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Northwest Sinfonietta Music off the Record

Northwest Sinfonietta Music off the Record. Johann Sebastian Bach St. John Passion Dr. Ken Owen. J.S. Bach (1685-1750). What do you know about Bach? Prolific Every genre except opera 300 cantatas in 3 years Fugues & fugal writing Well Tempered Klavier Remarkable craftsmanship.

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Northwest Sinfonietta Music off the Record

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  1. Northwest SinfoniettaMusic off the Record Johann Sebastian Bach St. John Passion Dr. Ken Owen

  2. J.S. Bach (1685-1750) • What do you know about Bach? • Prolific • Every genre except opera • 300 cantatas in 3 years • Fugues & fugal writing • Well Tempered Klavier • Remarkable craftsmanship

  3. Bach Family Tree (selective)

  4. Bach professional musicians • Great grandfather • Grandfather & his two brothers • Father, 2 uncles, 6 cousins once-removed • Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • At least 5 of his sons

  5. Youngest of 8 children

  6. Family tradgedy • 9yrs old – mother dies • Dad remarries • Dad dies • Stepmom left w/5 children under 12 • Asked by Count of Schwarzburg-Arnstadt • “whether there was not another Bach available who would like to apply for Johann Christoph’s (Dad’s twin) post, for I should and must have a Bach again” • “the springs of musical talent in the Bach family have run dry within the last few years”

  7. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • Lives with older brother Johan Christoph • Student of Johannes Pachelbel • Church organist • Graduated from school at a young age • St. Michael’s church • Choral scholar

  8. Career • Organist in Arnstatd • Ego gets him in trouble • Fight with a student basoon player, Geyserbach • Older than Bach • Because Bach had called him a “Zipple fagottist” • Translated “greenhorn” or “nanny-goat” basoonist

  9. Didn’t get along w/instrumentalists and wouldn’t help

  10. Career • Organist in Mülhausen • Marries Maria Barbara • Concert Master in Weimar 1714-1717 • Thrown in jail for quitting job • 4 weeks!

  11. Career • Capellmeister in Cöthen 1717-1723 • Wife dies • Marries Anna Magdalena – singer • Cantor & director of music at Leipzig 1723-1750 • 3rd choice – settled for Bach • 1724 – St. John Passion • 1750 – eye surgeries for cateracts • 1750 – dies of stroke

  12. Leipzig • Duties included teaching Latin • Oversight of music at the three churches in Leipzig – mostly the 2 big ones • Audition new music students • Scholarships for Sunday performance • Teach student musicians and prepare them for Sunday performances • Always frustrated with student abilities

  13. St. Thomas Church in Leipzig

  14. St. John Passion • Passion = musical setting of Jesus’ suffering and death. • Leipzig stuck in a rut • Tradition of singing a passion by Johann Walter from 1530! • No Instruments allowed in passion! • Avoided the trend to set it in operatic style, like an oratorio.

  15. St. John Passion • 1720 – Bach’s predecessor convinces them to allow orchestra and write a new passion • Rules: • Text from New Testament – no alterations • 1723 – want a famous musician to draw in the Easter crowds • Still stuck to text rules (unlick composers in other cities) • Aria problems

  16. St. John Passion • 3 text sources • New Testament direct quotes • Recitative • Tells the story - characters • Non-scriptural Lutheran poetry • Arias • Anonymous reflection on story & devotion • Lutheran Chorales – hymns • Sung in chorale style by choir • Familiarity to congregation

  17. Recitatives, Arias & Chorales, Oh My! • Recitative • speech-like flexible rhythms • One note per syllable • Intended to be dramatic, musical speech • Aria • more melodic • regular beat • Words extended over musical lines • Chorales = hymns in 4 part harmony

  18. Recitativehttp://youtu.be/hh8UvEGpbA4 • Evangelist “Jesus sprichtzuihnen” • Jesus “Ich bin’s.” • Evangelist “Judas aber, der ihnverriet, stundauchbeiihnen. Alsnun Jesus zuihnensprach: Ich bin’s, wichensiezurück und fielenzuBoden. Da fragte er sieabermal. ” • Jesus “Wen suchetihr?” • Evangelist “Sieabersprachen:” • Evangelist “Jesus said to them” • Jesus “I am He.” • Evangelist “Judas also, who had betrayed him, stood though beside them. And when Jesus had said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Then he asked them for a second time:” • Jesus “Whom do ye seek?” • Evangelist “And they did answer:”

  19. Soprano Aria 35http://youtu.be/GtvwKIYoV0E “Zerfließe, meinHerze, in Fluten der Zähren, Dem HöchstenzuEhren! Erzähle der Welt und demHimmel die Not: Dein Jesus ist tot!” “O melt now, my bosom, in rivers of weeping, The Most High to honor! Declare to the world and to heaven thy woe: Thy Jesus is dead!”

  20. Chorale http://youtu.be/wGXu30k-AO0 • Ach grosser König

  21. Story • Part I • Betrayal and Capture (John 18:1–14) • Peter’s Denial (John 18:15–27, Matthew 26:75) • Part II • Interrogation and Flagellation (John 18:28–40, 19:1) • Condemnation and Crucifixion (John 19:2–22) • The Death of Jesus (John 19:23–30) • Burial (Matthew 27:51–52, John 19:31–42)

  22. VOICES AND CHARACTERS • Evangelist: Tenor • Jesus: Bass • Petrus (Peter): Bass • Magd (Maid): Soprano • Diener (Servant): Tenor • Solos: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass • Chorus: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass

  23. Devotion & Symbolism in Bach • Bach’s markings on scores • JJ = JesuJuva • SDG = Soli Deo Gloria • Symmetry in movement plan • Number symbolism • Musical figures • Cross? • Scoring

  24. Soprano Aria “I follow thee” • 2 flutes in unison • Duality of God/man • Musically following

  25. Enjoy the concert • You can find this Powerpoint at • www.choralconductor.org • Thank you for coming! - Ken Owen

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