Anselm Hartinger, translation by Alice Noger-Gradon

Kyrie

That Johann Sebastian Bach had composed KyrieGloria Masses in addition to his great Mass in B Minor was a fact known already in the 18th century; based on extant sources of the G and A major Masses, the group of compositions can be dated around 1738. Initially, the quality of the works – which were codified in a manuscript by Bach’s son-in-law Johann Christoph Antikol already during Bach’s lifetime – was recognised by connoisseurs, but their later reception was clouded by negative perceptions of the parody technique, whose process of “borrowing” from other compositions contradicted the Romantic aesthetic of genius rooted in the ideals of uniqueness and l’art pour l’art. Indeed, in an 1847 review of the Mass in B Minor, Bach specialist and musicologist Carl von Winterfeld stressed that the work was “free of any such connections […]; in other words, a completely independent work” – a statement that was misleading yet consequential for that composition’s high standing. By contrast, the perception of the short Masses as mere “second-hand works” centred on comparisons with their underlying German-language cantata settings, an approach that tacitly denied the new Latin versions any artistic value of their own. Moreover, the implied motive of convenience distorts the reality of Bach’s creative process. Indeed, in many cases Bach purposely eschewed writing a new composition and undertook an elaborate reworking of an older setting because he felt the potential of a particular compositional structure or theme had yet to be exhausted. As such, a consideration of the Masses on the basis of their intrinsic quality and persuasive power can restore an appreciation of their freshness that an approach based solely on their developmental history fails to achieve.

Gloria in excelsis

With his Masses in F major, A major, G minor and G major, Bach presented four coherent compositions of great dramatic effect that stand out within his oeuvre for their highly contrasting yet compact form. This unity in diversity is demonstrated in the Gloria tutti settings, which cover a wide spectrum, from the powerful F-major horn writing of BWV 233 and the riveting song of praise in G minor to the opulent G-major vocalises and the effective tempo shifts of the Mass in A Major. Equally impressive is the varied nature of the opening Kyrie movements, ranging from the strict chorale treatment of the F-major Kyrie and the lively G-major motet to the powerful G-minor setting and the effervescent A-major flute music. In matters of internal structure, too, no one Kyrie setting resembles another. While the G-minor opening movement works with three distinct themes and sections that include an expansive fugue, the interwoven sections of the G-major Kyrie embody various melodic and harmonic approaches to filling out a perfect fifth. In keeping with the Lutheran Eucharist hymn, “Christe, du Lamm Gottes” (Christ, you lamb of God), the F-major Kyrie is composed as a three-part invocation with an augmented cantus firmus in the wind parts, while the A-major version provides a decidedly colourful setting with its dance-like introduction, a contrapuntal “Christe” choral recitative and a cantabile closing fugue. The same breadth of variety is also evident in the internal aria movements and closing tutti “Cum sancto spiritu” settings – it takes but few examples to demonstrate that Bach, as always in his parody compositions, approached these compositions with sensitivity and creativity. For instance, in reworking the cantata chorus “Erforsche mich, Gott” (Examine me, God, BWV 136) as the “Cum sancto spiritu” setting for the Mass in A Major, he added a three-bar introductory Grave section that underscored the solemnity of the Mass ritual. In his parody of the Reformation chorus “Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild”, by contrast, Bach made the surprising decision to remove the magnificent horn and timpani parts – and thus lent the resulting G-major Gloria an unexpected lightness and transparency.

Domine Deus

There is scholarly consensus that Bach composed his Missae breves first and foremost for an occasion – as “Gebrauchsmusik” in the best sense of the word – which is in keeping with the modus operandi of a master who almost always composed with a specific place, context and audience in mind. Such pragmatism is also reflected in the works Bach chose to parody in the short Masses: rather than attempting a comprehensive review of his oeuvre, he focused on a limited number of settings, primarily the non-recitative movements from cantatas BWV 79, 179, 102 and 187, which he adopted almost in their entirety. This, however, fails to clarify the exact purpose of these new compositions, often termed the “Lutheran Masses”, because they were suited for use in the main church service of a Protestant denomination. Two orders of worship in Bach’s hand indicate that a Kyrie and Gloria fully set to music – in other words, not replaced by a German hymn – commonly featured in Leipzig’s services in his times. Indeed, Leipzig’s church affairs, which were strongly influenced by the local theological faculty, were characterised by an orthodox approach to doctrine and liturgy: although the early church Mass was reinterpreted in line with Martin Luther’s theology, its structure was largely retained, including the sections in Latin. Accordingly, Bach not only composed a Magnificat (which has survived in two versions) but also several Sanctus settings that were no doubt intended for use in Leipzig’s church services. However, large research gaps on Protestant Mass composition in the 17th and 18th centuries remain, and knowledge is scant about which works Bach used to fulfil the considerable demand for Kyrie-Gloria Masses during his twenty-seven years of service in Leipzig. The contents of Bach’s music library catalogued by Bach-scholar Kirsten Beisswenger contain a number of Masses by German and Italian masters which, with their manageable length and difficulty, were suitable for use in church services. Bach’s own short Masses, however, eclipse these works with the same rarefied quality that distinguishes his cantatas, passions and motets from those of his contemporaries. A surviving set of performance parts for the Mass in A Major from Bach’s late period suggests that at least this work was indeed performed in Leipzig’s church services.

As with the Mass in B minor – described in Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s catalogue of estate as a “great Catholic Mass” – it is possible that the four short Masses were composed in connection to an assignment from the Catholic world. In 1733, Bach dedicated the early Kyrie-Gloria version of his Mass in B Minor to King Augustus III in Dresden, and while the work was undoubtedly intended for performance, it is to date unknown whether such an event was realised. It is therefore conceivable that Bach composed the four Missae breves in connection with his 1736 appointment as court composer – an important boost in status for Bach, who was embroiled in many a conflict in Leipzig, and an honour for which no other “service in return” has been identified. It is also known that by 1727 at the latest Bach had sent the performance parts of his D major Sanctus (which he composed in 1724 and later incorporated into the Mass in B minor) to the Bohemian Count Franz Anton von Spork, which in no way rules out subsequent deliveries in other aristocratic circles. Nevertheless, it is difficult to reconcile the standardised requirements of Catholic services, particularly those of the Viennese format, with the instrumentation, length and autonomous character of the Missae breves. In fact, with the exception of the Mass in F Major (whose chorale reference lends the work a Protestant tone, the festive orchestration with two horns notwithstanding) they would correspond most closely to the type of “Missa solemnis senza Trombe” (Missa solemnis without trumpets) suitable for feast days of mid importance. Yet, for this purpose, they would also be too long, and without the Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, they could only be used on certain occasions. In this respect, there is much to be said for the conjecture that the works were composed for a hitherto undiscovered first, or at least second, purpose.

Qui tollis peccata mundi

The humble “Qui tollis peccata mundi” represents the most emotionally moving section of the Gloria, and Bach’s realisation of this text in his Kyrie-Gloria Masses demonstrates characteristics of affect that speak volumes about the master’s musical expression of text and his emotional topology. In the Masses in F major and A major, the “Qui tollis” is dedicated a full movement that also forms the dramatic climax in the overall tonal scheme; in addition, both settings are related, slow-tempo movements that employ the same scoring for soprano, basso continuo and obbligato woodwinds. The solemn oboe cantilena and humble melody of the “Qui tollis” from BWV 233 is contrasted in the A-major version by circling flute motifs over high long notes – a constellation whose “Passion-like” tone is in part so heart-rending, because Bach based it on the soprano aria “Liebster Gott, erbarme dich” (Dearest God, have mercy thou) from cantata BWV 179, a setting almost identical in text and affect.

In the Masses in G minor and G major, by contrast, the “Qui tollis” setting is integrated into one movement comprising several declarations. It is an undertaking that highlights the formal problems inherent in reworking cantata movements with versified German poetry to accommodate the Latin Mass prose and fitting its sequences of short, highly sacred phrases and weighty dogmatic statements into a musical setting. Bach’s comprehensive response to these challenges is seen in the flowing “Domine Deus/Qui tollis” duet from the Mass in G Major, which retains only the number of voices and basic motivic structure of its edgier predecessor, the Reformation cantata BWV 79. Likewise, the successful transformation of the zealous “Falscher Heuchler Ebenbild” (Likeness of false hypocrites) from cantata BWV 179 into the priestly “Qui tollis” of the Mass in G Minor – settings that could not be more dissimilar in affect – is exemplary of the integrative potential of the age-old Latin text. The fact that Bach succeeded in not repeating himself anywhere in the four “Qui tollis” settings, despite his preference for elegiac timbres and lean scoring, draws further attention to the masterly arranging skills the composer brought to the aria-like inner movements of his Masses. Indeed, they are works of art in their own right, showcasing Bach as a composer who repeatedly asserted new ownership over his own oeuvre.

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus

In view of the uncertainties surrounding the purpose of the works, it is difficult to determine precisely how Bach’s Kyrie-Gloria Masses align with his overall aim of a “regulated church music to the glory of God” that he formulated in 1708. Indeed, we can only speculate as to what extent Bach was aware of the Renaissance understandingoftheMassasa“cantusmagnus”– the highest, most venerable genre of composition – and how this informed his creative output. Whatever the case may be, Bach’s process of reworking his compositions for the four Missae breves, transforming them into outstanding repertoire suitable for a greater range of performance occasions, is consistent with the broader strategy he adopted in the 1730s and that saw the completion of key works in his oeuvre: from the Christmas and Easter Oratorios to the finalisation of the St Matthew and St John Passions and the revision of important collections of organ works. Related efforts during this period include Bach’s maintenance of the “Old Bach archive” of his composer forefathers and his creation of a genealogy of the “Musical Bach family”, documents with which Sebastian, who was otherwise not very forthcoming, laid the cornerstone for modern Bach research and the cultivation of his legacy.

A comparable approach to composing Masses founded more in personal creative ideals – and even the fulfilment of vows – than in the dictates of official duty and routine can be found in the late works of the Dresden court musician and church composer Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745). Zelenka’s unfinished cycle of six Missae ultimae in particular exhibits parallels to Bach’s Masses in terms of the dominant role of the choral ensemble as well as its perfection of form, lean scoring and visionary power. It is not unlikely that Bach, who knew and esteemed Zelenka, followed the progress of his bold project. Indeed, that Bach and the strong-willed Bohemian shared an unconditional approach to faith – despite belonging to different denominations – not to mention a conviction that the glorification of God called for the highest artistic means, is distinctly audible in both their works.

Cum sancto spiritu

Just as the liturgical purpose of Bach’s KyrieGloria Masses in many ways remains open to interpretation, so too is it difficult to pinpoint a role for them in contemporary worship. To be sure, the Masses do not share the fate of Bach’s German-language cantatas, which, following the decoupling of biblical readings and figural music in the late 18th century, no longer have a fixed place in the church year (apart from high feast days) and whose modern performance depends largely on secular appreciation of Bach. Indeed, Protestant worship has evolved so far away from the early church practices that remained manifest in both Luther’s and Bach’s time that the performance of a Latin Kyrie-Gloria Mass is hardly conceivable in today’s services. Catholic cathedral choirs, for their part, favour smaller-scale a cappella Masses or rely on timehonoured Catholic figural repertoire, such as the compositions of Haydn, Mozart, Dvořák and Rheinberger, while non-denominational mixed choirs gravitate towards Bach’s largescale oratorio works and avoid his Kyrie-Gloria Masses, which, unlike his church cantatas, cannot be performed as a group of three or four works in one concert evening.

Against this backdrop, the recording of these Masses in a Catholic cathedral can be viewed as an ecumenical gesture and an expansion of horizons. The location of St. Gallen, a city rich in Western poetry and music, presents these works in a greater context that melds the spirit of the famous sequence by Notker of St Gallen both with the energy of Bach’s bold compositions and with the creative will of the musicians and supporters who enable their performance. Seen through this lens, the introductory movements we included in our concerts – namely a chorale prelude to the Mass in F major and a “Toccata avanti la Messa” to the G-major Kyrie, which would no doubt have pleased Bach as a connoisseur of Girolamo Frescobaldi’s organ Masses – are perfectly fitting. Such a performance unites all the historical aspects of the Mass – the offering of praise, the presence of Spirit and the profession of faith – and could, beyond all tradition, pave the way for not only an ecumenical but also a more broadly spiritual and enduring liturgy. For if – as Bach noted in a famous inscription in his Bible – the grace of God is “ever-present in devotional music”, then its very performance contains the essence of a church service. And Abraham Mendelssohn’s remark that Bach’s music “transforms every room into a church” would no longer be misunderstood as a platitude of Biedermeier sentimentality, but as an experience-infused testimony to faith from an Abrahamic perspective.

CD Missae breves 

The performances of the cantatas as videos on Bachipedia:

BWV 233 «Messe F-Dur»
BWV 234 «Messe A-Dur»
BWV 235 «Messe g-Moll»
BWV 236 «Messe G-Dur»