Session Three - LIFE courses

Bach and his Successors
Session Thee: Music for Hire
A LIFE Institute Course
2014.10.21
Cello Suite 1
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Request for a modern version of a Bach Cello
Suite
YouTube is somewhat limited
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Yo-Yo Ma & Rostropovich versions not good video
Mischa Miasky version of Suite 1
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGQLXRTl3Z0
Plan for Today
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Bach on Silbermann organ
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The Organ
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High Tech for 18th century
Central role in Lutheran service
Buxtehude example
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Bach as performer, assessor, composer
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Magnificat as vocal example
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Bach's Leipzig's calling card
Sample Kuhnau's Magnificat
Organ & Lutheran Worship
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“The fine arts, particularly music, blossom forth
as the church, living in the light of God's love,
expresses itself. Already during the sixteenth
century Lutheran music thrived and later
reached unprecedented heights in the work of
Johann Sebastian Bach. The organ has gained
and held, as no other musical instrument has, a
place within Lutheran worship traditions.”
“The Organ in Lutheran Worship”, E. H. Meyer
Prelude and Fugue in G Major
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David Goode plays the Prelude from JS Bach's
G major Prelude and Fugue, BWV 541 at the
Gottfried Silbermann organ of Freiberg
Cathedral, Germany. Recorded July 2010
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A rousing example – gets the blood flowing!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEkBoCRCp30
Silbermann Organs
"These instruments are magnificent beyond measure"
W.A.Mozart
The Organ
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Sensitive, complex instrument
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Thousands of pipes
Thousands of mechanical connections
Thousands of air channels
Depends on church acoustics
Depends on pipe placement
Depends on atmospheric conditions
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Central role in Lutheran service
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The 18th century high tech marvel
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Bach began by singing & then playing the organ
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The organ was central fixture of Bach's life
Cornell Baroque Organ
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Recent effort to recreate an example of a great
18th century German organ
Video illustrates the complexity of building,
voicing and playing such an organ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsWbHgdNE6w
The Organ in Bach's Time
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The instrument was, and was intended to be,
awe inspiring
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Every respectable church needed an organ, …
and an organist
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Volume almost at rock concert levels
Important source of employment for musicians
The organ introduced, punctuated and
concluded the hours long Lutheran service
Dieterich Buxtehude
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Born 1637/39, Died 9 May 1707
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Danish-German organist and composer
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Bach at age 20 traveled, on foot, 250 miles to
listen to and study with Buxtehude
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One month leave, but stayed four months
Didn't apprentice, didn't marry daughter
D. Buxtehude - Toccata in D minor, BuxWV 155 - B.
Foccroulle at Schnitger organ, St. Ludgeri, Norden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjHkzqSOxnw
J S Bach & The Organ
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Recognized as a great performer
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Improvisation was the norm
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“Composition” for teaching
Maintenance was part of the job
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Improvisation was expected
Organs could be “temperamental”
Recognized as organ assessor
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Was source of first organist position
Documented Organ Assessments
The Organs of J S Bach, Wolff & Zepf
The Music
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We're limited in not knowing the
words
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The music often mirrors the text
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We can appreciate the architecture
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And it can be awe inspiring
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Even in a classroom
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Hans-André Stamm, Greatest Bach
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDMxs4aHZU
Employed Musician
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Bach earned his living by providing the music
requested by his employers (mostly)
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Bach made music for
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He also had teaching duties … many compositions had a
strong pedagogical role
The church – organ & vocal
The court – concertos & keyboard
Teaching – much non-sacred music
Special events – weddings, funerals, etc
Only in his last decade of life did he have the
luxury to compose music for himself
Bach's Sacred Vocal Works
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300 sacred cantatas; 200 survived
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One performed every Sunday and on special occasions
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6 sacred motets
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5 (?) sacred passions; 2 survived
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Christmas, Easter & Ascension Oratorios
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Mass in B Minor
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Magnificat (in E-flat major & in D major)
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His calling card for Leipzig (subsequently revised)
Focus on Magnificat
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I find it easy to approach
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It's a celebration (of the miracle of Mary)
It's relatively short (about 30 minutes)
Many versions of the Magnificat
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From Bach's predecessors
From Bach's sons & successors
Magnificat
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The Magnificat (Latin for: [My soul] magnifies) — also known
as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle
frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is
one of the most ancient Christian hymns. Its name comes
from the first word of the Latin version of the canticle's text.
The text of the canticle is taken directly from the Gospel of
Luke (Luke 1:46-55) where it is spoken by the Virgin Mary
upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith, Mary sings what
is now known as the Magnificat in response.
Wikipedia – 2014.10.16
Magnificat Examples
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Buxtehude (revered teacher)
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Kuhnau (Leipzig predecessor)
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Simple celebration
JS Bach
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A beautiful moment
Rich, complex celebration
CPE & WF Bach
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To be continued in week five
D. Buxtehude: Magnificat
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Szabóki Tünde - szoprán / soprano
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Heim Mercedes - alt
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Keresztessy Péter - tenor
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Cser Péter - basszus / bass
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Budapesti Victoria Kamarakórus
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vezényel / Conducted by Farkas Mária
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oesGj6d8k-c
Johann Kuhnau
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Born: 6 April 1660; died 5 June 1722
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Kuhnau was multi-talented
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Attained rank of (legal) advocate
Studied French and Italian
Translated from Hebrew, Greek & Latin
Author of poetry and non-fiction
Cantor of Thomaskirche
Learned in “theology, the law, rhetoric, poetry,
mathematics, foreign tongues & Music”
Jakob Adlung, 1758
Hard Act to Follow
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Position first offered to:
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Bach offer the position after all three turned it
down
Bach took three months to decide
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George Phillipp Telemann
Johann Friedrich Fasch
Christoph Graupner
And stayed there for the rest of his life
Was it the church, school for his children, … ?
Kuhnau: Magnificat
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scored for 3 tromba, timpani, 2 oboi, 2 violini, 2
viole, Continuo
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Soprano: Miah Persson
Alto: Akira Tachikawa
Tenor: Gerd Türk
Bass: Chiyuki Urano
Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxUSTqKioes
But Wait!
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There is a version (only on DVD) recorded in
Bach's church
Ton Koopman and forces also perform Bach's
Magnificat (which is available on YouTube)
Allows a more direct comparison
Notice the simple, approachable style of the
Kuhnau Magnificat
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Some called it old-fashioned
Bach Magnificat
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Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir
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Ton Koopman conducting
Performed in Bach's church in 2003
This music also celebrates Mary, but the
supporting fabric is richer and more complex
Available on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4zvjV4_sAY
Very Limited Sample
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Bach's “complete” organ music runs to some 20+
hours; we sampled much less than 1 hour
Bach's sacred music takes more than 100 hours to
perform; we sampled less than 1 hour
You might examine
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Easter Oratorio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWcpB15Ta2w
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Coffee Cantata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Ocydot-vA
Text: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweigt_stille,_plaudert_nicht,_BWV_211
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(Helps to read the translation)
Next Week
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What does, should, might “authentic” mean?
How to view Bach's transcriptions or
transformations of other composer's work?
Focus on the Brandenburg Concertos
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19th century versions of the concertos
Performance on “modern” instruments
Performance on “authentic” instruments
Performance on electronic instruments
The architecture & beauty continue to shine