Johann Sebastian Bach - booksnow.scholarsportal.info

—THE STRUCTURE OF THE B MINOR MASS. 47cantata, of which the words are " Schauet und sehet ''" Behold and see, was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow"(Vol. II., p. 427). The text of the second chorus of the Credois: Patrem omnipotentem, fadorem cceli et tcrrce; the text of theoriginal "Gott wie dein Name so ist auch dein Ruhm"—" God, as Thy Name is, so is Thj' glory, even unto the world'send " — (Vol. II., p. 441). The Crucifixus is a revival of thecantata chorus "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen"— "Weeping,anguish, terror, pain, and grief are the Christian's bread oftears"— (Vol. IL, p. 404). All these subjects are preciousgems which, in their new setting, not only sparkle morebrightly in themselves, but add to the magnificence of asplendid whole. Bach has left nothing wholly unaltered,though the pieces have not been reconstructed from thefoundations.In many cases some small detail adds to theircharacteristic fitness ; in the Cntcifixns, the tremolo bass andthe closing modulations ; in Qui tollis, the muffling of thesound by the cessation of the supporting wind instrumennts.The chorus "Gott wie dein Name" really seems to have beenawaiting its conversion into the Patrem omnipotentem ; theslight modification in the theme, which was necessitated bythe Latin text, first fully brought out its sinewy structure,and the rhythm of the words from the mass fit the melodybetter than the Bible text.Besides those already mentioned, there are but two thatare not perfectly new compositions, and these must bejudged somewhat differently. The Agnus is founded on thealto aria in the Ascension oratorio " Ach bleibe doch, meinliebstes Leben" (Vol. IL, p. 593 f.)—but only one long phraseof it is used, and the remainder is quite a new composition.The Osanna occurs at the beginning of the secular cantata,"Preise dein Glücke" (Vol. IL, p. 631). But even there itis not in its original place ; on the contrary, it bears conspicuousmarks of arrangement, and must be more unlikethe true original than the Osanna, so that in this instancenothing can be said as to the connection between theoriginal and the reproduction.Among the twenty-six numbers into which the B minormass is divided there are six arias and three duets. There