Music & Worship pt. 3

Bach, Handel, and Religious Storytelling

When is your exam?

•1) Today

•2) Mon-Wed

•3) Yesterday

Where is your exam?

•1) in class

•2) in one of the 8 testing centers

•3) at home

•4) Red Robin

TEXTURE

Texture

•“weave” of the music

•vertical (simultaneous) relationships

Monophony

•Single line, unaccompanied melody

Homophony

•Single melody of primary interest, other parts supportive in nature

•melody + chords

Homorhythm

•a type of homophony

•all parts have same rhythm

•still single melody of primary interest

Polyphony

•more than one melody

•heard simultaneously

•each of equal or nearly equal interest

•somewhat independent of one another

•Imitative vs. Non-imitative

Imitative Polyphony

•Melodic lines are more or less the same

•Usually enter one after the other

Non-Imitative Polyphony

•Melodies are different from one another

•Each of equal interest

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

St Thomas ChurchLeipzig, GermanySt Thomas ChurchLeipzig, Germany

Bach’s Cantatas•Cantata = “that which is sung”

•More than 200 Cantatas for Leipzig

•150 in first three years

•most for orchestra, soloists, chorus

•Based on Scripture reading

•Protestant Chorales

Cantata no. 140: “Wachet auf” (“Sleepers

Wake”)

•27th Sunday after Trinity, 1731

•Matthew 25: 1-13

•7 movements

•recitatives, arias, choruses

Movement 7--Chorale

The prevailing texture was:

•a) polyphony

•b) monophony

•c) homophony (homorhythm)

Movement 7•Lutheran chorale melody

•four-part harmonization (melody on top)

•instruments double voices

•Symbolic unity

•AAB form

•homorhythm

Gloria sei dir gesungen, mit Menschen- und englischen Zungen, mit Harfen und mit Zimbeln schon.Let Gloria be sung to You with mortal and angelic tongues, with harps and even cymbals.Von zwölf Perlen sind die Pforten, an deiner Stadt sind wir Konsorten der Engel hoch um deinen Thron.Of twelve pearls the portals are made, in your city we are consorts to the angels high around your throne.Kein Aug' hat je gespürt, kein Ohr hat je gehört solche Freude, des sind wir froh, io, io, ewig in dulci jubilo.

No eye has ever glimpsed, no ear has ever heard such joy which makes us glad, io, io, eternally, with sweet rejoicing!

A

A

B

Movement 1

In what part or voice was the

chorale melody?•a) the bass

•b) the soprano

•c) the banjo

•d) the violins

Movement 1

•Same Chorale melody as 7th movement

•melody in soprano

•Interruptions by orchestra and other voices

•Ritornello Principle

"Awake," a voice calls to us, the watchman high in the tower: "Awake, thou city of Jerusalem."Midnight the hour is called; they call to us with bright voices: "Where are you, wise virgins?"Behold, the bridegroom comes; rise up and take your lamps, Alleluia! Alleluia! Prepare yourselves for the wedding, you must go to meet Him.

Section

Rit. 1

Chorale A

Rit. 2

Chorale A

Rit. 3

Chorale B

Rit. 4

Timbre

Orchestra

Orchestra&

Chorus

Orchestra

Orchestra&

Chorus

Orchestra

Orchestra&

Chorus

Orchestra

Ritornello Principle in Mvt. 1

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, der Wächter sehr hoch auf der Zinne, wach auf, du Stadt Jerusalem.

A

Mitternacht heißt diese Stunde, sie rufen uns mit hellem Munde, wo seid ihr klugen Jungfrauen?

A

Wohlauf, der Bräut'gam kömmt, steht auf, die Lampen nehmt, Alleluia! Alleluia! Macht euch bereit zu der Hochzeit, ihr müßet ihm entgegengehn.

B

G.F. HandelMessiah (1741)

True or False: Handel’s Messiah has much in common with opera.

•a) true

•b) false

Oratorio

•No Operas Lent & Advent

•Oratorio a “workaround”

•Biblical, no acting, sets, or costumes

•Characters, plot, recitative, aria, choruses

•Messiah unusual, no real plot

Recitative/Aria Pair

“He that dwelleth in Heaven”

“Thou shalt break them”

tenor + basso continuo

tenor + reduced orchestra

ritornello principle

text brief, extended by

repeating words and long melismas

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.

Recitative

Aria

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

(ritornello)

(ritornello)

(ritornello)

“Glory to God” from Handel’s

Messiah•“Glory to God”

•“...and peace on Earth”

•“...good will”

homophony

monophony

polyphony

“Hallelujah Chorus”

What textures did you hear in the

voices?•a) monophony and polyphony

•b) monophony, polyphony, and homophony

•c) only polyphony

•d) only homophony

Hallelujah,for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth

The Kingdom of this world is become theKingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ;and He shall reign for ever and ever,King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,and He shall reign for ever and ever,Hallelujah!

H, M, & P

H

P