florida state university college of music performance practice

Weyand (1990) was documented as the slowest at 0:37 while German conductor
Dombrecht (0:35) and Dutch conductor Leusink (2001) were the second and third slowest
recordings both at 0:35.
21 d Kreuzige, kreuzige (Chorus)
The belligerent cries to “Crucify, Crucify” make this chorus a potent display of
poignant drama. In toto the interpretations were full volume. Rilling (1996) chose
dynamic variety by reducing volume in measures 40 and 41 and twenty-seven recordings
heard executed an obvious crescendo in bar 50 starting on the third beat of the bass vocal
part singing a D above middle C to the end of the movement, two measures later. Two
conductors Suzuki (2000) and Herreweghe (2001) added a trill in bar 42.
Other than these cases, variety was best demonstrated through the conductor‟s
choice of tempo. Hempfling (2004) added to the dramatization by adding an accelerando
in the performance. The three fastest recordings were all registered at 0:46, German
conductor Max (1990), American conductor Milnes (1996) and German conductor
Hempfling (2004). The slowest recordings show that German conductors Rilling (1996)
and Weyand (1990) were 0:58 and 0:57 ,respectively, and the third slowest is attributed
to English conductor Gardiner (1986) at 0:56.
21 f Wir haben ein Gesetz (Chorus)
In formal design Bach chose to set this text about the law with the form that is
strictly governed by laws of composition, the fugue. Recordings of this F major fugue
demonstrate a variety of beginning dynamics but overall conductors chose to present the
intial statement of the fugue in a strong forte dynamic. While many conductors chose a
uniform forte dynamic throughout there were some who took advantage of the fugue
form to add dynamic variety. For example, Schreier (1988), Corboz (1994), Milnes
(1996) and Dombrecht (1996) performed episodic sections like measures 80-81 and 85 -
86 noticebly quieter. Choices of dynamics were also used to help create contrast. Schreier
(1988) creates contrast by making measure 86 piano then a bar later ends the movement
in a frenzied subito forte. Some conductors made decisions regarding dynamics that
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