Chapter 10 Baroque Vocal Music The Church Cantata.

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Chapter 10 Baroque Vocal Music The Church Cantata

Transcript of Chapter 10 Baroque Vocal Music The Church Cantata.

Page 1: Chapter 10 Baroque Vocal Music The Church Cantata.

Chapter 10Baroque Vocal Music

The Church

Cantata

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Key Terms

Church cantata

Chorales

Gapped chorale

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The Church Cantata

Second in importance to oratorioCantata = work in several movements for voices & instruments

• Could use sacred or secular texts• Featured solo voice(s) & sometimes chorus

Church cantata • Always based on sacred text• Used solo voices; usually used chorus• Texts for Lutheran church cantatas had to fit

with fixed Bible readings for each Sunday of the church year

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The Lutheran Chorale

Most Lutheran cantatas use choralesChorale = German congregational hymnMartin Luther favored hymn singing–he wanted audience participationFrom that time on, the body of German hymns grew steadilyHymns well-known & well-loved by Lutheran congregationsWhen used in cantatas, chorales provided rich source of associations

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Cantatas & Chorales

Cantatas used chorales in several ways• Final movement of typical Bach cantata used

single verse of a chorale sung straight through with simple harmonization

• Longer choruses could present chorale phrases one by one, with a point of imitation on each one

• Gapped chorales presented chorale melody in spurts, with a continuously recurring ritornello-like idea in between phrases

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Bach Cantatas

Bach wrote over 200 cantatas, most of them for church

In Leipzig Bach had to produce cantatas for the entire church year

Cantatas were used for every Sunday service at the Thomaskirche

• Performed between the Gospel reading & the sermon

• Provided reflection on the reading in preparation for the all-important sermon

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Typical Bach Cantata

Began with substantial chorus• Usually based on a chorale tune (same as the

one used at the end)

Continued with recitatives & arias for solo voices

Concluded with straightforward harmonized chorale

• Carefully selected to fit with Bible readings for that Sunday

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, “Christ lag in Todesbanden” (1)

Written in 1707 while Bach was still a small-town organist

Cantata for Easter Sunday• Surprisingly serious & stern for Easter• Reflects on battle between Life & Death• Each stanza does end with a Hallelujah

For voices, string orchestra, & continuo

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, “Christ lag in Todesbanden” (2)

Based on a chorale by Luther• “Christ Lay in Death’s Dark Prison”

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, “Christ lag in Todesbanden” (3)

Uses all seven stanzas—unusual!• One stanza per movement–seven movements

altogether

Bach arranged the seven movements in symmetrical fashion

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, Stanza 3 (1)

For tenor, solo violin, & continuo

Gapped chorale setting• Tenor sings chorale melody with gaps in

between phrases• Violin plays ritornello melody at beginning,

end, & in gaps between phrases

Celebrates Christ’s victory over death• Engaging, vivacious, dance-like rhythms• Rather serious in mood

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, Stanza 3 (2)

Dramatic contrast at “Da bleibet nichts”• Violin abandons ritornello for fast chords• Short pause after “nichts” (nothing) interrupts

motor rhythms• Pause followed by short, slower cadenza on

“denn Tod’s Gestalt”• Unusual passages in Bach sacred works

usually point us to the words• Pause illuminates heart of stanza’s message–

Nothing is left of Death’s power because Christ has done away with our sins

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Stanza 3

Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn,

An unser Statt ist kommen

Und hat die Sünde weggetan,

Damit den Tod genommen

All’ sein Recht und sein’ Gewalt;

Da bleibet nichts–denn Tod’s Gestalt;

Den Stach’l hat er verloren,

Hallelujah!

Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

Has come on our behalf,

And has done away with our sins,

Thereby robbing Death

Of all his power and his might;

There remains nothing but Death’s image;

He has lost his sting.

Hallelujah!

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, Stanza 4 (1)

For alto solo, soprano, tenor, & bass voices, & continuo

Alto voice sings gapped chorale melody• Double by the pipe organ• Long, slow note values

The other voices introduce each phrase• Soprano, tenor, & bass

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, Stanza 4 (2)

The other voices introduce each phrase

They sing fragments from each chorale phrase in imitation

Faster note values

Continuous feel

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, Stanza 4 (3)

Expressive devices• Busy imitative polyphony suggests warfare

against Death• Jaunty rhythm & close imitation at “Ein Spott”

seems to mock Death

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Stanza 4

Es war ein wunderlicher Krieg,

Da Tod und Leben rungen;Das Leben da behielt das

Sieg,Es hat den Tod

verschlungen.Die Schrift hat verkündiget

dasWie ein Tod den andern

frass;Ein Spott aus dem Tod ist

worden.Hallelujah!

It was a marvelous warWhere Death and Life

battled.Life there gained the

victory;It completely swallowed up

Death.Holy Scripture has

proclaimedHow one Death gobbled up

the other;Death thus became a

mockery.Hallelujah!

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Bach, Cantata No. 4, Stanza 7

For voices, orchestra, & continuoStraightforward presentation of the hymn

• Simple homophonic texture• Soprano takes the melody• Four-part vocal harmony• Vocal parts doubled by instruments

Text turns from battles to confidence of faithMusical setting offers restful, serene conclusion

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Stanza 7

Wir essen und leben wohl

Im rechten Osterfladen.

Der alter Sauerteig nicht soll

Sein bei dem Wort der Gnaden.

Christus will die Koste sein

Und speisen die Seel’ allein,

Der Glaub’ will keins andern Leben.

Hallelujah!

We eat and live fitly

On the true unleavened bread of the Passover

The old yeast shall not

Contaminate the word of grace.

Christ will be the cost

And alone will feed the soul:

Faith will live on nothing else.

Hallelujah!