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The Mass in B minor is Johann Sebastian Bach's only setting of the complete Latin text of the Ordinarium missae. He expanded his Missa of 1733, BWV 232a, to a Missa tota from 1748 to 1749; several movements were parodies of his previous cantatas. The work was structured by the composer in four parts:

• No. 1 Missa, consisting of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) and Gloria (1733)
• No. 2 Symbolum Nicenum, the Nicene Creed as the profession of faith or Credo (1714 to 1749)
• No. 3 Sanctus, Sanctus (1724)
• No. 4 Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem, Hosanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Dona nobis pacem (to 1731)

The Mass "represents Bach's last major artistic undertaking".

History and parody

Bach expanded his Missa of 1733, BWV 232a, to a Missa tota from 1748 to 1749, near the end of his life. The reason for the composition is unknown. Scholars found no plausible occasion for which the work may have been intended. Joshua Rifkin notes:

More likely, Bach sought to create a paradigmatic example of vocal composition while at the same time contributing to the venerable musical genre of the Mass, still the most demanding and prestigious apart from opera.

The parts in the manuscript are numbered from 1 to 4, and Bach's usual closing formula (S.D.G = Soli Deo Gloria) is found at the end of the Dona nobis pacem. He took as the Sanctus an individual movement that he had composed for Christmas in Leipzig. Many movements were derived as parodies of former cantata music, dating back as far as 1714. For several movements, their base is known, for some others it is lost, but the score shows that they are copied and reworked. Bach selected movements which carried a similar expression and affekt, for example Gratias agimus tibi (We give you thanks) is based on Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir (We thank, you God, we thank you). Crucifixus (Crucified) is based on the general lamenting about the situation of the Christian, Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (Weeping, lamenting, worrying, fearing) which Bach had composed already in 1714 as one of his first cantatas for the court of Weimar.

When he adapted Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, he transposed the music from F minor to E minor, changed the instrumentation and repeated each bass note for more expressiveness. The final line "et sepultus est" (and was buried) was newly composed, with the accompaniment silent and a modulation to G major, to lead to the following movement.

Formally, the mass is a missa solemnis. Bach achieved a symmetry of the parts, with the profession of faith (Credo) in the center and the movement Crucifixus in its center.

The Mass "represents Bach's last major artistic undertaking". The first publisher, Hans Georg Nägeli announced it in 1818 as "the greatest musical work of all times and peoples".

Scoring

The work is scored for five vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra. Its movements are listed in a table for the scoring in voices and instruments, key, tempo marking, time signature and source. The movement numbers follow the Bärenreiter editions of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, first in a consecutive numbering (NBA II), then in numbering for the four individual parts (NBA I).

The voices are abbreviated S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor, B for bass. Bach asked for two sopranos. Practical performances often have only one soprano soloist, sharing the parts for the second soprano (SII) between soprano and alto. A four-part choir is indicated by SATB, a five-part choir by SSATB. The Sanctus requires six vocal parts, SSAATB, which are often divided in the three upper voices versus the lower voices. The Osanna requires two choirs SATB. Instruments in the orchestra are three trumpets (Tr), timpani (Ti), corno da caccia (Co), two flauti traversi (Ft), two oboes (Ob), two oboes d'amore (Oa), two bassoons (Fg), two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo. The continuo is not mentioned in the table as it is present all the time. The other instruments are grouped by winds, woodwinds and strings. If no source for a parody is given, the movement was composed for the Mass, otherwise the title of the original music and a year are provided. The Missa of 1733 is not mentioned as the source for the Kyrie and Gloria, but older earlier compositions that Bach used as a base for it appear.

Structure

No	No2	Title	Solo	Choir	Wind	Wood	Strings	Key	Time	Tempo	Incipit	Source	Year	Notes
		Missa
1	1	]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help)		SSATB		2Ft 2Oa Fg	2Vl Va	B minor		Adagio – Largo				Adagio added on completion
2	2	Christe	S S				2Vl	D major
3	3	]] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help)		SATB		2Ft 2Oa Fg	2Vl Va	F-sharp minor	Alla breve
4a	4	Gloria		SSATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob Fg	2Vl Va	D major	3/8	Vivace
4b	5	Et in terra pax		SSATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob Fg	2Vl Va	D major
5	6	Laudamus te	SII				2Vl Va	A major						obbligato violin
6	7	Gratias agimus tibi		SATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob Fg	2Vl Va	D major	Alla breve			BWV 29/2	1731
7a	8	Domine Deus	S T			Ft	2Vl Va	G major						attacca to the next
7b	9	Qui tollis		SATB		2Ft	2Vl Va Vc	F-sharp minor		Lente		BWV 46	1723
8	10	Qui sedes	A			Oa	2Vl Va	B minor	6/8					adagio section
9a	11	Quoniam tu solus sanctus	B		Co	2Fg		D major	3/4					attacca to the next
9b	12	Cum sancto spiritu		SSATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob Fg	2Vl Va	D major	3/4	Vivace
		Symbolum Nicenum
10	1	Credo in unum Deum		SSATB			2Vl	B minor	Alla breve					A mixolydian, based on Gregorian chant
11	2	Patrem omnipotentem		SATB	3Tr Ti	2Ob	2Vl Va	D major	Alla breve			BWV 171	1729
12	3	Et in unum Dominum	S A			2Oa	2Vl Va	G major		Andante
13	4	Et incarnatus est		SSATB			2Vl	B minor	3/4
14	5	Crucifixus		SATB		2Ft	2Vl Va	E minor	3/2			BWV 12/2	1714
15	6	Et resurrexit		SSATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob	2Vl Va	D major	3/4
16	7	Et in Spiritum Sanctum	B			2Oa		A major	6/8
17a	8	Confiteor		SSATB				F-sharp minor	Alla breve					cantus firmus: Gregorian chant, attacca to next
17b		Et expecto		SSATB				F-sharp minor	Alla breve	Adagio				cantus firmus: Gregorian chant
	9	Et expecto		SSATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob	2Vl Va	D major	Alla breve	Vivace e Allegro		BWV 120/2
		Sanctus
18a		Sanctus		SSA ATB	3Tr Ti	2Ob	2Vl Va	D major					1724
18b		Pleni sunt coeli		SSAATB	3Tr Ti	2Ob	2Vl Va	D major	3/8
		Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem
19	1	Osanna in excelsis		SATB SATB	Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob	2Vl Va	D major	3/8			BWV 215
20	2	Benedictus	T			Ft		B minor	3/4
21	3	Osanna (repetatur)
22	4	Agnus Dei	A				2Vl	G minor				BWV 11/4		obbligato violin, model lost wedding cantata
23	5	Dona nobis pacem		SATB	3Tr Ti	2Ft 2Ob	2Vl Va	D major	Alla breve			BWV 29/2	1731	s. Gratias

Parts and movements

No. 1 Missa

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The section Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) is structured, following tradition, in a threefold acclamation of God, a choral Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) I, a duet Christe, and a different choral Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) II. Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) I is in B minor, Christe in D major, Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) II in F-sharp minor. The three notes B, D and F-sharp form the B minor triad.

The Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) is structured as a sequence of choral movements and solo movements, arias and a duet, in three sections. The first is opened by a chorus followed by an aria, closed in the last section in symmetry by an aria followed by a chorus, the middle section alternates choral music with solo.

Kyrie I

The first movement is scored for five-part choir, woodwinds and strings. It opens with a short homophonic section, followed by an extended fugue.

Christe

The acclamation of Christ stresses the second person of the Trinity and is therefore rendered as a duet of the two sopranos. Their lines are often parallel, in an analogy to Christ and God proclaimed as "two in one".

Kyrie II

The second acclamation of God is a four-part choral fugue, with the instruments playing colla parte. The first entrances build from the lowest voice in the sequence bass, tenor, alto, soprano.

Gloria

The Gloria begins with a five-part chorus, in great contrast to the first section Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help) in D major, introducing the trumpets and timpani, which feature not only on the text "Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Glory to God in the Highest) in 3/8 time, but also in its continuation "Et in terra pax" in common time.

Laudamus te

An aria for soprano II and obbligato violin express the praise and adoration of God in vivid coloraturas.

Gratias agimus tibi

A four-part chorus in stile antico illustrates the idea of thanks and praise, again with trumpets and timpani. Towards the end, the trumpets take part in the polyphony of the dense movement. It is based on the first choral movement of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), which also expresses the idea of thanks to God and praise of his creation. The first part of the text, devoted to thanks, is a melody in even tempo that raises gradually and falls again. The countersubject on the second line, devoted to praise, is more complex in rhythm.

Domine Deus

The section addressing God as Father and Son is again a duet, this time of soprano I and tenor. The voices are often in canon and in parallel, as in the Christe.

Qui tollis

When the text reaches the phase "Qui tollis peccata mundi" (who taks away the sins of the world), the music is given attacca to a five-part choir with an obbligato flute. The movement is based on the first choral movement of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help). Bach changed the rhythm for the different text.

Qui sedes

The continuation of the thought, "Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris" (who sits at the right of the Father), is expressed by an aria for alto and obbligato oboe.

Quoniam tu solus sanctus

The last section begins with an aria for bass, showing "Quoniam tu solus sanctus" (For you alone are holy) in an unusual scoring of corno da caccia and two bassoons. It is the only movement in the work using the horn.

Cum sancto spiritu

On the continuing text "Cum sancto spiritu" (with the Holy Spirit), the choir enters in five parts, in symmetry to the beginnng. A homophonic section is followed by a fugue.

No. 2 Symbolum Nicenum

The text of the profession of faith, Credo, is structured in three sections, regarding Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Bach follows the structure, devoting two choral movements to the first section, beginning the second section with a duet, followed by three choral movements, and opening the third with an aria, followed by two choral movements. The center is the movement Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help), set in e minor, the lowest key of the part.

Credo in unum Deum

The part begins with "Credo in unum Deum" (I believe in one God), with a polyphonic movement for five-part choir, to which two obbligato violins add independent parts. It is based on the Gregorian Chant, first presented by the tenor in long notes on a walking bass of the continuo.

Patrem omnipotentem

The thought is continued in "Patrem omnipotentem" (the Father, almighty), in a four-part choral movement with trumpets. The movement is based on the opening chorus of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), which also expresses the idea of thanks to God and praise of his creation.

Et in unum Dominum

The belief in Jesus Christ begins with "Et in unum Dominum" (And in one Lord), another duet, this time of soprano and alto, beginning in a canon where the second voice follows the first after only one beat. The instruments often play the same line in different articulation.

Et incarnatus est

The virgin birth, "Et incarnatus est" (And was incarnate), is a five-part movement. The voices sing a descending motif, entering in imitation every measure in the sequence alto, soprano II, soprano I, tenor, bass.

Crucifixus

"Crucifixus" (Crucified) is the oldest music in the setting of the Mass, dating back to 1714. It is a passacaglia, with the same bass line repeated thirteen times. The movement is based on the first section of the first choral movement of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help). Bach transposed the music from F minor to E minor, changed the instrumentation and repeated each bass note for more expressiveness. The final line "et sepultus est" (and was buried) was newly composed, with the accompaniment silent and a modulation to G major, to lead to the following movement.

Et resurrexit

"Et resurrexit" (And is risen) is expressed by a five-part choral movement with trumpets.

Et in Spiritum Sanctum

A bass aria renders "Et in Spiritum Sanctum" (And in the Holy Spirit) with two obbligato oboes d'amore.

Confiteor

The belief of one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, "Confiteor" (I proclaim) is expressed in strict counterpoint, which incorporates a cantus firmus of the Gregorian chant.

Et expecto

The expectation of a world to come, "Et expecto" (And I expect) is a joyful concerto of five voices with trumpets. The movement is based on the first choral movement of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help).

No. 3 Sanctus

Sanctus

"Sanctus" (Holy) was an independent movement written for Christmas, scored for six voices SSAATB and a festive orchestra with trumpets and three oboes. In the original, dating from 1724, Bach had asked for three soprano parts, alto, tenor and bass. The music in D major is in common time, but dominated by triplets. The three upper voices sing frequently alternating with the thee lower voices, reminiscent of a passage by Isaiah about the angels singing "Holy, holy, holy" to each other (Isaiah 6:23).

Pleni sunt coeli

The continuation, "Pleni sunt coeli" (Full are heavens), follows immediately, written for the same scoring as a fugue in dancing 3/8 time.

No. 4 Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem

Osanna in excelsis

"Osanna in excelsis" (Osanna in the Highest) is set for two choirs and a festive orchestra, in the same key and time as the previous movement. The movement is based on the opening chorus of the secular cantata ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help).

Benedictus

The following thought, "Benedictus", "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, is sung by the tenor in an aria with obbligato flauto traverso, leading to a repeat of the Osanna.

Agnus Dei

"Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God) is sung by the alto. The movement is based on the forth movement of the Ascension Oratorio, ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), the aria Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben.

Dona nobis pacem

The final movement, "Dona nobis pacem" (Give us peace), recalls the music of the thanks expressed in Gratias agimus tibi. As the Gratias agimus tibi, the movement is based on the first choral movement of ]] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), with minor alterations because of the different text. The text appears on both the theme and the countersubject, here stressing "pacem" (peace) at the beginning of the line. By quoting Gratias, Bach connects asking for peace to thanks and praise to God.

References

1. "J.S. Bach Mass in B Minor / Organization of Movements / Comparison with Catholic Mass". California Institute of Technology. 1996. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
2. ^ Rifkin, Joshua (2006). "Preface" (PDF). Breitkopf. pp. 5–8. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
3. Sherman, Bernard D. (1999 (updated August 2004)). "Performing Bach's B minor Mass: Thirty Years of HIP". Goldberg. Retrieved 7 October 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
4. ^ Libbey, Ted (7 April 2009). "Bach: Essays on his Life and Music". Retrieved 7 October 2012.
5. ^ Pérez Torres, René (2005). Bach's Mass in B minor: An Analytical Study of Parody Movements and their Function in the Large-Scale Architectural Design of the Mass. p. 15. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
6. ^ Johann Sebastian Bach. Messe in h-moll. 2009. p. 91.
7. ^ Bach Mass in B Minor / Piano Reduction based on the Urtext of the New Bach Edition / Revised Version. Bärenreiter. 2011.

External links

• Free scores by Mass in B minor at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Mass in B minor BWV 232 Text and its translation in several languages, details, list of recordings, reviews and discussions
• Free scores of this work in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Carol Talbeck: Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B Minor / Everything must be possible. — J. S. Bach. sfchoral.org 2002
• Mass in B Minor / Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) Aylesbury Choral Society, 2004

• Compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach
• Masses (music)
• 1749 compositions
• Compositions in B minor