Quotations about J. S. Bach

Today, 377 years ago, Johann Michael Bach was born. He was a German composer belonging to the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach, the brother of Johann Sebastian’s uncle Johann Christoph and also the father of his first wife Maria Barbara. Especially in the chorale motet, the vocal form to which he almost exclusively devoted himself, he composed works of real significance. His motets tend to be homophonic and old-fashioned, though well crafted; his more ambitious works are influenced by the music of Heinrich Schütz, Samuel Scheidt and Michael Prætorius. His convincing treatment of spoken declamation is particularly notable.

Below motet for double choir (the manuscript is now lost) was included in the so-called Altbachisches Archiv (old-Bachian archive), a collection of 17th-century vocal music, most of which was written by members of the Bach family. The collection came in the possesion of Johann Sebastian Bach and after his death passed on to his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who gave it it’s name. The original manuscripts were lost during World War 2, only to be rediscovered in Ukraine in 1999 through the efforts of musicologist Christoff Wolff. In 2001, they were returned to the Sing-Akademie in Berlin.

A number of motets from the old-Bachian archive (including below one) are contained in this YouTube playlist.

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See a presentation of a Bach autograph score preserved in Copenhagen !

The Bach Academy in Bruges (West Flanders, Belgium) has become well-established among the Bach festivals of Europe. It runs every year in January beginning mid week with most activities taking place the following weekend. At the center of the festival is always two concerts with Philippe Herreweghe and his Collegium Vocale Gent, taking place at Friday and Sunday evenings. You also have access to 2 open rehearsals.

Herreweghe’s Bach choir numbers 3 singers per voice, meaning a total of 12. Four of those are taking on the solo parts as well. As always, this year featured a very fine crew of soloists: Grace Davidson/soprano (replacing Dorothee Mields who was ill), Alex Potter/countertenor, Guy Cutting/tenor and Krešimir Stražanac/bass.

I was present again this year and enjoyed performances of a number of fine Bach cantatas. Especially noteworthy of those were BWV 21 (Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis) and BWV 75 (Die Elenden sollen essen). The latter was performed at Bach’s first Sunday as Thomas Cantor in Leipzig (30 May 1723). Both are unusual in the sense that they are in two parts, making room for the sermon in between (similar to Bach’s passions).

Another cantata was BWV 138 (Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz), which concludes with this marvellous chorale:

An extra benefit from visiting Bruges is the wonderful medieval city center and the great food and beer that Belgium can offer. To get a feeling for Bruges, do watch the comedy/thriller In Bruges with Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell from 2008 😊

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Enjoy the works of Bach online with All of Bach !

Gabriel Hollander, a young Belgian conductor and musical leader, has produced a series of 3 videos, dealing with Bach’s motet Der Gerechte kommt um. He describes in an engaging and humorous way the huge impact this motet has made on him, and he is exploring why. I can really recommend that you check out the series. This is part one:

The complete playlist can be found here.

The motet is an arrangement (most probably by Bach) of an older a cappella motet Tristis est anima mea, attributed to Johann Kuhnau, the predecessor of Bach as Cantor at St. Thomas in Leipzig. It is also very dear to me, and some years ago I uploaded 2 videos with it. The one with Monteverdi Choir is here and the one with Coro & Consort Costanzo Porta here. In both videos you can follow the score as the music unfolds.

More about my YouTube channel here.

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Enjoy the works of Bach online with All of Bach !

I had the pleasure of attending the New Years concert of RIAS Kammerchor in Berlin on 1 January 2024, conducted by Justin Doyle. The two main works was Handel’s Utrechter Te Deum and Bach’s Magnificat in E flat major (BWV 243.1), the version with 4 Christmas interpolations. An album with this repertoire has appeared at Harmonia Mundi.

The below piece, or rather pieces, was the encore. I did not know Vulpius’ canon and was blown away by it. It here forms a fitting prologue to the well-known arrangement by Michael Prætorius.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all !

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Bach’s Magnificat in E flat major from BachFest Leipzig 2003 !

2023 marks 300 years since Bach moved to Leipzig for the post of Thomaskantor and music director. Let us likewise celebrate the 300 years which have passed since his first christmas in Leipzig.

This brilliant choral piece by Bach, a Sanctus not well-known, had it’s first performance on Christmas Day in 1723. The congregation could also enjoy his original Christmas version of the Magnificat (in E major), as well as his cantata Christen, ätzet diesen Tag. Wish I was there…

A very merry and healthy Christmas and a happy new year I wish to all visitors of this site !

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Enjoy the vocal works of Bach online with Bachipedia !

Johann Sebastian Bach always has a lot to offer in the realm of music. And this is certainly the case when it comes to Christmas. Actually in Leipzig at his time, music was silent during Advent – but that meant more time to prepare for the busy Christmas days. In an earlier post, I dealt with his first Christmas in Leipzig, in the year 1723.

In below playlist, I have collected some movements from his Christmas cantatas and the Christmas Oratorio (the latter being in fact 6 separate cantatas).

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Rick Beato discusses here what makes Bach so great !

Johann Christoph Bach was a German composer of the Baroque period. He was born at Arnstadt, the son of Heinrich Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach’s great uncle, hence he was Johann Sebastian’s first cousin once removed. He was also the uncle of Maria Barbara Bach, J. S. Bach’s first wife.

Within the Bach family, Johann Christoph was highly respected as a profound composer. In J. S. Bach’s obituary notice of 1754 he is mentioned expressly as one who was as good at inventing beautiful thoughts as he was at expressing words. He composed, to the extent that current taste permitted, in a galant and cantabile style, uncommonly full-textured … On the organ and the keyboard he never played with fewer than five independent parts. J. S. Bach performed some of his motets and vocal concertos in Leipzig.

This motet for 5 voices was included in the so-called Altbachisches Archiv (old-Bachian archive), a collection of 17th-century vocal music, most of which was written by members of the Bach family. The collection was founded by the father of Johann Sebastian Bach. After the death of Johann Sebastian the collection was passed on to his son Carl Philipp Emanuel. The original manuscripts were lost during the Second World War, only to be rediscovered in Ukraine in 1999 (through the efforts of musicologist Christoff Wolff), after which they in 2001 were returned to the Sing-Akademie in Berlin.

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See a presentation of a Bach autograph score preserved in Copenhagen !

Johann Michael Bach was a German composer belonging to the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach. He was the brother of Johann Sebastian’s uncle and also the father of his first wife Maria Barbara. Especially in the chorale motet, the vocal form to which he almost exclusively devoted himself, he composed works of real significance. His convincing treatment of spoken declamation is particularly notable.

This motet for double choir (the manuscript is now lost) was included in the so-called “Altbachisches Archiv” (old-Bachian archive), a collection of 17th-century vocal music, most of which was written by members of the Bach family. The collection was founded by the father of Johann Sebastian Bach. After the death of Johann Sebastian the collection was passed on to his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who named it “Altbachisches Archiv”. The original manuscripts were lost during the Second World War, only to be rediscovered in Ukraine in 1999 (through the efforts of musicologist Christoff Wolff), after which they in 2001 were returned to the Sing-Akademie in Berlin.

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See a presentation of a Bach autograph score preserved in Copenhagen !

Bach probably composed the cantata DU WAHRER GOTT UND DAVIDS SOHN (BWV 23) in Köthen between 1717 and 1723, but it was revised to be included as Bach’s second test piece (with “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe”, BWV 22) for the position of Thomaskantor in Leipzig. The work was performed there on 7 February 1723 (after the sermon), and performed again on 20 February 1724.

The chorale was probably not part of the Köthen cantata, but is a surviving part of an otherwise lost passion written by Bach in Weimar. One can understand why Bach wanted to perform this impressive piece during his audition !

The chorale also concluded his 1725 revision of the St. John Passion.

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Enjoy the works of Bach online with All of Bach !

If you like Bach (which I assume since you are here 😊), you may like Scarlatti as well? Both were born in the same miraculous year of 1685, which also saw the birth of George Frideric Handel.

Domenico Scarlatti was born in Italy but spent the bulk of his career in Portugal and Spain. Today he is mostly know from his more than 500 short keyboard pieces named sonatas. Most are single movements, normally in two sections. Scarlatti triumphed over the heavy Baroque style with his characterful themes, natural cantabile melodies, and dance-like movements. He is certainly one of music history’s great keyboard composers, and an early keyboard virtuoso as well.

I have made a number of videos combining the recording of a sonata with the score. Click here for the full playlist.

You may have a personal favourite among the sonatas which I haven’t done yet? I can do that – check out this page!

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Enjoy the works of Bach online with All of Bach !