flat major flat major musical setting latin text gospel luke composed movements bach revised work years later flat major major creating version performed today work scored vocal parts alto tenor bass baroque orchestra strings including work performed leipzig year bach assumed position embarked ambitious series compositions sung services feast days according recent research bach setting written performance july celebrating feast christmas year performed seasonal movements regular set music use bach contemporaries individual expression verse split dramatic effect carefully designed structure choral movements evenly distributed frame sets movements sung voices individual instrumental colour work concluded choral ends beginning text beginning bach leipzig period major work latin text vocal parts background bach beginning leipzig bach composed year leipzig music director main lutheran churches city worked previously promoted director music held secular position court applied post leipzig february performing written audition sunday lent april accepted post assumed sunday trinity presenting new movements week later led new die movements feast celebrated july weeks later feast day tenure leipzig new testament long regular daily services reformation kept provided german translation den bach basis den latin text permitted lutheran worship set music contemporary extended settings include works bach audience familiar text background leipzig latin sung high holidays christmas easter performed days celebration according scholars feast days included new year day feast ascension trinity sunday feast days composition history bach composed work year leipzig probably feast occasion presented work latin text choral setting leipzig voices funeral minor composed court dresden derived derived mass minor notes exception works lie outside normal routine bach sacred vocal works bach probably performed feast day july believed bach wrote christmas leipzig published genuine bach flat major genuine christmas music bach bach questioning christmas date favour year older sources naturally christmas performance example editor edition writes new obviously intending impress new employer congregation makes sense beginning bach tenure scholars follow arguments jones agrees received performance july weeks took leipzig post christmas year bach performed inserted songs praise related christmas partly german partly latin service december performed tag december der bach movement chant associated german version den year later bach composed feast den based compared settings possibly performed service july bach revised creating version better known today version major abandoned limited differences instrumentation include replacing including movements changes musical texture smaller harmony near end movement noticeable bach son followed example extended setting composing movements end father life scoring structure bach scored work reads viola translating jesus help violins viola voices voices alto tenor bass instruments baroque orchestra listed publication viola violins flat flat flat viola required aria movements bach structured text movements luke concluded twelfth movement verse assigned movement verse beginning soprano solo role mary movement switching fourth movement sung chorus generations mentioned structure alternating choral solo movements similar contemporary italian settings christmas hymn movements placed second fifth seventh ninth movement text choral movements evenly distributed structure numbers concluding movement choral movements accompanied orchestra exceptions add specific colour movement movements solo voices accompanied instrument strings bach church consecutive solo movements second richer scoring work contains typical baroque poetry similar leipzig complex structure short movements following table shows title voices instruments time key text sources movements inserted movements christmas note wind instruments listed playing christmas setting lowest line played violins viola described unusual column dig provides link bach digital database details scoring text christmas highlighted colour choral movements movements movements major mode movements opening movement soul lord performed voices instruments instruments present material continuous runs upper parts octaves broken bass enter parallels sing word literally makes great ending figure like stressed note stressed motif abbreviated fanfare figure notes low upbeat followed notes sing twice reaching flat fanfare shapes movement measure alto tenor begin imitate measure later bass adds short motif octave text remains movement voices conclude instruments close shortened version opening spirit god aria image personal celebration sung soprano accompanied strings major mode motifs joy instruments illustrate begins broken upward followed rest suggesting spirit sequence 16th notes longer illustrate salvation note requests christmas der choral follows regarded aria sung soprano looking aria contrast preceding slow movement minor mode writes downwards gesture takes long shaped movement downwards little rise end comments use limited resources wind instrument voice feel comments voice instrument share material duet hoc henceforth called blessed voice changes simpler style phrases turn upwards describes dialogue expecting church expecting sudden burst continuation verse completion sentence generations given chorus expressing praise compares crowd effect bach crowds bach movement follows principle start beginning measure voices enter half measure apart bass beginning measure entrance note higher covering octave symbol fast succession half measure final sequence beginning measure voices enter note beat apart unfinished chord general pause movement concludes repeating theme comments bach took idea separating words rest verse earlier models filled exciting sense drama entrances tremendous march key key leading tense finally dramatic pause statement est mighty great things aria sung bass accompanied motif beginning repeated notes introduced measures repeated voice repeated movement downward leap sixth downward scale octave appears voice word holy holy god shows bass voice dominant key flat major note requests second christmas follows mercy fear generation generation begins great contrast movement time played violins duet alto tenor beginning parallels staying movement theme resembles bach french suite minor compares music pastoral beginning bach christmas creating romantic soft edged sound jones remarks fear built partly quasi bass divine quality mercy expressed parallel thirds violins shown strength shares key scoring motifs movement based line octaves repeated 16th notes strength expressed irregular voice simultaneous calls voices tenor begins measures followed alto bass leading climax movement calls new text scattered appears voices broken material section isolated sequence highest voice lowest downward describes dispersed favour highly graphic dramatic portrayal words scattered conclusion thoughts hearts marked illustrates text long chords accents notes bach shows complete imagination strange incomplete wonderful harmonies trumpet playing highest available note image rich people hearts promises note requests christmas das belongs brought powerful aria tenor accompanied violins united powerful instrumental measures presents material motif later sung begins short upbeat long note followed straight downward scale final leap presents broken straight upward octave second motif later sung begins upbeat 16th followed rhythmic pattern expands lowest highest note moves steady steps motif sung picks rhythm second motif violins play downward motion sixteen continuous 16th fourth motif sequence measures sequence figure figure 16th slowly moving upwards singer takes violins accent end motif broken downward second thought verse lifted sung introduction measures includes downward runs steadily rising sequence ending similarly sequence motif modest downward line shorter tenor sings complete text slightly modified version considerably expanded nonetheless length repeated end filled hungry good things sung alto accompanied need hungry bach later play parallels thirds measures introduces motif moving steady quarter note measures later sung downward lines moving eighth notes later sent rich away latin word bach separates rests sound note silent note requests fourth christmas follows helped servant israel scored unusual combination highest voices violins trumpet text continues remembrance mercy played trumpet melody traditional setting german version ninth tone variant strings instruments play repeated notes measure moving step voices imitate gentle movement fifth long upbeat second fifth measure later measure later described scale themes contrast second idea verse theme bach repeats figure downward est mass minor interpreted symbol cross line drawn fourth note crosses second jones assumes strings divine quality mercy est according promise ancestors line written old style musical fathers strict voice following generation follows theme distinctly different measures repeated notes second flowing eighth notes quarter notes leaps fourth half notes sixth leaps octave second measure flowing eighth notes measure theme developed time voices enter second development soprano begins followed alto tenor bass movements ends section bass theme soprano sings long suspended notes covering octave sees bach musical portrays square exactly square thought german music bars follows bars voice coming time according extremely dull work concluded glory father performed ensemble parts addresses trinity glory given times bach shapes movement crowd scene presented major chord repeated times note second leading voices sing extended symbol trinity beginning upward moving lines measures half measure following voice leading son similar pattern soprano begins followed alto soprano tenor bass fourth leading holy spirit similar pattern voices follow ending long second beginning repeats material beginning work shortened frame jones points jones remarks bach observes pattern structure firstly contrasting blocks rhythms secondly lighter quicker conclusion triple time remarks bach similar pattern following year christmas later included mass minor christmas hymns bach inserted christmas tradition leipzig setting bach predecessor christmas extant connected scenic display christmas story representing angel multitude finally cradle song bach movements grouped volume written older musical styles movements heaven high come stanza hymn set parts flat major soprano singing melody long notes lower voices imitation motifs und celebrate set flat major common time independent pairs voices parallels resembles setting glory god highest set violins flat major text christmas story luke written fashion style found branch flowers duet soprano bass major time text longer hymn beginning like measures movement extant bach music different text christmas missing noticed similarity parts pieces reception history publication earliest sources performances july december including christmas parts kept berlin score flat major version bach published edited christmas hymns published appendix volume bach publication contained major version flat major version published flat major version edited published edition edited published critical edition based edition selected recordings bach composed work alto tenor bass listed table order recordings soprano listed recordings period instruments historically informed performances highlighted recordings 1960s combined version major christmas type orchestra shown ensemble period instruments historically informed performance green background recording major version christmas performance time reissued title christmas issued comparison recording title compare major recording christmas appeared titled bach recording conducted reviewed rushed energetic technically solid contributions chorus paced flow movement movement guardian wrote accounts typically thoughtful theatrical dramatically driven slightly laid approach takes edge quality solo choral singing careful shaping orchestral lines consort released recording flat major version context reconstructed christmas service heard leipzig recording includes organ music hymn singing
Magnificat in E-flat major, BWV 243a