Please note: Much of this post comes from a previous post I published March 7th, 2023 on Bach’s Mass in B minor, with a few edits.
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Building a Collection #6
Mass in B minor
By Johann Sebastian Bach
“Somehow, however, the fact that extra seats have had to be added for these performances attests to the unique position that Bach’s Mass in B minor holds in the minds and hearts of men and women of all faiths – and no faith at all – except perhaps the oneness of humankind with the universe, and the responsibility of human life to seek beauty and to do good. It may well be true that Bach’s Mass in B minor – assembled, no less than created – has become, some two hundred and fifty years after he bound its 27 movements together, the most remarkable musical allegory of human existence – its pain, aspiration and promises.”
-Robert Shaw, conductor
“Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B Minor Mass?”
-Michael Torke, composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
There is a tremendous amount of biographical information available on Johann Sebastian Bach online and in print. For some general information, I refer you to my post from June 19, 2022 which contains more information about Bach the man and composer. Here is the link to that post:
Mass in B minor, BWV 232
It is a somewhat daunting task to give a background synopsis of J.S. Bach’s epic Mass in B minor, generally considered to be one of the most important creations in all of music, and one of the most majestic and mysterious works ever composed. Indeed, some even consider the Mass in B minor to be THE greatest piece of music ever, a supreme achievement, and a sort of summation of the life and work of J.S. Bach. Comparisons aside, it is certainly life-affirming music beloved by millions and is required listening for all music lovers.
Upon listening to the Mass in B minor, you may think it was created in a unified whole, as a single work. But that is not the case. In fact, the composition spanned over 25 years from 1723 to 1748. Some of the music was new, and some of it was adapted from Bach’s earlier works. We must keep in mind that the practice of repurposing previous music was quite common in Bach’s time, indeed it was almost expected. Handel was well known for this practice, and it was only later that borrowing from earlier material gained a negative connotation.
We also should keep in mind that Bach was a Lutheran, but the Mass in B minor is a missa tota complete with all the parts of the Roman Catholic Mass. In fact, this is the only missa tota Bach composed. In Lutheran tradition, the missa brevis was customary, which only included the Kyrie and Gloria. The Kyrie and Gloria were indeed presented first by Bach in 1733, when he was trying to impress the new Elector of Saxony in the hopes of earning a job title from his work (which he eventually did receive).
Martin Pearlman, the well-known and respected American conductor, early-music specialist, and founder of Boston Baroque (which was the first permanent Baroque orchestra in the United States) explains in the program notes from a performance of Bach’s Mass in B minor:
“Its manuscript is divided into four large sections with no overall title, and it came to be called the Mass in B minor only with later generations. It was not performed complete until 1859, more than a century after Bach’s death.
The opening ‘Kyrie’ and ‘Gloria’ date from 1733, when Bach presented it to the new Elector of Saxony, Frederick Augustus II. It was, he said, “a modest example of the learning I have acquired in music.” In that original form, with only a Kyrie and Gloria, the work was a complete missa brevis of the type that was common not only in Lutheran practice but also in some Catholic areas, including the Elector’s court in Dresden.
It was not until the late 1740’s, near the end of his life, that Bach began to expand this work, already his largest and most complex mass, into a full Catholic Mass. Why he did so has been the subject of much discussion. The work as we now have it is too large to be used in a normal church service…the work was completed so late in his life–indeed at a point when he was ill and no longer actively supplying new music–that he may not have had a practical purpose in mind. The most convincing reason may well be that, toward the end of his life, Bach wished to gather and preserve many of his finest works for the church by assembling them into a collection, much like other late collections, such as The Art of the Fugue…in assembling his music into a complete Latin mass, Bach turned to a form with a classic tradition and a sense of permanence, one that transcended the tastes of his day and the specific practices of his denomination.”
The large scale of the work was unusual at the time, with a total running time of almost two hours, two groups of SATB singers (SATB is an abbreviation for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices) and an orchestra featuring extended sections of winds, strings, and continuo. The key of B minor was also rather unusual because of the use of natural trumpets in the key of D. Also known as a baroque trumpet, a natural trumpet is a valveless brass instrument able to play the notes of the harmonic series. While exceedingly difficult to play, the best players are able to produce sharps and flats by the movement and pressure of their lips. Today you will hear “period” recordings and performances that use the natural trumpet, while modern ones use modern trumpets with valves.
At what point Bach decided to expand it into a full-blown Catholic Mass setting is not known. It is thought that the Credo and the Sanctus possibly predate the Kyrie and Gloria, but there is some disagreement about it. There is some good scholarship that the Sanctus began its life as a piece of its own, composed back in 1724. What is generally agreed on is the remaining parts, the Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem were all added in the late 1740s.
Bach’s Mass in B Minor has 27 “movements” if you will, which were divided into four sections by Bach. Below are the movements listed, with a bit more information on each. Or if you prefer, scroll down to the featured recordings.
Bach himself divided the Mass into four sections, which are in bold below.
I. Kyrie and Gloria ("Missa")
1. Kyrie eleison (1st time)
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, Alto, Tenor, Bass) in B minor. There is some evidence the movement is based on a sketch of a previous version. Provides an appropriately somber beginning to the Mass.
2. Christe eleison
Duet (Soprano I & II) in D major with obbligato violins. In some performances you might hear a countertenor for soprano II. Lovely harmony with the two singers, gently rolling on top of the obbligato with a beautiful melody on the strings.
3. Kyrie eleison (2nd time)
Four-part chorus (SATB) in F♯ minor, marked alla breve, "stromenti in unisono" (instruments in unison).
4. Gloria in excelsis
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in D major, marked vivace. Bach would reuse this as the opening of the cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191.
5. Et in terra pax
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in D major, nothing separates it from the preceding Gloria section. Again, Bach reused the music in the opening chorus of BWV 191.
6. Laudamus te
Aria (Soprano II) in A major with violin obbligato. Bach may have based this aria on the opening aria of a lost wedding cantata. One of the most lovely Bach arias you will hear.
7. Gratias agimus tibi
Four-part chorus (SATB) in D major, marked alla breve. The music is a reworking of the second movement of Bach's 1731 Ratswechsel (Town Council Inauguration) cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29. One of the most sublime choral pieces ever written in my opinion, this music is simply majestic. You will hear the music once again in the final movement Dona nobis pacem with different text.
8. Domine Deus
Duet (soprano I, tenor) in G major with flute obbligato and muted strings. The music also appears as a duet in BWV 191. A really lovely melody sung by soprano and tenor, with tenor often echoing the soprano and other times they are in unison. The flute adds a delightful touch.
9. Qui tollis peccata mundi
Four-part chorus (Soprano II,ATB) in B minor, marked adagio. There is no pause from the Domine Deus. The chorus is a reworking of the first half of the opening movement of the 1723 cantata Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei, BWV 46. The mood is darker here, with the flute still prominent.
10. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
Aria (alto) in B minor with oboe d'amore obbligato. In some performances, this is sung by a countertenor instead of an alto. One of the most haunting melodies in the entire work.
11. Quoniam tu solus sanctus
Aria (bass) in D major with obbligato parts for solo corno da caccia (hunting horn or Waldhorn) and two bassoons. Scholars believe Bach was writing for an audience in Dresden by including two bassoons and hunting horn, as both instruments were commonly used there. Bach may have originally written it for oboes and trumpet, instruments he knew better.
12. Cum Sancto Spiritu
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in D major, marked Vivace. Here Bach is reusing this music from the closing chorus of BWV 191, but in modified form. This is a rollicking, joyful movement with some fantastic choral writing.
II. Credo ("Symbolum Nicenum")
1. Credo in unum Deum
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in A, with strings and bass continuo.
2. Patrem omnipotentem
Four-part chorus (SATB) in D major. The music is a reworking of the opening chorus of BWV 171. More uptempo, with trumpet included, and again some glorious choral writing.
3. Et in unum Dominum
Duet (soprano I, alto) in G major, marked Andante. Probably traces back to a lost duet from earlier in Bach’s career. It has a beautiful delicacy.
4. Et incarnatus est
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in B minor. Bach scholar Christoph Wolff argues that the Et incarnatus est movement was Bach's last significant composition. It is slow, with a dark, rather sad, dirge-like quality to it.
5. Crucifixus
Four-part chorus (Soprano II, ATB in E minor. The music is a reworking of the first section of the first chorus of the 1714 cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12. As befitting of the Crucifixion, this is also dark, reflective, and sorrowful.
6. Et resurrexit
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in D major, polonaise rhythms. Quite a contrast from the preceding Crucifixus, it bursts forth full of joy and life.
7. Et in Spiritum Sanctum
Aria (Bass) in A major with oboe d'amore obbligati. May be a new composition, or may be a parody of a piece from wedding cantata. A gently lilting melody on oboes with the bass voice line sung over it.
8. Confiteor
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in F♯ minor. Scholars say there is evidence that the Confiteor is the only definite part of the Mass composed specifically for the Mass, autographed directly into the score. The male and female voices are overlaid in a sort of fugue.
9. Et expecto
Five-part chorus (Soprano I & II, ATB) in D major, marked Vivace ed allegro, and continuing directly from the Confiteor. The music is a reworking of the second movement from another cantata. Beginning slowly, the movement builds until it bursts into a tremendous brass fanfare on the resurrection.
III. Sanctus
1. Sanctus
Six-part chorus (Soprano I & II, Alto I & II, TB) in D major, leading immediately into the Pleni sunt coeli , marked Vivace. Derived from an earlier work from 1724 with three sopranos and one alto. A large, extended fugue, it tests the limits of the chorus.
IV. Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Dona Nobis Pacem
1. Osanna
Double chorus (both four parts) in D major, a reworking of a section of the chorus from a previous work. Some splendid woodwinds, strings, and brass with the rather fast, accentuated, and spirited choral part.
2. Benedictus
Aria for tenor with obbligato instrument (Flute or Violin) in B minor. Scholars agree that Bach did not specify the instrument for the obbligato, although most editors and performers have used the transverse flute, as it seems most suited to the music. This may be new music by Bach, or it could be a parody of a lost movement from another cantata. More intimate and reflective, this is vintage Bach.
3. Osanna (repeat)
4. Agnus Dei
Aria for alto in G minor with violin obbligato. Likely a parody of an aria from a lost wedding serenade from 1725. Sung by alto or countertenor. Melancholy melody appropriate for the lamb of God being given up for our sins.
5. Dona nobis pacem
Four-part chorus (SATB) in D major. The music is almost identical to Gratias agimus tibi from the Gloria. A fitting conclusion to this epic Mass.
A brief Mass in B minor performance history
The complete Mass in B minor was never performed during Bach’s lifetime. A number of performances of specific sections of the Mass took place in the early 1800s, but the first complete public performance was not given until 1859 in Leipzig, with Karl Riedel and the Riedel-Verein. The first full performance in the U.K. was given by The Bach Choir led by conductor Otto Goldschmidt in 1876 at St. James Hall, London. The first complete American performance was given by The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1900.
The first complete recording of the work was made in 1929 by Albert Coates and the London Symphony Orchestra and Choir using large forces. Since then, over 200 recordings have been made of the Mass in B minor. Nikolaus Harnoncourt made the first “period” instrument recording of the work in 1968, and Joshua Rifkin made the first one-voice-per-part vocal scoring recording in 1982.
While setting the Mass to music is a very old tradition, Bach’s Mass in B minor, like most of Bach’s music, was forgotten for many decades between the time of his death in 1750 and when Mendelssohn “rediscovered” Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in 1829. However, in the 19th century as music went from the classical period to the romantic period, performance tradition, particularly in Germany, tended to thicken textures, slow down tempos, and give the conductor increasing interpretive freedom in straying from composers’ markings on the score.
Beginning in the 1960s, the use of historically informed performance scholarship, period instruments, and historically informed practices was introduced and gained momentum through the 1970s and 1980s. The cellist turned conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt was instrumental in this movement, emphasizing voices, instruments, tempos, and ensemble size more consistent with what Bach suggested or would have likely been used in his time. Harnoncourt led the first complete period recording of the Mass in B minor in 1968 with his Concentus Musicus Wien on the Teldec label, still a groundbreaking recording. While somewhat controversial, the period movement particularly with Bach and other baroque composers has really taken over as the predominant style used today in performances and recordings.
With regard to Bach’s Mass in B minor, there is also the question of the size of choral forces to use. Older recordings which used a large chorus and orchestra are generally out of vogue these days for Bach, although some of those older recordings are still exquisitely played and well worth exploring. Whether they are “authentic” or “historical” is not the point as much as whether the performance is effective, moving, has good sound, and is well performed. It is true that some of the older performances, prior to the dawn of period performance, now sound bloated, congested, or lumbering. On the other hand, some of those older recordings were very well done indeed, and at the very least show the historic development that Bach performances have undergone.
In terms of voices, Bach scholar and expert Christoph Wolff makes the case for using 3-4 singers per part, but other scholars disagree, citing other evidence for the use of one-voice-per-part arrangements. Musicians such as Joshua Rifkin, Andrew Parrott, and Sigiswald Kuijken maintain their adherence to the one-voice-per-part approach. Regardless of the controversy, there are several outstanding recordings using choral and orchestral forces of different sizes. The point here is not which practice is correct, but rather which serves the music best. Each listener will have to decide for themselves what style they prefer.
Top Choice Recording
The Bach Mass in B minor is one of the most loved and recorded works ever, and the work has been served very well on recordings. My choice of the overall top choice may be controversial for some, and I acknowledge the difficulty in splitting hairs among excellent performances and recordings. However, John Eliot Gardiner’s first recording of the Mass in B minor stands above the rest, was a landmark recording at the time, and remains one of the finest Bach recordings ever made.
Generally I have not always been a fan of Gardiner’s recordings, despite the fact he is one of the most celebrated conductors of his time. It seems the media, particularly in the U.K., tend to react quite positively to nearly every Gardiner performance and recording. While I don’t like everything Gardiner has done, to be fair he has produced some of the best Bach recordings over the past several decades. Gardiner is considered a Bach specialist, he has recorded all of his choral and orchestra output at least once, and is the the author of the acclaimed book Bach: Music In The Castle of Heaven.
The recording was made in 1985 by Gardiner, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Monteverdi Choir. The soloists for the recording are sopranos Nancy Argenta, Lynne Dawson, Jane Fairfield, Patrizia Kwella, Jean Knibbs, mezzo-sopranos Carol Hall and Mary Nichols, altos Ashley Stafford, Michael Chance (countertenor), and Patrick Collin (countertenor), tenors Andrew Murgatroyd, Howard Milner, Wynford Evans, and basses Richard Lloyd Morgan, and Stephen Varcoe. Gardiner uses a medium size chorus, with 5-7 voices per part, which includes soloists. The orchestra is medium-sized at about 40 instruments.
Although this is not a perfect recording of the Mass in B minor (such a thing doesn’t exist), its virtues are many. First, the recorded sound is clear and resonant and while it may not be as crystal clear as more recent recordings, it has a warmth and natural bloom to it. Second, the solo singing is well above average, and the choral singing is exceptional and among the best on record. Gardiner brings out the dance-like rhythms and accents, and uses large enough forces where the choral sections come across with power and energy.
John Eliot Gardiner recorded the Bach Mass in B minor again live in 2015 with the same choral and orchestral forces, a different team of soloists, for the Soli Deo Gloria and Monteverdi Productions. It is also an excellent recording, and for many critics and listeners it surpasses Gardiner’s first account on Archiv. I disagree with those reviews. The first recording has more presence, resonance, and energy. I find that on the more recent recording Gardiner is more mannered, soft-grained, and almost clinical. The sound on the latter recording, while clear, is also from a very dry acoustical space that for me does not sound as realistic. While certainly worth hearing so you can make your own decision, for me it does not surpass the 1985 recording on any count.
Other recommended recordings
The recordings listed below are ones that I have enjoyed, but I certainly haven’t listened to every recording of the Mass in B minor on the market. There are too many. So you may very well find a recording you love not included here, so this is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
Period recordings
The first period recording from 1968 with Nikolaus Harnoncourt leading the Concentus Musicus Wien on Teldec remains one of the best. Although the sound is a bit dated, the performance remains fresh and revelatory. A landmark recording due to the period approach, it still holds a place in my heart.
One of my very favorite recordings is by the group Arcangelo led by Jonathan Cohen, released in 2014 on the Hyperion label. Hyperion recently began making its albums available on streaming services, so this should be more available. This is a strikingly fresh and dynamic performance in excellent sound. Cohen’s approach emphasizes transparency, rhythmic flexibility, and clarity using a medium-size chorus and period orchestra. The singing is outstanding, and the soloists are at least the equal to any other recording. Highly recommended.
Yet another excellent recording on Hyperion, released in 2018, is by The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and conductor Stephen Layton. Layton strikes a near perfect balance with the size of chorus and orchestra, the pacing, and the balance between sacred and performance art. Indeed, the production team for this recording is the same as for Cohen’s also excellent recording (above). The brightness and clarity are not overdone, in other words the words and notes are not too clipped and fast as in some other period recordings. There is a naturalness to this performance that is very appealing. Soloists are mostly top-notch (tenor Gwilym Bowen seems to lack some security in his singing), but Iestyn Davies produces what has to be THE greatest Agnus Dei of all-time, that alone worth the price of the entire album.
Suzuki has devoted most of his career to Bach, and with his Bach Collegium Japan, he recorded the Mass in B Minor to great acclaim with the BIS label in 2007. Both the singing and recorded sound are stunningly clear, and the soprano of Carolyn Sampson is simply unsurpassed on record. For me the performance overall has a bit of a cold feeling, and is almost too focused on clarity and unison. But there is no denying this is one of the best overall recordings out there.
One-voice-per-part period recordings
John Butt and the Dunedin Consort, from 2010 on Linn Records, produced a recording that is consistently engaging, well sung, and energetic. Butt is an outstanding Bach scholar in addition to leading the acclaimed Dunedin Consort. The recording quality is excellent, and unlike some of the one-voice-per-part versions the soloists are distinctive and placed a bit more forward in the soundscape. Similar to other Dunedin Consort recordings, there is an almost rustic quality to the singing, and I mean that in the best way. Very enjoyable.
The version of the Mass in B minor by the Netherlands Bach Society conducted by Jos van Veldhoven, recorded in 2007 by Channel Classics, is up to the same high standards of other recordings by this ensemble. Soloists are very good, and the pacing is brisk but never rushed. Sound is spacious with some reverberation, but is quite realistic.
Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Players and Consort, joined by the Tolzer Knabenchor recorded their outstanding Mass in B minor was recorded by Virgin in 1985. This is a rather intimate performance, with absolutely wonderful contributions from the incomparable soprano Emma Kirkby, soprano Emily Van Evera, and bass David Thomas in particular. The sound is detailed and transparent, and there is a wonderful sense of contrast between the more contemplative moments and the larger, choral parts. What Parrott does so well here is to bring out the articulation and dynamic subtleties with impeccable timing. There is drama and devotion in equal measure, and the Taverner musicians are superb throughout. If you are interested in the “one-voice-to-a-part” approach, this is a great choice.
Modern instrument recordings
While I personally believe Bach’s Mass in B minor sounds better with period instruments, there are some outstanding recordings of this epic work on modern instruments. However, there are fewer options. Recordings on modern instruments provide a different kind of listening experience. Speeds tend to be slower and textures are thicker. Only you can decide which style you prefer.
One modern instrument recording of the Mass in B minor that I truly love is by tenor turned conductor Peter Schreier and the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Rundfunkchor Leipzig on the Philips label. Recorded in 1991 with soloists Arleen Auger, Ann Murray, Marjana Lipovsek, Anton Scharinger, and Peter Schreier, this performance is in great sound, is nimble on its feet, and provides a nice balance between period and modern performance practices.
A truly classic account was recorded by Karl Richter and the Munich Bach Orchestra and Chorus, recorded by Archiv (still on Archiv, but now also on the Profil label) in 1961. Richter was ahead of his time in Bach. While modern instruments are used, textures are transparent, articulation by the singers is relatively crisp, and the devotional nature of the work is maintained. The musicians bring a sensitive and loving approach to the score. The soloists are a distinguished group. Soprano Maria Stader, contralto Hertha Töpper, tenor Ernst Haefliger, and baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau are all at the top of their artistry. Sound is good, but somewhat dated. The trumpets sound tinny. But this is as moving of a performance as you will find anywhere.
There are countless other recordings out there, and I urge you to sample them for yourself. The grandeur of the Bach Mass in B minor is represented extremely well on recordings, and I hope you enjoy exploring its many riches.
Tune in next time when we discuss Mozart’s final symphony, Symphony no. 41 in C major “Jupiter”.
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Notes:
https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Articles/MBM-TNT.htm
"Bach Mass in B minor". STL Symphony. Archived from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
Butt, John. Bach: Mass in B Minor (Cambridge Music Handbooks), Cambridge University Press, 1991, ISBN 978-0-521-38716-3.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1000665-JS-Bach-John-Eliot-Gardiner-Mass-In-B-Minor-Messe-In-H-moll-Messe-En-Si-Mineur-.
Hafner, Klaus. "Uber die Herkunft von zwei Satzen der h-Moll-Messe," Bach-Jahrbuch 63 (1977): 55–74.
Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 at ArkivMusic website.
Joshua Rifkin, "The B-Minor Mass and its Performance", liner notes to Rifkin's recording of the work, Nonesuch 79036-2, 1982.
"Mass in B minor BWV 232 - Recordings Part 1: 1900–1949". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
Pearlman, Martin. Mass in B Minor program notes. https://baroque.boston/js-bach-mass-b-minor/#program-notes
Scheide, William. "BWV Anh. I 14: A source for parodied arias in the B-Minor Mass?" pp. 69-77 in About Bach, edited by Gregory G. Butler, George B. Stauffer and Mary Dalton Greer (University of Illinois Press, 2007), ISBN 978-0-252-03344-5.
Stauffer, George. Bach: The Mass in B Minor, Schirmer Books, 1997.
Stockigt, Janice B. (2013). "Bach's Missa BWV 232I in the context of Catholic Mass settings in Dresden, 1729–1733". In Tomita, Yo; Leaver, Robin A.; Smaczny, Jan (eds.). Exploring Bach's B-minor Mass. Cambridge University Press. pp. 39–53. ISBN 978-1-107-00790-1.
Wolff, Christoph. Bach: Essays on his Life and Music, Harvard University Press,, 1991: p. 332.
Wolff, Christoph. The Kantor, the Kapellmeister and the Musical Scholar: Remarks on the History and Performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor. J.S. Bach - Mass in B Minor. Archiv Production. Liner Notes. 1985. Pp. 14-15.
https://www.asochorus.org/Bach_quotes_2013.pdf
https://strangewondrous.net/browse/subject/b/bach?start=21
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_in_B_minor