolff, Bach: Essays on His Life and Music, The President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 1991) p. 223. Christopher Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002) p. 57. Heide Eipstein, Melting the Venusberg: A Feminist Theology of Music, The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. (NY: Continuum International Publishing Group) p. 107. 'History of the B Minor Mass'. Pacific Academy of Ecclesiastical Music (2007). [accessed 12 March 2011] John Butt, Bach: Mass in B Minor, The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991) p. 28. Kimberly Marshal, Bach and the Italian Influence, (n.d.) [accessed 11 March 2011] (par. 9 of 10) Martin Geck, Bach (London: Haus Publishing Limited) p. 5. Nuemann Friedrick, Ornamentation in Baroque and Post-Baroque Music: With Special Emphasis on J.S. Bach (West Sussex: Princeton University Press, 1983) p. 1. Niel Jenkins, 'Bach B Minor Mass', (2007), [accessed 12 March 2011] (par. 2 0f 33) Teri Noel Towe, ‘Mass in B Minor’, Choral Music On Record, ed. Alan Blyth, The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991), pp. 46-60. 'The Mass in B Minor', The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, (2003), [accessed 11 March 2011] (par. 9 and 14 of 16) Read More