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Magnificat (Bach)

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The Magnificat in D major, BWV 243, is a setting of the Magnificat text by Johann Sebastian Bach for five soloists (SSATB), a five-part choir (also SSATB), and orchestra. BWV 243 is a reworking of an E-flat major setting of the Magnificat Bach had composed in 1723 (BWV 243a). There were some changes in instrumentation, and the key changed from E-flat major to D major, for performance reasons of the trumpet parts.

Bach had the D major version of his Magnificat performed at the feast of Visitation (2 July) in 1733. It was this final version of Bach's Magnificat that became a standard for perfomance.

History

Bach had composed the E-flat major version of the Magnificat in 1723, his first year as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, for the Marian feast of Visitation, which was celebrated on 2 July in Bach's time. Later that year he used that E-flat major version again for the Christmas Vespers, with additional interpolated texts related to Christmas.

Around 1730 Bach reworked this Magnificat to a version in D major without the Christmas additions. This final version had its premiere at the Thomaskirche on Visitation 1733, which coincided with the fourth Sunday after Trinity Sunday that year. The feast ended the period of mourning the death of the elector Augustus the Strong. The key of D major was better suited to the trumpets.

Scoring and structure

Gloria Patri part of BWV 243 The Tudor Consort performs Gloria Patri part of BWV 243, 2006
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Magnificat is scored for five soloists, soprano I/II, alto, tenor, bass, a five-part choir, three trumpets (in D), timpani (in D and A), two traversos, two oboes (oboe d'amore for movements three and four), two violins, viola, and basso continuo.

It is one of few works which Bach set for a five-part choir, along with the motet Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227, and the 1733 Missa BWV 232a, consisting of a Kyrie and Gloria that quarter of a century later were included in the Mass in B minor.

Movements

Further information: Magnificat in E-flat major, BWV 243a § The twelve movements of the Magnificat canticle

The work is divided into twelve movements. Its performance lasts approximately twenty-five to thirty minutes.

The following table shows the title, Tempo marking, voices, time, key and text sources for the twelve movements for Visitation and the inserted movements for Christmas. Also the orchestration is indicated:

  • In the winds & Ti column: trumpets (Tr), timpani (Ti), traversos (Fl) and oboes (Ob) / oboes d'amore (ObA)
  • In the strings & Bc column: violins (Vl), viola (Va) and organ/basso continuo (Bc)
Movements of Bach's Magnificat BWV 243
No. Title Voices Winds & Ti Strings & Bc Key Time Tempo Autograph p. Text source
1 Magnificat anima mea SSATB 3Tr Ti 2Fl 2Ob 2Vl Va Bc D major 3/4 1-15 Luke 1:46
2 Et exultavit spiritus meus SII 2Vl Va Bc D major 3/8 16-18 Luke 1:47
3 Quia respexit humiltatem SI ObAI Bc B minor common time Adagio 18-19 Luke 1:48 beginning
4 Omnes generationes SSATB 2Fl 2ObA 2Vl Va Bc common time Luke 1:48 end
5 Quia fecit mihi magna B common time Luke 1:49
6 Et misericordia A T 2Vl Va 12/8 Luke 1:50
7 Fecit potentiam SSATB 3Tr Ti 2Ob 2Vl Va common time Luke 1:51
8 Deposuit potentes T Vl 3/4 Luke 1:52
9 Esurientes A 2Fl common time Luke 1:53
10 Suscepit Israel SSA Tr common time Luke 1:54
11 Sicut locutus est SSATB common time Luke 1:55
12 Gloria Patri
Sicut erat in principio		 SSATB 3Tr Ti 2Ob 2Vl Va common time
3/4		 Doxology

Scores

The autograph of the D major version of the Magnificat can be dated around 1732-1753. It is available for download at the IMSLP website. The Bach-Gesellschaft published the D major version in Volume 11/1 (1862). Novello printed an Octavo edition in 1874, using a translation to English which John Troutbeck based on the text in The Book of Common Prayer. In 1924 Arnold Schering edited the full orchestral score for publication by Ernst Eulenburg and Edition Peters.

The Neue Bach Ausgabe published Bach's Magnificat in 1955, edited by Alfred Dürr. Novello published an edition in 2000, edited by Neil Jenkins.

Selected recordings

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (September 2014)

References

  1. ^ Jones 2013
  2. Schweitzer 1911 (volume 2), p. 166
  3. ^ Jenkins.
  4. Dellal. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDellal (help)
  5. Jenkins 2000, p. 5
  6. Autograph, frontispiece
  7. Breitkopf & Härtel 1862
  8. Novello 1874
  9. Schering 1924
  10. Digital. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDigital (help)

Sources

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