Bach analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bach epitome - Essay ExampleAnd just as important it stands a clear testimony of the skill and ask of Johann Sebastian Bach as the foundational composer of Western music. This portrayal of Herr, unser Herrsche is so rendered by the Cologne Cathedral Boys Choir.1 Conductor Eberhard Metternich has determine the quivering triple-like motif that is later carried through the lower instrument voices as a continuum expressed and released on a recurring sixteenth motif. The accents on the third, and the first in the phrases of four sixteenths maintain the triple olfactory modality activeness or energy of the quiver. Durr describes the motif as an enhancement over a persistent wheel around agitate that is latter carried into the voices 2. The contrast of the strong pedal and the persistent repeating motif to dictate rises and falls in emotional feeling is perhaps indicative of the tools and techniques Bach has, at that time in his life, in conclusion polished to display skillful and precise artistic control. Bach wrote his music through the Lutheran Christian frame of reference. He guided it through the Baroque frame of the Enlightenment to its decorative height, by focal point of the Saint outhouse sexual love and the Magnificant, to his magnus opus, as noted and appreciated by so many, the St. Matthew Passion. Discussion The St. John Passion was first performed in 1724 as Bach entered the first prolific period of his Leipzig phrase. As the unexampled Canto zu St. Thomae, some believed he had written the work earlier in preparation for the Good Friday performance, the high point of the year for music in the Lutheran church.3 The work covers the Passion play biblical narrative in John 181 to 1942 and enabled Bach to realize an uninterrupted and thematic name for the chorales and the arias. The work leads up to the Pontius Pilate tribunal scene in Part II where it ends with the Golgatha and burial scene. Repeated textual matter passages were used, along w ith repeated crowd scene responses to unify the work. Wolff identifies intensity and depth of expression in the expose sequence as it progressed later in part 2. His sketch identifies Bachs precision toward foundation harmony. Chapter 19-22 is scored with three flats through 24, four sharps through 28, two flats through 35, four flats with the vocals and instruments expressing contrasting colors.4 Over the course of time, Bach took the Passion through several changes and never seemed quite satisfied with the final form. A year before his death, he had reworked almost half of the two part, 40 piece work. By that time he had reverted, after two major edition changes, back to the tighter original version. The problem he had was not a musical unrivalled but a libretto one. Wolff writes of it lacking textual unity.5 Bach uses familiar church hymns to develop some of the recitatives, arias, and let outes reservation up his work and draws from the work of other composers and poets fo r themes and ways of rendering the libretto. The music was written for a four-part chorus with solo tenor and bass, and a solo quartet of soprano, alto, tenor and base. Bass voices belong to Jesus, Peter, and Pilate, and the Evangelist is tenor. Instruments of the orchestra found two flutes, two oboes, viola da gamba, strings, lute and organ. Period instruments included viola da gama, two violas damore, continuo with cello and two oboes da caccia. The opening chorus is followed by the Evangelist recitative who sets the background for the perfidy of Jesus. Jesus sings to identify himself to the