Programme Notes |
J.S. BACH MOTET: LOBET DEN HERRN, ALLE HEIDEN |
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Please use these programme notes that have been compiled for the Gwent Bach Society. They are free of charge but if you would like to make a small donation to the choir please send to:- Gwent Bach Society, 31 Penydarren Park, Merthyr Tydfil. CF47 8YP We will be very grateful for any donations to help the choir. |
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J S BACH (1685 - 1750) MOTET: LOBET DEN HERRN, ALLE HEIDEN Bach's motets are few in number, and there is disagreement amongst scliolars as to how many he comp osed and which motets by "Bach" are actually by J.S.Bach At any rate, there are between 6 and 10 which have survived, a small number compared with the 350 or so church cantatas that he is believed to have written. The Lutheran liturgy called for a motet in nearly every service but there would have been little need for Bach to have written any when he came to Leipzig, as there was already a very large library of Latin motets in St. Thomas' church, it being the normal practice' for Latin motets to be sung in Lutheran churches in Leipzig and elsewhere. Bach's motets are all composed to German (usually biblical) texts, and were almost certainly written for special occasions. It is known that some of them were written for use in funerals, usually of some notable person, A particularly joyful one, Der Geist hilft was composed for the funeral in October 1729 of the Rector of the ThomasSchool, where Bach was Head of Music. Relations between the two had been far from cordial. The motets were the first of Bach's choral works to attain widespread recognition and regular performance. Mozart, on a visit to Leipzig in 1789, heard the Thomanerchor sing the motet Singet den Herrn and by 1794 it was in the repertoire of the Berlin Singakadamie. For a long time it was thought that the motets were to be sung unaccompanied but recently orchestral parts dating from Bach's day have come to light. In the case of Lobet den Herrn, a separate continuo part exists. It is not possible to say when or for what kind of occasion Lobet den Herrn was composed. Unlike most of the other motets, which need a double chorus, Lobet den Herrn is written for a 4-part choir. The words set are Psalm 117, and its two verses are divided musically into 4 sections.
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