The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) is a musical setting of
the complete Latin Mass by Johann Sebastian Bach. The
work was one of Bach's last, not completed until 1749,
the year before his death in 1750. Much of the Mass
consisted of music that Bach had composed earlier: the
Kyrie and Gloria sections had been composed as a
Lutheran Missa in 1733 for the Elector of Saxony at
Dresden. The Sanctus dates back to 1724, and the Qui
tollis movement was based on a cantata chorus dating
from 1714. To complete ...(+)
The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) is a musical setting of
the complete Latin Mass by Johann Sebastian Bach. The
work was one of Bach's last, not completed until 1749,
the year before his death in 1750. Much of the Mass
consisted of music that Bach had composed earlier: the
Kyrie and Gloria sections had been composed as a
Lutheran Missa in 1733 for the Elector of Saxony at
Dresden. The Sanctus dates back to 1724, and the Qui
tollis movement was based on a cantata chorus dating
from 1714. To complete the work, however, in the 1740s
Bach composed new sections of the Credo such as Et
incarnatus est. The completed Mass was his last major
composition.
It was unusual for composers working in the Lutheran
tradition to compose a Missa tota and Bach's
motivations remain a matter of scholarly debate. The
Mass was most probably never performed in totality
during Bach's lifetime, and the work largely
disappeared in the 18th century. Several performances
in the early 19th century, however, sparked a revival
both of the piece and the larger rediscovery of Bach's
music. Today, it is widely hailed as one of the
greatest works of all time and is frequently
performed.
Bach did not give the work a title; instead, in the
score four parts of the Latin Mass are each given their
own title page—"Missa" (consisting of the Kyrie and
Gloria), "Symbolum Nicenum" (the profession of faith or
Credo), "Sanctus", and "Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei
et Dona nobis pacem"—and simply bundled together.
Indeed, the different sections call for different
numbers and arrangements of performers, giving rise to
the theory that Bach did not ever expect the work to be
performed in its entirety. On the other hand, the parts
in the manuscript are numbered from 1 to 4, and Bach's
usual closing formula (S.D.G = Soli Deo Gloria) is only
found at the end of the Dona Nobis Pacem.
Although originally composed for voice and orchestra, I
created this arrangement for Woodwind Sextet (Flute,
Oboe, Bb Clarinet, English Horn, French Horn and
Bassoon).
