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82
Musical Sermons: Bach
and the Lutheran Cantata
CHAPTERfi23
7. output: prolific in secular and sacred works, suites,
concertos, sonatas, keyboard music, cantatas
a. St.fiJohn and St.fiMatthew Passions, The Well-
Tempered Clavier, The Art of Fugue, Bran-
denburg Concertos
B. 200 Bach cantatas survive
1. Bach composed four or five yearly cycles
2. each cantata, five to eight movements
a. first, middle, last movements based on chorale
tune: full ensemble
b. hymnlike settings to intricate fugues
c. interspersed: solos or duet arias, recitatives
C. Wachet auf (Sleepers, Awake)
1. cantata in seven movements
2. text: Gospel of Matthew, parable of the Wise and
Foolish Virgins
a. Lutherans prepare spiritually for the second
coming of Christ
3. hymn tune (chorale) by Philipp Nicolai (1599)
4. same hymn sung later in the ser vice by the
congregation
5. chorale tune featured in three choral movements
D. LG 13: Bach: Cantata No.140, Wachet auf (Sleep-
ers, Awake), Nos. 1, 4, and 7 (1731)
1. No.1: Chorale fantasia
a. stanza 1 of chorale; bar form (A- A- B)
b. majestic, marchlike: arrival of Christ
c. uplifting major key, insistent dotted rhythm in
orchestra
d. recurring instrumental sections (ritornellos)
e. complex, imitative polyphony in lower voices
2. No.4: Unison chorale
a. stanza 2 of chorale; bar form (A- A- B)
b. bright major key
OUTLINE
I. The Lutheran Chorale and Cantata
A. Martin Luther
1. lasting contributions to Western culture
2. believed in congregational singing
3. professional singers and instrumentalists create
polyphony in church ser vice
B. Chorales: German hymn tunes
1. composed or recycled melodies, German poetry
or biblical passages
2. specific chorale integrated into weekly ser vice
3. sung in unison by congregation
4. professional choir: four- part harmony
C. Lutheran cantata
1. multimovement work for soloists, chorus, and
orchestra: solo arias, recitatives, and choruses
2. “musical sermon”: elaboration of weekly hymn
3. based on Gospel reading of the day
4. integral part of church ser vice
II. Bach and the Lutheran Cantata
A. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
1. culminating figure of Baroque style
2. German composer, organ virtuoso; devout
Lutheran
a. renowned during his lifetime as a performer
3. court positions: Weimar and Anhalt- Cöthen
4. 1723–50 Leipzig: St.Thomas Church, collegium
musicum
5. two marriages, nineteen children: four sons,
leading composers
6. style: raised existing forms to highest level
a. unequalled mastery of contrapuntal
composition
Musical Sermons: Bach and the Lutheran Cantata | 83
ASSIGNMENT SUGGESTIONS
1. Luther and his followers were well aware of the ability
of chorales not only to reach the hearts of worshipers,
but also to teach them the meanings of biblical passages,
especially the parables preached by Jesus in the gospels
of the New Testament. What are some other examples of
music that is intended to teach people what to believe
orhow to think about or remember certain stories or
events?
2. Bach also wrote other compositions based on chorales,
including instrumental works that eschew the text. Lis-
ten to an excerpt of an instrumental arrangement of the
chorale movement from Bach’s cantata Herz und Mund
und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, known popularly today
as Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Popu lar arrangements of
this piece include versions by Christopher Parkening
(guitar), E. Power Biggs (organ), and Myra Hess (piano).
Although Bach did not make these instrumental arrange-
ments, in what ways does the music reflect the words
and meaning of the original cantata chorus?
TEACHING CHALLENGES
Ba ch’s Wachet auf is the earliest excerpt of music for cho-
rus and orchestra in the repertory that accompanies this
textbook. Hearing all of the performing forces, especially
c. chorale tune sung in unison by tenors, coun-
termelody in strings
3. No.7: Chorale
a. stanza 3 of chorale; bar form (A- A- B)
b. chorale melody in soprano line
c. fanfare- like opening
d. homorhythmic texture
OVERVIEW
Music of the Lutheran Church during the late Baroque era is
the main subject of Chapter23. The chorale is introduced as
the central musical component of the Lutheran worship ser-
vice, after which Bach’s Wachet auf (Sleepers, Awake) is dis-
cussed to illustrate the use of chorales in the sacred cantatas
of the late Baroque era.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
then have them discuss how each stanza of Wachet auf
(textbook pp.121–22) reflects the message of the parable.
Ask students to share their responses with the class,
then play recordings of the chorale: first sung in unison,
then harmonized in the last movement of Bach’s cantata
setting.
2. In a pre sen ta tion slide, copy each phrase of the chorale
84 | Chapterfi23
rock backbeat. The arrangement sounds like a roots- inspired
Here Motherless Child is sung by a male lead vocalist with a
This instrumental arrangement for pipe organ evokes the
religious and spiritual dimension of the song. Snippets of
the melody— heard in the louder pipes— feature syncopated
rhythms that play off the regular “straight” rhythms of the
background accompaniment, which brings to mind the
conclusion of the song are played in a virtuosic jazz style for
solo piano, with the addition of drums and bass in the middle
that support a lengthy improvisation over the harmonic form
of the song. Without the text, this version highlights the
memorable melody of Motherless Child; even at moments
This is a hip- hop track from the 1990s that uses portions of O.
V. Wright’s version of Motherless Child as the backing- track
SUPPLEMENTAL REPERTORY
SUPPLEMENTAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
especially DanielR. Melamed’s “Cantata Choruses and Cho-
rales” (pp.143–54) for further information on Bach’s use of cho-
rales in his cantata choruses.
YOUR TURN TO EXPLORE
highlighted through dif fer ent per for mances? Which ones do
you think are more effective, and why?
MODEL RESPONSES FOR MOTHERLESS CHILD
endings of the verses that capture the heartbreaking sad-
ness of this text— almost as if she were singing a role within
an opera.
