List_of_Passions_and_Oratorios_by_Johann_Sebastian_Bach

List of masses, passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach

List of masses, passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach

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Masses, Passions, Oratorios is the subject of the second series of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA, New Bach Edition),[1] a publication of Johann Sebastian Bach's music from 1954 to 2007. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions) masses, passions and oratorios refers to two chapters:

  • Chapter 3: Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), original range: BWV 232–243
  • Chapter 4: Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), original range: BWV 244–249

In the BWV, as in Series II of the NBA, the group thus also includes Bach's Magnificat and separate mass movements.

Further the second series of the NBA and/or the 1998 updated edition of the BWV (BWV2a) group some new additions to the BWV catalogue with the masses, passions and oratorios (e.g. Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater), and regroup some compositions that were formerly associated with other genres in the masses, passions and oratorios group (e.g. BWV 11, published as a cantata in the 19th century, added to the group as an oratorio).

Also various items in the BWV Anhang (BWV Anh., annex to the BWV), or even unmentioned in the BWV (BWV deest, lacking a BWV number) are associated with this group, for instance the motet Der Gerechte kömmt um, BC C 8, arranged, probably by Bach, from the Tristis est anima mea motet attributed to Johann Kuhnau. Such compositions or movements usually have a Bach Digital Work (BDW) page at the www.bach-digital.de website.

Masses, mass movements and Magnificat

Mass with all usual sections

Kyrie–Gloria masses

Cantata based on BWV 232I

Separate mass movements

Latin Magnificat

German Magnificat cantatas

Other

Passions and oratorios

Passions composed by Bach

  • BWV 244 – St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion)
    • BWV 244b – St Matthew Passion, early version(s)
  • BWV 245 – St John Passion (Johannes-Passion), various versions, including:[24]
    • St. John Passion, 2nd version, with opening chorus "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" (1725), BDW 00308, containing:
      • BWV 245a – Aria "Himmel reiße, Welt erbebe"
      • BWV 245b – Aria "Zerschmettert mich, ihr Felsen und ihr Hügel"
      • BWV 245c – Aria "Ach, windet euch nicht so, geplagte Seelen"
    • St. John Passion, Bach's last revision (1749), BDW 00310
  • BWV 247 – St Mark Passion (Markus-Passion) (libretto is extant; although the music is lost much of it is reconstructable based on associated compositions)
  • BWV deest – Weimarer Passion (lost, music partially recuperated in other compositions), BDW 01533

Passions by other composers with movements by Bach

  • BWV 246 – St Luke Passion (Lukas-Passion) by an unknown composer and librettist, includes one movement by Bach:
    • BWV 246/40a – Chorale "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich", BDW 00312
  • BWV deest – St Mark Passion (attributed to Keiser), surviving in various (pasticcio) versions, with three movements associated with Bach:
    • BWV 500a – Chorale "So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin", BDW 00571
    • BWV 1084 – Chorale "O hilf Christe, Gottes Sohn", BDW 01270, and earlier version BDW 01677
    • BWV deest – Chorale "O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid", BDW 01679, and earlier version BDW 01678
  • BWV deest – Passion oratorio Wer ist der, so von Edom kömmt (pasticcio), with three movements associated with Bach:
    • BWV 127/1 (variant) – Chorus "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott", BDW 00155
    • BWV 1088 – Arioso "So heb ich denn mein Auge sehnlich auf", BDW 01274
    • BWV deest – Chorus "Der Gerechte kömmt um", also as separate motet (BC C 8),[25] BDW 01532

Other vocal compositions associated with Passion music

Spurious

  • BWV Anh. 169 – Passion text Erbauliche Gedanken auf den Grünen Donnerstag und Charfreitag über den Leidenden Jesum by Picander, not set by Bach (apart from some movements of the St Matthew Passion)

Oratorios and associated cantatas

Compositions in the third and fourth chapters of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (1998)

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References

  1. The New Bach Edition, Series II: Masses, Passions, Oratorios at the Bärenreiter website
  2. "Work 0299". Bach Digital. Leipzig: Bach Archive; et al.
  3. Boyd, Malcolm (1999). Oxford Composer Companions: J.S. Bach. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. pp. 299. ISBN 0-19-866208-4.
  4. Spitta 1884, p. 374 ff.
  5. Frederick Hudson and Alfred Dürr. "An Investigation into the Authenticity of Bach's 'Kleine Magnificat'" in Music and Letters XXXVI (3), 1955 – pp. 233-236
  6. Andreas Glöckner. "Die Leipziger Neukirchenmusik und das 'Kleine Magnificat' BWV Anh. 21" in Bach-Jahrbuch 1982, pp. 97-102
  7. Kirsten Beißwenger (ed.) Werke zweifelhafter Echtheit, Bearbeitungen fremder Kompositionen (Volume 9 of Series II: Masses, Passions, Oratorios from the New Bach Edition). Bärenreiter, 2000.

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