A Moment of Bach

Overtures belong at the beginning, introducing what is to come. So why is one found at Variation 16 of the giant Goldberg Aria and Variations? Well, it is the beginning, but of the second half of 30 variations. Variation 15 takes us into fear and anguish with a mirrored canon in the (unheard of) key of G minor. After 45 minutes of bright G major since the opening aria, this change into the parallel minor key is stark, but not as stark and bare as the open fifth ending: a lone D string. Then follows a pause (in this performance by Jean Rondeau) of fully 35 seconds. We start fresh, renewed with the joy of G major after this pause which literally divides the performance in half. The French "Ouverture" is a new beginning, replete with bright and shimmering baroque ornamentation. And yet it fits in the mold of the harmonic structure of the original Aria. While we think that there are beautiful performances of the Goldberg Variations on the modern piano, we lament the limitations of the low end of our big new instrument. Of all the 30 plus the Aria, this variation is the one which must be heard on the instrument for which it was intended -- harpsichord. Aria mit 30 Veränderungen (Goldberg Variations) BWV 988: Jean Rondeau, Netherlands Bach Society

To play baroque music properly -- especially a bouncing jig like this one in 12/8 time -- you must "unlearn what you have learned", and rethink how you articulate music. Articulation is so important -- the music must feel and look light and airy. This performance by the Netherlands Bach Society fits this feeling perfectly -- the musicians look casual yet classy, showing that Baroque music can indeed be lighthearted and fun. See this performance by the Netherlands Bach Society, directed by Shunske Sato SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LISTENERS! See a FREE performance of this cantata at Alex's church, by Cathedral Singers and orchestra, Sunday, November 2, at 4pm; details here.

The towering thirty Goldberg Variations combine into a masterwork of keyboard music. As all variation pieces, they were based on a relatively simple source material. But as is his way, Bach organized the variations with a complex and deliberate structure. But also unlike other composers of this form, he poured more into this source material itself. The famous Aria could stand alone as a sublimely decorated Baroque keyboard piece, but it doesn't stand alone; its bass line and harmonic progression (not its gorgeous melody!) are the actual foundations of all thirty variations. Bach simply could not resist pouring this beauty into even this, the harmonic "template" for the next 90 minutes of music! And this foundation does hold up, all the way until the end, where we are told to play the Aria again, now as our ending. Baroque ornamentation and performance practice takes this piece past its simple structure. We discuss this ornamentation and one particularly strange and almost inscrutable moment in the middle. Aria mit 30 Veränderungen ("Goldberg Variations") BWV 988, as performed by Jean Rondeau for the Netherlands Bach Society

Listener HG drew our attention to a similarity between the Courante of this cello suite and the "Cum Sancto Spiritu" from the Mass in B minor. We talk about these dance forms and how they affect the affect, so to speak. Nowadays, it's easy to think of Bach as old-fashioned, and certainly some composers in the late 1700s thought the same; however he shows here that he was ahead of his time. The "shoulder cello" (violoncello da spalla) makes another appearance here, smaller than the typical cello. The instrument sacrifices the deep warmth of the cello for nimbleness and an extra string which allows for higher notes. Performance of Cello Suite no. 6 (BWV 1012) by Sergey Malov for the Netherlands Bach Society

"An understated overture" is the description Christian arrives at to describe the humility of the micro-regal sonata which opens the Weimar cantata "Himmelskönig, sei willkommen." Is this thing, marked "adagio, grave," actually a triumphant French Overture? The performance suggests so, in some ways, and not in others. Experienced musicians of baroque music will know the subtleties, which we discuss in this episode. Indeed, it is a march of kingly victory, but not in pomp and circumstance; it is the small and gentle arrival of a humble king of Heaven and Earth, arriving to the world as a helpless baby, and arriving to Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday. Also, featuring Rage Against the Machine and a very unsettling "Shepard Tone"! BWV 182 cantata "Himmelskönig, sei willkommen" as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, directed by Johanna Soller

This cantata has an unusual run of three arias in a row -- and the last one of the three is the most remarkable. In deleting a note, creating a rest where there should be music, Bach breaks all the rules -- and creates a stunning effect. See the performance of BWV 182 by the Netherlands Bach Society, Johanna Soller, artistic director

Bach used the materials for this sonata several times throughout his life. Each collection of parts is different, and there are three versions. This is version 1019c, as labeled by the BWV categorical system for Bach's works. There are five parts of this last of his six sonatas for violin and harpsichord. We discover the joys of rhythmic ambiguity, rhythmic complexity, and even a middle movement without the violin! (And yet sometimes this is called "Violin Sonata in G major," shirking the credit of the keyboardist.) Christian focuses in on the end of the 4th movement, where a short ending extends and wanders into a surprising and somewhat tonally unclear ending. But it is made clear in the next moment, when the joyful key of G major returns in the jaunty final allegro. Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G major (BWV 1019c) as performed by Shunske Sato and Diego Ares for the Netherlands Bach Society

When assembling his Mass in B minor, Bach drew from many of his older works. Here is one great example. If you, like us, have always been mesmerized by the haunting sound of the "Qui tollis" movement from the Mass in B minor, you absolutely must hear the opening chorus to the cantata Schauet doch und sehet, which is the full version of the material, and which concludes in a twirling, twisting fugue. See the performance of Schauet doch und sehet (BWV 46) by the Netherlands Bach Society, conducted here by Hans-Christoph Rademann Compare with the "Qui tollis" movement of the Mass in B minor, Netherlands Bach Society, led by Jos van Veldhoven

We return to the Mighty Fortress cantata to do a deeper analysis on the theological counterpoint of this movement. Bach combines two vocal parts -- one is Luther's hymn and the other is new poetry with Bach's own music -- and weaves both of those into a tapestry of staccato strings and marching bass. Bach's theological profundity is what separates him from the other composers; when Bach weaves two separate texts together, he adds meaning to both by connecting their core essences together. Netherlands Bach Society performing BWV 80 mvt 2

What good is a centerpiece but to add to the pomp and pride and beauty of a ceremonial occasion? The Polonaise is historically such a centerpiece for such an elegant, lavish affair. Chopin is the natural figure for the Polonaise, a stately dance for pairs, but it was known much earlier to the Baroque composers. Bach was no stranger to Polish style, as shown in this centerpiece Polonaise to the Menuet of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. When Bender the robot was driftless in space with his candelabra, he realized it belonged on a piano centerpiece. It was a shame that he couldn't manage to get his Chopin working before he got too frustrated. Polonaise from the Menuet of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1

Oboe talk today! Mastering this instrument is almost unreasonably challenging, but the juice is worth the squeeze -- the baroque oboe, when played truly well, is one of the most rewardingly beautiful instruments. Musical examples, as always, are courtesy of the Netherlands Bach Society. Check out their "All of Bach" project. Referenced in today's episode: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trio I (2 oboes and bassoon) - performance by Netherlands Bach Society Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trio II (2 horns and 3 unison oboes) - performance by Netherlands Bach Society Short documentary video on the baroque oboe, featuring NBS oboist Katharina Verhaar Another cantata we referenced today: Vergnügte Ruh (BWV 170) Scott Leger horn - youtube short - excerpt from Brandenburg 1 trio II

The three instrument families in this big baroque orchestra leads us to speculate that Bach represented three social classes: the royal elite (elegant strings, one leader), the aristocratic nobles (horns, for upper-class hunting expeditions), and the common people (reeds, as for outdoor bands or shepherding). Bach concludes the concerto with the elegant and grand menuet (note his spelling; not "minuet"). The French dance exudes class and status, though in this case, the hunters and even the common townsfolk are invited to participate in the great dance of strings, reeds, and horns. In this episode we discuss the repeating refrain section, called the "menuet" section. There are three other parts of the complete structure to be discussed in our next two episodes. Audio note: at 20:55-21:15, we recommend stereo listening, so that you can hear the two pitches/beats separated to the left (bottom pitch; slower beating) and right (higher pitch by perfect fifth interval; faster beating). The respective ratio is 2:3. As it gets slower, listen for two clicks on the left for every three on the right. Menuet of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1

The "rule of three" is in full effect here, as Bach carries us along with this jaunty dance, rhythmic triplets and triple sets of musical sentences abounding with life and energy. This eloquent piece can be considered a precursor to the later "sonata form" of the Classical period, along with Bach's other Brandenburg concertos. Performance of movement 3 of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society

A far far cry from the happy hunting horns of the first part, the second part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 is a bitter adagio. To modern ears, its aesthetic of dark gangster drama is less galant, and more "Godfather." (Look at our past seasons to find episodes covering Brandenburg Concertos 3, 4, 5, and 6.) Performance of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society

"Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King) It's time for our yearly miniseries celebrating the famous Brandenburg Concertos! This year: Brandenburg 1. The horn call has an undeniable power. Here, Bach uses it to great effect at the opening two measures of this rousing piece. We explore the baroque horn and its idiosyncrasies. (Look at our past seasons to find episodes covering Brandenburg Concertos 3, 4, 5, and 6.) Performance of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society

-The second part of our look into Cantata 78, where we look at the opening chorus. For an overview of this cantata and a deeper look at the wonderful duet and the rest of the parts, see the episode previous. For this lamentation hymn about Christ's anguish used as ransom for our salvation, Bach chose to accompany the tune with a "lament bass." To start, he sets up this sad descending bass line as a repeated pattern under a varying texture (passacaglia). The stress on beat 2 of 3 is a Sarabande metric figure, reminding us of his more famous passacaglia "Crucifixus" in the B Minor Mass. When voices enter, the tortured chromaticism is imitated and they herald the coming of the soprano melody, which would have been recognized by the churchgoers on that Sunday in 1724. Variations in musical texture always match the line of text currently being sung. In the many variations, the lamenting line can be in any instrument or voice, and may also be inverted and ascend in a sort of wailing prayer. BWV 78 as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

In this year's Leaving Certificate for students in Ireland, the music exam consists of examples from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Irish composer Gerald Berry's Piano Quartet, and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Also in the exam is this chorale cantata composed in 1724 in Leipzig for a church service in which the biblical story of Jesus healing the lepers was read. The hymn Bach based this work on was flexible enough for a dramatic span of affectations across the seven parts of the cantata. In this episode we will look at moments in the duet, and also speak to the other parts, through the final chorale. The relative simplicity of the final chorale is defied by its several complexities. Its text is prayer-like, much like the other movements, with its first line reminiscent of the familiar saying "Lord, I believe; help me in my unbelief (weakness)." Even in relatively simple harmonization, the text is full of vivid emotion. Bach enjoys a chance for a militaristic trill near "Streit" (battle) and a Picardy third on the last note of hopefulness ("sweet eternity"). In the preceding recitatives and arias, the text painting is even more on-the-nose, as is the case with Bach. But while other cantatas have a single affectation, this one is always changing. BWV 78 as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

Welcome to A Moment of Bach, where we sometimes zoom in so close that our targeted moment consists of only one note! But Bach leaves us no choice but to pick this moment from BWV 4, where the music screeches to a halt, almost cartoonishly fast. One thing's for sure: when ever the word "nichts" comes up, Bach can't resist giving us some interesting text-painting. Performance of BWV 4 by Netherlands Bach Society, conducted by Rene Jacobs

Here is, almost certainly, Bach's last composition for voices. "Et incarnatus est" is the short choral movement in the Mass in B minor which precedes and sets up the central "Crucifixus." Being not quite yet Christ's death, the "Et incarnatus est" depicts the sighing descent of Christ being made man. A mournful coincidence: this music also imminently preceded Bach's death. He likely finished it in 1750, the year of his death, to complete the compilation of the masterfully crafted and structured Mass in B Minor. Christian focuses on one of the single most haunting and uncommon chords: the augmented sixth chord, which in Baroque music is found only in the most sorrowful moments. **Music theory note!** When we discuss the other augmented sixth chord example from "O Schmerz" in the St. Matthew Passion, this chord has that augmented sixth interval inverted, so while the effect is similar, this interval becomes a diminished 10th (from B in the bass to D flat in the tenor)! "Et incarnatus est" choral movement from the Credo section of Bach's Mass in B minor BWV 232, as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

Today: we talk about Nokia ringtones, how Bach is the best at bass; Bach's French wordplay, and "Bach can be played at any tempo". Performance of "Badinerie" by the Netherlands Bach Society