At the turn of his fiftieth birthday, Johann Sebastian Bach begins work on the Mass in B minor.
By this time, he had been working in Leipzig for ten years as the director of city church music and cantor of the Church of St. Thomas. In the eyes of his contemporaries, he looks like an unsurpassed organist and an experienced master of church cantata. But the strength of his official position is undermined by organizational troubles with city and church authorities. In July 1733, Bach turned to Elector Augustus II of Saxony with a request to grant him the title of composer of the court chapel. This was precisely a formal position: this would strengthen Bach’s position in disputes with his superiors.
As a sign of gratitude for the future royal favor, the composer attached to the petition the manuscript of the first two parts of the Mass: Kyrie eleison(“Lord have mercy”) and Gloria in Excelsis Deo("Gloria"). The form of the two-part Mass was quite widespread at that time.
Time to work on the remaining parts of the Mass ( Credo, Sanctus, BenedictusAndAgnus Dei) has not been established with accuracy. Apparently, Bach composed them separately between 1738 and 1748 for church holidays, using music from previously written cantatas in separate numbers. This practice was also quite common in those years. Of course, he needed to thoroughly rework the music for new texts. He did not intend to perform the Mass in its entirety: the almost two-hour composition clearly did not fit into the framework of the Protestant liturgy. However, in the Bach archive, the manuscripts of all parts were preserved in a common folder, and the notes show that the composer made amendments to the music literally until the last days of his life.
The first part consists of three numbers. After a powerful choral introduction, a giant fugue unfolds with independent orchestral voices for the words Kyrie eleison("Lord have mercy"). In its theme, two melodic directions struggle, ascending and descending: a plea for salvation and the consciousness of one’s doom. The duet sounds like a calm interlude Christe eleison(“Christ, have mercy”), after which the phrase “Lord, have mercy” returns on a new theme, stubbornly ascending, monolithic and gloomy.
The beginning of the second part flashes with joyful light - Gloria("Glory"). The lively roll call of choral voices is colored here by sparkling accents of trumpets. A bright mood prevails in most of the other numbers in this part. Amazing transparency and grace arise in the duet of soprano and tenor Domine Deus(“Lord God”) with solo flute. Only in the choir Qui tollis peccata mundi(“He who took upon himself the sins of the world”) a shadow of sorrow flashes when remembering the self-sacrifice of Christ. According to tradition, the movement ends with an extended fugue on the text Cum Sancto Spiritu(“With the Holy Spirit”)
As if from the depths of time, the strict Gregorian opening theme of the central part of the Mass arises - Credo(“I believe”) There are nine numbers in this part. Its focus is the sequence of three choruses: Et incarnatus, CrucifixusAndEt resurrexit. This is a kind of condensed summary of the life of Christ (“...And he was incarnated by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary - And he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried - And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures”). In music there is a movement from the enlightened descent of the Holy Spirit from heaven to earth through the tragedy of the crucifixion and departure into the impenetrable darkness of the grave to the brightest jubilation of the Resurrection. This is the emotional center of the entire Mass, the semantic center of the Creed.
First chorus of the fourth movement, Sanctus(“Holy”) is the most monumental number of the entire Mass. Bach shows himself here as a master of sound symbolism: behind the triplet movement of three-part choral chords, accompanied by a triple composition of winds, the image of the Holy Trinity is hidden. The next number is also marked with symbolism, Osanna(“Glory”): Bach divides the choir into two groups, which call each other, as the seraphim call each other in the text of the Prophecy of Isaiah. Two solo arias, calmly focused Benedictus(“Blessed”) and restrained in its sad expression Agnus Dei(“Lamb of God”) again return to the image of Christ, who came in the name of the Lord to accept suffering and death for the sake of delivering people from the fear of death. Closing chorus Dona nobis pacem(“Give Us Peace”) affirms the steadfastness of faith with the return of musical material from one of the choirs Gloria.
The practice of performing the entire Mass in B minor began almost a hundred years after the death of its creator. And then it was discovered that there was no stylistic diversity between its parts, written at different times and on different occasions. Before us is a single cycle of end-to-end musical development in the inexhaustible variety and richness of emotional states - a single and boundless world of the believing soul.
Before us is the pinnacle of the almost thousand-year history of the mass genre.
Valery Storozhuk
,
Wurzburg
Cast: soprano I, soprano II, alto, tenor, bass, two choirs, orchestra.
Bach created the Mass in B minor over many years. The distant prototype of Sanctus, according to researchers, dates back to 1724. The composer made the last amendments to the score right up to the day when he became completely blind in 1750.
The genre of the Mass has historically developed in the form of a five-part work, consisting of a prayer for forgiveness (Kyrie), a hymn of praise and thanksgiving (Gloria), a dogmatic part - a creed (Credo), a liturgical climax taken from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (Sanctus), and a conclusion, glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ (Agnus Dei). At first the text of the mass was read, later it began to be sung. For some time, both of these forms coexisted, but by the 14th century a single musical form had finally emerged. Bach's Mass in B minor is incredibly large compared to the traditional ones. It also contains five parts - Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei - but these are in turn divided into several separate numbers.
The 1st part consists of Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy), Christe eleison (Christ, have mercy) and Kyrie eleison II.
Part 2 contains eight numbers: Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the highest), Laudamus te (We praise You), Gratias (Thank You), Domine deus (Lord God), Qui tollis peccata mundi (Bearer of the sins of the world), Qui sedes ad dextram Patris (Seated at the right hand of the Father), Quoniam tu solus sanctus (And You alone are holy), Cum sancto spiritu (With the Holy Spirit).
The 3rd part includes Credo in unum Deum (I believe in one God), Patrem omnipotentem (Father Almighty), Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum (And in one Lord Jesus Christ), Et incarnatus est (And incarnate), Crucifixus etiam pro nobis (Crucified for us), Et resurrexit tertia die (Not (And rose again on the third day), Et in spiritum sanctum (And in the Holy Spirit), Confiteor unum baptista (I confess one baptism).
In the 4th part there are three numbers - Sanctus Dominus Deos (Holy Lord God), Osanna (Help us), Benedictus (Blessed).
The 5th movement consists of two numbers: Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) and Dona nobis pacem (Give us peace).
The Mass in B minor is a grandiose creation that the composer worked on for decades. Approximately two-thirds of it consists of previously written music, but it is a single composition. The first part of the mass, initially as an independent work, was completed by the composer in 1733, but the date of its first performance is unknown. There is information about the first performance of Sanctus on December 25, 1724, Kyrie and Gloria on April 21, 1733 in Leipzig, as well as a mention of the performance of the mass in 1734. There is evidence that the 2nd and 3rd parts were created from August 1748 to October 1749, after which the entire score, which included the Mass of 1733 as the 1st part, and the Sanctus as the 4th part , was put together. Unfortunately, there is no data on its performance during the composer's lifetime.
Music
The H-minor Mass is a work of the greatest philosophical wisdom, humanity, and depth of feeling. Her images - suffering, death, sorrow, and at the same time - hope, joy, jubilation - amaze with their depth and strength.
The 1st movement, Kyrie, consisting of three numbers, opens with a somber choral sound, after which a fugue begins, first in an orchestral sound. Its mournful theme, as if writhing in agony, is full of the deepest expressiveness. At the beginning of the 2nd movement, Gloria (No. 4), trumpets sound joyfully and lightly. The choir takes up the jubilant theme, proclaiming glory. Wide, sing-song melodies dominate here. Particularly notable is No. 5, Laudamus - a soprano aria accompanied by solo violin, as if one of the voices of the choir had burst forth with its lyrical song. In the 3rd part, Credo (No. 12-19), dramatic contrasts dominate. In No. 12, Credo in unum Deum - the wide, strict melody of the Gregorian chant runs sequentially (in imitation) in all the voices of the choir against the backdrop of the solemn and measured movement of the orchestral basses. No. 15, Et incarnatus, returns to mournful images. Heavy, measured bass notes seem to be pressing down, and the “sighs” of the strings sound pitiful. A simple, strict melody, full of hidden suffering, is intoned by the choir. The voices are layered one on top of the other, creating a rich musical texture. Sorrowful reflection leads to the next number (No. 16), Crucifixus, the tragic culmination of the Mass, the story of the Savior's suffering on the cross. In this heartfelt episode, written in the spirit of the Italian lamento aria, Bach used the passacaglia form. Thirteen times the same melody appears in the bass - a measured, steadily descending dark chromatic progression. Against its background, separate chords of strings and wooden instruments appear, fragmentary replicas of the choir, like sighs and groans. At the end, the melody descends lower and lower, disappears, and, as if exhausted, dies. Everything goes silent. And immediately the sounds of the choir Et resurrexit (No. 17), chanting the Resurrection, the victory of life over death, fill everything with a wide, jubilant stream of light. The combined 4th and 5th movements open with the majestic slow movement of the Sanctus choir (No. 20) with joyful anniversaries in the female voices. The orchestra sounds a fanfare of trumpets and the roll of timpani. No. 23, Agnus Dei - a soulful viola aria with a flexible melody, accompanied by expressive singing of the violins. The final number of the mass, No. 24, Dona nobis pacem, is a solemn hymn in the form of a fugue on two themes, exactly repeating chorus No. 6, Gratias.
L. Mikheeva
Structurally, the Mass in B minor is a series of closed individual numbers. In most of them there is a complex development of one musical image, containing a whole complex of feelings and thoughts. The structural completeness and independence of each choir, aria or duet is combined with the integrity and solidity of the entire composition. The main dramatic principle of the mass is the contrast of images, which continuously deepens from section to section. Not only are the large parts of the Mass contrasted, like the Kyrie eleison and the Gloria, the Credo and the Sanctus; no less sharp, sometimes stunning contrasts are observed within these parts and even within some individual numbers (for example, in “Gloria”).
The more concentrated the grief, the more tragic it reaches, the stronger the rise and the more dazzling the light of the episode that replaces it. For example, in the center of the “Credo”, consisting of eight numbers, there are several related to the image of Jesus: “Et incarnatus”, “Crucifixus”, “Et ressurexit”. Each of the numbers mentioned is completely finished and can be performed separately. But just as it happens in some instrumental cyclic works - sonatas, symphonies - the ideological concept, the dynamics of artistic and poetic images unite all three numbers with a line of internal development. "Et incarnatus" speaks of the birth of a man who will take upon himself the sins of the world; in "Crucifixus" - about the crucifixion and death of Jesus; in "Et ressurexit" - about his resurrection. As always with Bach, the pages dedicated to Jesus, the suffering man, are the most heartfelt and emotionally rich.
The movement of musical images leads to a strong increase in tragic elements. The hopeless grief and feeling of doom in “Et incarnatus” are deepened by the terrible picture of death and human grief in “Crucifixus”. All the more shocking is the dramatic effect produced by the sudden explosion of delight, all-encompassing joy in “Et ressurexit.”
The contrast between death and the all-conquering power of life is the hidden meaning of this peculiar cycle. Various aspects of the same idea form the main content of the entire work.
The B minor Mass crowns Bach's work. It is the B minor Mass that is the work in which the true nature of Bach’s art, complex, powerful and beautiful, was revealed with utmost depth.
V. Galatskaya
Céline Scheen: soprano
. Yetzabel Arias: soprano
. Pascal Bertin: countertenor
. Makoto Sakurada: tenor
. Stephan Macleod: bass
Le Concert des Nations & La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Along with the St. Matthew Passion, Bach's most ambitious work. Date of creation - 1748 or 1749.
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Bach did not give any specific name to the entire work; in the autograph of the first two movements he used the Latin word Missa(not German Messe). In the catalog of his father's writings compiled by K.F.E. Bach (1790), designated as the “great Catholic mass” (German: große catholische Messe). The now common title “Mass h-moll” (German: Messe in h-moll) goes back to K.F. Zelter, who in 1811 included the mass in the repertoire of the Berlin Singing Academy (directed by him). In fact, only the first part and several parts within the composition are written in h-moll, while other parts are written in D-dur, fis-moll, g-moll, G-dur and other keys (D-dur is the most common the work ends). In the era of Romanticism (starting from 1845, in the volume from the first complete works of Bach), the title “high mass” (German: die Hohe Messe), which has now practically fallen into disuse, became widespread.
History of creation and execution
The reasons that prompted Bach to create such a grandiose composition remain unclear. All assumptions of past and present Bach scholars are hypothetical. Thus, according to J. Rifkin, “none of the previous attempts to identify a specific reason for this essay looks convincing. It is more likely that Bach sought to create a paradigmatic example of vocal composition and at the same time to make his contribution to the history of the musical mass, the most important and prestigious genre (along with opera). The fact that the Mass does not use the thematic theme of Lutheran church songs (the so-called Protestant chorale), which is usual for Bach’s cantata-oratorio music, as well as the fact that the traditional Latin ordinary is taken as the text basis (in some Lutheran churches in Germany Latin texts were used, but never a full ordinary), exclude the functioning of the Mass in b-minor in the Protestant usage of the composer’s day; The work was probably conceived by Bach as concert music, and not as church music.
Bach pondered the music of the Mass, which crowns his creative career, for many years. So, Sanctus he wrote back in 1724 for the first day of Christmas. Kyrie And Gloria were written for the Lutheran Mass in . At the end of the 1740s. The composer thoroughly reworked and polished the previously written parts of the Ordinary. The autograph of the Mass in its final form dates back to 1748 or 1749.
Bach scholars are convinced that for other parts of the Mass (besides the Kyrie, Gloria and Sanctus) Bach borrowed material mainly from his previous cantatas and oratorios (in this case they speak of “parody”), although this borrowing is in some cases not obvious. For example, prototype Agnus Dei in the alto aria “Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben” from the Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11) is undeniable. At the same time, the prototype Et expecto the chorus “Jauchzet, ihr erfreuten Stimmen” from the 120th cantata is considered, although directly by ear it is impossible to establish any connection between the mystical, rich in chromatisms Et expecto(with the famous enharmonic modulation) of the Mass and the jubilant chorus from BWV 120, written without any harmonic flourishes, in pure diatonic, is hardly possible. For some parts of the loop (for example, Et incarnatus est And Confiteor) musicologists were unable to find “prototypes” in Bach’s previous works.
Reliable evidence about lifetime There is no performance of Mass. In 1811, it entered the repertoire of the Berlin Singing Academy thanks to the efforts of its then director C. F. Zelter, who considered the Mass in B minor as “the greatest masterpiece the world has ever seen” ( das größte Kunstwerk das die Welt je gesehen hat). The first public performance of the Mass (at two evenings) took place at the same academy under the leadership of K. F. Rungenhagen in 1835.
Structure of the Mass
I. Kyrie
- Kyrie eleison- Lord have mercy. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Christe eleison- Christ, have mercy. Duet (soprano I,II)
- Kyrie eleison- Lord have mercy. 4-voice choir (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Gloria in excelsis Deo- Glory to God in the Highest. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Et in terra pax- And there is peace on earth. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Laudamus te- We praise you. Aria (soprano II)
- Gratias agimus tibi- Thank you. 4-voice choir (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Domine Deus- Lord God. Duet (soprano I, tenor)
- Qui tollis peccata mundi- He who takes away the sins of the world. 4-voice choir (Soprano II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris- Seated at the right hand of the Father. Aria (alto)
- Quoniam tu solus sanctus- For You alone are Holy. Aria (bass)
- Cum Sancto Spiritu- With the Holy Spirit. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Credo in unum Deum- I believe in one God. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Patrem omnipotentem- Father Almighty. 4-voice choir (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Et in unum Dominum- And into one Lord. Duet (soprano I, alto)
- Et incarnatus est- And he became incarnate. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Crucifixus- He was crucified. 4-voice choir (Soprano II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Et resurrexit- And rose again. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Et in Spiritum Sanctum- And in the Holy Spirit. Aria (Bass)
- Confiteor- I confess [single baptism]. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Et expecto- And tea [resurrection of the dead]. 5-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto, Tenor, Bass)
- Sanctus- Holy [Lord of hosts]. 6-voice choir (Soprano I, II, Alto I, II, Tenor, Bass)
- Hosanna- Hosanna in the highest. 8-voice (double) choir (Soprano I, II, Alto I, II, Tenor I, II, Bass I, II)
- Benedictus- Blessed. Aria (Tenor)
- Hosanna (da capo)- Hosanna (end). 8-voice (double) choir
- Agnus Dei- Lamb of God. Aria (alto)
- Dona nobis pacem- Grant us peace. 4-voice choir (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass). The music repeats "Gratias agimus tibi" from "Gloria".
Completed in 1749, many years after the author’s death they began to call it High. This work amazes with its grandeur of scale and depth of thought - and all the more strange are the words of the author, written by him in 1733, when he sent two parts of the future mass to the Elector of Saxony: “I ask you to look with a favorable gaze not on the merits of the composition... but based on your grace." It was important for the composer to achieve the “favor” of Frederick Augustus - he hoped to become a court musician.
Not many masses were written, because this genre was formed in Catholic worship, and the composer was a Lutheran, so more often he created separate parts of the mass, which were still included in the Lutheran service. The creation of the full mass was to a certain extent determined by political circumstances: the Elector of Saxony, to whom the work was dedicated, also occupied the Polish throne and therefore adopted Catholicism. But is it possible to imagine that such a profound work could be born from the mere desire to please a potential patron? It is unlikely that this could have been the case. Probably, the established form of the mass was necessary for the composer to create this majestic “cathedral in music”, the “construction” of which took a total of about a quarter of a century - from 1724 to 1749, and even later the author still made individual edits to the score.
Back in the Middle Ages, the five-part Mass developed. Its components reflect the spiritual development that a Christian must go through in the process of worship (we can say that the Mass is a “little life” for a believer, which he lives many times in his continuous spiritual ascent). It begins with a plea for forgiveness and mercy - Kyrie, continues with the praise of God - Gloria, followed by a brief summary of the fundamentals of Christian doctrine - Credo, after which an excerpt from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is performed - Sanctus ("Holy, holy, holy") and in conclusion, Jesus is glorified Christ – Agnus Dei. All these parts are also present in Bach’s Mass in B Minor, but the composer seems cramped within their framework - each of the numbers contains several parts.
The first part – Kyrie – consists of three sections. The first and final ones are polyphonic choirs filled with sorrow on the same text, the first of which is a five-voice fugue, and the second is a four-voice fugue. The theme of the first fugue is full of chromaticisms and tritone intonations, the second is more ascetic. Between these mournful fugues there is a duet “Christe eleison”, designed in enlightened tones.
This sphere of joy, contrasted with the world of sorrow, is developed in Gloria. The combination of fanfare intonations and jubilant chants of the choir is complemented by the solemn sound of trumpets in the orchestra. Laudamus, a soprano aria, stands out for its lyricism, which is emphasized by the solo violin accompanying the soprano. “Qui tollis” (“Who has taken the sins of the world”) returns to the emotional structure and tonality of the Kyrie, but this choir, with its chamber sound and background flute solo, seems more elegiac than tragic.
Among the numbers that make up the third part - Credo - a special place is occupied by three choirs, which are located in the center of the composition. The first of them tells about the incarnation of Jesus Christ (“Et incarnates”), the crucifixion (“Crucifiхus”) and the resurrection (“Et resurrexit”). The tragic climax of the mass is “Crucifiхus”. According to established tradition, the form of variations on basso ostinato is used to narrate the suffering and death of the Savior. The theme, which is a movement along the chromatic scale from the first to the fifth degree, is repeated thirteen times. In the polyphonic variations superimposed on it, there is no continuous voice leading - instead there are scattered voices that arise, dominated by mournful second intonation. This universal sadness is contrasted by the jubilant choir “Et resurrexit”: an upward melody, starting with a quart move, the simultaneous entry of the choir and the entire orchestra, including trumpets.
The Sanctus Chorus is especially majestic in its slow motion, and the jubilee women's voices, trumpet and timpani in the orchestra give it a jubilant quality. The fifth part is the most laconic. The most penetrating alto aria – Agnus Dei – is contrasted by a solemn choral fugue.
During the life of the creator, the work was never performed in its entirety - only individual parts were performed, and as a whole the mass was too large-scale for church use. It was not until 1859 that the first public performance took place under the direction of Karl Riedel in Leipzig.
Musical Seasons