Shows
A Moment of BachSonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G major (BWV 1019c)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...
2025-08-0414 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Et incarnatus estHere 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 c...
2025-05-1323 minA Moment of BachSt. John Passion: "Es ist vollbracht" alto aria (BWV 245.30)"It is finished." This falling melody, sung by Christ at the moment of His death, is followed by the pivotal alto aria "Es ist vollbracht". We explore the musical texture, the dramatic contrasts, the foreshadowing of the "vivace" middle section, and the way that silence can speak louder than words or music. We also uncover a truth about the word "finished" in this biblical passage.
"Es ist vollbracht" as performed by Marine Fribourg (alto), Meineke van der Velden (viola da gamba solo) for the Netherlands Bach Society
Link to the devotional book Alex mentioned at the e...
2025-04-0729 minA Moment of BachNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61) aria: "Öffne dich"At the beginning of our podcast seasons, we always look at a new part of BWV 61. This week Christian chooses what may be the most pure, unassuming aria of total soul transcendence. The aria "Öffne dich" is the 'heart' of this regal Advent cantata, and offers an opposite effect of the other parts while we hear a plead (from us) to our own heart: "Open yourself, my whole heart; Jesus comes and enters."
A simple cello bass line and organ accompaniment frame a floating, unpinned rhythm and subtle, elegant soprano ornamentation. But the music opens and shines f...
2025-03-1724 minA Moment of BachEin feste Burg ist unser Gott (BWV 80): alto/tenor duetMartin Luther, J.S. Bach, and Reformation Sunday -- this most Lutheran of all cantatas is our subject for today. "Ein feste Burg" was the battle-cry of the Reformation: "A mighty fortress is our God!" Bach's cantata weaves in all 4 stanzas of Luther's strong hymn.
We marvel at movement 1 with its "dizzyingly complex counterpoint" (as Richard Atkinson puts it in his video). This is one of the maybe 2 or 3 most complex opening chorale fantasias in all of Bach's cantata ouevre, and that's a high bar to clear! But then we zoom in on a more tender moment, the...
2024-09-3030 minA Moment of BachKomm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist (BWV 667) with Katrina LiaoOrganist Katrina Liao joins us to talk about one of her favorites, this chorale prelude that is crackling with spiritual fire. The off-beat bass at the beginning is a neat touch -- could Bach have meant to signify the Holy Spirit by focusing on the 3rd division of the beat? -- but, Katrina's favorite moment comes in the second verse, when the bass gets to carry the melody with a strong, reedy pedal sound. Christian also points out a hidden "B-A-C-H" motif.
"Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist" organ chorale prelude (BWV 667) performed by Reitze Smits for the...
2024-09-1633 minA Moment of BachDer Herr denket an uns (BWV 196): duet (ending)In his early twenties Bach produced this compact, delightful cantata, likely for a wedding. The text of the duet is still applicable in a religious school community:
The Lord shall increase you
more and more,
you and your children.
Bach saves a special effect for the last two measures, where a modern technique is used: from highest of highs to the lowest note of the cello, a single line is passed across the string instruments.
We discuss Christian's recent programming of this cantata on Aug. 25, 2024 for a service honoring school faculty a...
2024-08-1917 minA Moment of BachFugue no. 2 in C minor, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I (BWV 847)The famous C minor fugue near the beginning of the Well-Tempered Clavier expresses the emotions of sadness, loneliness, and melancholy, according to harpsichordist Masato Suzuki. Suzuki provides a sensitive performance with attention to articulate detail in the fugue subject.
This, naturally, leads Christian and Alex into a comparison with race cars.
But, more straightforwardly, this fugue is part of the large journey that is the whole two books of preludes and fugues. The first prelude is a walk in the garden; its fugue is a hopeful step forward. But the following prelude in C minor i...
2024-07-2224 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 6: movement 2Welcome back to our yearly miniseries on the Brandenburg Concertos of J. S. Bach! This is part two of three. Today we look at the languid and luscious slow movement of Brandenburg Concerto No. 6.
Music is (often) a setup of expectations, and then the satisfying fulfillment of those expectations OR the clever subversion of those expectations. Bach is especially good at this principle. We focus first on the unusual written-out cello part, separate from the basso continuo, creating a new entity but bound to the bass still (heterophony). Then we look at Christian's two moments, both of...
2024-05-1324 minA Moment of BachDu Hirte Israel, höre (BWV 104): bass ariaJust after Good Shepherd Sunday, we settle in to this comforting pastorale. Not the famous opening movement -- no, this is another beautiful sicilienne-type dance, a bass aria, in which Bach gives a masterclass on melodic writing in just 5 seconds of music. Melodic shape, sequence, pedal point, and effective parallel motion in triads -- these are all showcased in the first few measures. Then, Alex points out his favorite moment, in the B section of the aria: a long note sung by the bass soloist.
Du Hirte Israel, höre performed by the Netherlands Bach Society (this link...
2024-04-2215 minA Moment of BachGoldberg Variations: 7 (canary jig) (part 1)In our second look at the monumental Goldberg Variations, Christian selects the beginning of the sprightly and innocent "gigue" (jig), a particular dance set here for an interplay between two hands. The jaunty rhythm of the dance is rather uneven; this leads us into a discussion about how music is naturally not even in this way (and when it is, it's too square). We discuss the Goldberg bass line which underpins the whole sequence of 30 variations and discover how it works with this one also.
In two weeks, Christian will return to this variation and get more i...
2024-04-1513 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Sanctus ("Pleni sunt coeli...")The Mass in B minor is a well which never runs dry; we return to it year after year, and this time to celebrate Easter Monday we jump into the splendid "Sanctus" section. Christian uses the fugue subject on the text "Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria ejus" (heaven and earth are full of thy glory) to describe one of the best text paintings in history. This blossoming motif doesn't just leap to heaven and fall to earth; it then covers over and under both of them with the glory (gloria) of God.
"Pleni sunt coe...
2024-04-0121 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: "O Mensch, bewein" chorale fantasia (mvt. 29)Here we do a full "Bach-n-talk" runthrough of the famous "O Mensch, bewein" chorale fantasia which ends the first half of the St. Matthew Passion, which happens to end on Alex's favorite moment. Join us as we unpack a moment of mode mixture here, at the choir's closing cadence. The borrowed minor modality gives the necessary spice to give a more complex flavor to the otherwise light and airy music. But don't be fooled, listener, into thinking the woodwind parts are all just fluff. They carry a darker undertone in the meaning of this music. Remember: the flute's not cute...
2024-03-2528 minA Moment of BachVIVALDI — L'inverno (Winter), RV 297: I. Allegro non moltoWelcome to a moment of something different for once!
We take a momentary diversion from our regular programming to give you a "moment of Vivaldi."
In Shunske Sato and the Netherlands Bach Society's rendition of Vivaldi's "Winter" of the "Four Seasons," Sato stuns with innovative solo violin timbres which embody the icy cold themes of the season. We don't normally hear such sounds when we hear baroque music whatsoever!
Christian focuses on one Vivaldi moment - a simple low trill, but when rendered with an extreme "sul ponticello" bowing (near the bridge), cold a...
2024-03-1820 minA Moment of BachSonata No. 1 for viola da gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027): mvt 3In this gem of a sonata, played on an original instrument, Bach hides the simplest musical theme in plain sight: one note. Alex looks at the end of movement 3, where Bach gives a pedal point E to the viola da gamba, asking for over 30 seconds of one sustained note on this instrument. Simple, yes, but perfectly aligned with the notes around it. It's just another gem in the sea of jewels that is Bach's oeuvre.
Performance of this sonata by Mieneke van der Velden and Emmanuel Frankenberg for the Netherlands Bach Society
2024-03-1124 minA Moment of BachNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61) recit.: ”Der Heiland ist gekommen”At the beginning of our podcast seasons, we always look at a new part of BWV 61. This week Christian chooses an unusual bass trill from the sparkling tenor recitative. For this moment Bach opens up the narrating voice and enters a half-aria section so that the singer can repeat the words "You come and let your light shine with full blessing." The lilting cello and bright harpsichord offer repeated "shines" in this section, which concludes with our surprising trill in the basso continuo.
This episode's featured recitative as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
Nicholas Mulroy...
2024-03-0520 minA Moment of BachBONUS: Post-concert chat: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (BWV 147) with soprano Emily Wood (BACHTOBERFEST bonus 1 of 2)In this bonus episode, we have a chat with soprano Emily Wood, a featured soloist in the recent concert performance of BWV 147 at Alex's church. We hear about Emily's personal experience singing this wonderfully challenging solo which is nestled in the very heart of this cantata; we also reflect on the whole 10-movement masterpiece.
Audio recordings of BWV 147 in this episode are from the recording of this concert, at St. John's Lutheran Church, Orange, CA, USA, featuring Cathedral Singers and Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Alex Guebert.
Keep an eye out for the second bonus episode s...
2023-10-1611 minA Moment of BachBACHTOBERFEST season closer & ”So oft ich meine Tobackspfeife” (BWV 515)Listeners! Thank you for 100,000 episode downloads!
It's Bachtoberfest, which means we talk about a silly piece by Bach -- this year's is a little parable about a tobacco pipe. We also read some of your comments and suggestions, we drink some Hefeweizen, and we talk about our plans for season 4, coming in 2024.
TWO MORE BONUS EPISODES are on their way soon -- a blooper reel for season 3, and a post-concert interview with soprano and previous podcast guest Emily Wood.
LOCAL LISTENERS in Southern California: Info about the Christmas Carol Festival organized/directed by Ch...
2023-10-0930 minA Moment of BachTrauerode (BWV 198): tenor ariaToday we take a suggestion from listener Dave, and dive into the wonderfully rich "Trauerode", which was written for the funeral of a princess. Bach put some extra effort into the instrumentation and orchestration. Here we have an aria with not just one complex obligatto instrument line, but three separate obligatto instrument lines (flute, oboe, violas da gamba), all with different material and different timbres.
"Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl" (Trauerode) (BWV 198) -- tenor aria
Link to information about upcoming concert at Alex's church in Orange, CA: Sunday Oct 1 at 4pm, Bach cantata #147
2023-09-2521 minA Moment of BachIhr werdet weinen und heulen (BWV 103): opening chorusListening to this, perhaps Bach's weirdest opening chorus (and that's saying a lot!), Alex and Christian get tangled up in the forest of the complexities of this music. We untangle some, but we also sit in and admire the thorniness of this piece of music, which perfectly portrays its text. And we talk about how Bach can make us feel existential fear, not through flashy orchestral effects, but through the deep mysterious complexity of the music itself. The special moment comes in a sudden bass recitative in the middle of the movement, like a clearing in the forest. But this...
2023-08-2837 minA Moment of BachGottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit: soprano solo ending"Es ist der alte Bund: Mensch, du musst sterben!" (It is the old covenant: humankind, you must die!) What force could stand against this? A lone soprano prays "Yes, come, Lord Jesus, come." The old covenant is absolved and fulfilled by the coming of "Herr Jesu." Death is silenced.
We explore Bach's stunning single musical setting of these two opposite texts, and we linger on one of the most stunning Bach moments of them all -- the lower voices come together then disappear, the bass dies away, and then the soprano sings of Jesus, truly alone.
2023-06-1230 minA Moment of BachDer Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf (BWV 226)An outlier of a piece in an outlier of a category -- Bach didn't write very many motets compared to his other types of works, and this is the only one which is fully scored for choirs throughout AND had specific instrument parts written which all double the choral parts. It's also a double choir, which adds to the uniqueness -- 8 separate choral parts, each with an instrument doubling. Alex's favorite moment involves a jumpy syncopation, which is set up by one of Bach's favorite motifs, the "sighing" motif. This little dessert of a piece is so sweet and lig...
2023-06-0521 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 5: movement 2In the middle episode of our Brandenburg 5 series, we explore the ponderous and affectionate-sounding second movement, scored for an intimate trio of violin, flute, and harpsichord. The harpsichord again takes a role of heightened importance, though it's more subtle here than it was in the first movement. And here, in Alex's favorite passage, another lone C-natural inspires our performers to make a creative choice: to hang on to a certain, special moment, for just a little longer.
Watch the video of Brandenburg 5, mvt.2, artfully staged by the Netherlands Bach Society
2023-05-2219 minA Moment of BachThree beautiful melodies in 12/8It's almost unfair to other composers that Bach was not only the greatest fugue writer to ever live, but he also was... maybe one of the very best melodic writers to ever live? And he wrote... (checks notes)... HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of absolutely perfect melodies, like it was no big deal? Come on, Bach. Leave some for the rest of us.
Today Alex brings us three of the most beautiful instrumental intro melodies from arias. These are all in 12/8 time, a meter that lends itself to peaceful, lilting beauty. And, Alex connects Bach and "Texas hold 'em" poker...
2023-05-0832 minA Moment of BachMass in F major: Qui tollisA host of wonderful surprises are in store for the listener of the lesser-known mass in F major. Bach's giant mass in B minor overshadows all of his other Latin choral works, but we should not miss out on this one. Christian and Alex take a listener suggestion from Riley for this week's episode where we explore the pained pleading of the interweaving oboe and soprano in the movement "Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis" (Who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us). We hear a powerful paragraph from Schweitzer's writing on the religiosity of...
2023-05-0122 minA Moment of BachBleib bei uns (BWV 6): opening chorusStay with us, for night is falling.
On this Easter Monday, we return to Bach's Easter Monday cantata Bleib bei uns ("Stay with us"). We talked about this cantata in Season 1, but here we can't help but return to the captivating opening chorus, which reminds us of the closing choruses of the St. Matthew and St. John Passions. Ever the pictorial composer, Bach uses repeated notes to paint the picture of God's steadfastness -- how He stays with us. The middle section brings us into a lively double (or is it triple...?) fugue, culminating in Alex's favorite moment...
2023-04-1033 minA Moment of BachIch elender Mensch (BWV 48)Sometimes things are hidden in plain sight. In today's cantata, if you look past the "main" music happening in the voices and string instruments, a hidden gem can be found in the form of a simple melody played on the trumpets and oboes. This tune, though unassuming, actually answers the central question that is at the heart of the cantata text.
Bach wrote over 200 cantatas; each one contains hidden treasures like this one. We explore how Bach uses his modern harmony as a tool to express divine beauty, and Alex shares a “wow” moment from a chorale movement within the cantata...
2023-03-2726 minA Moment of BachBONUS: Jim Meredith, Sonos Handbell Ensemble director (BACHTOBERFEST bonus 2 of 2)One more BACHTOBERFEST festivity: a conversation with a wonderful guest.
Does Bach's music work on modern instruments which were designed after his time? Our guest, conductor and composer James Meredith is the long-time Artistic Director of the top-tier Sonos Handbell Ensemble. Jim talks about his love of Bach, his avenue toward handbells as an instrument of high-level performance, and his own Bach transcriptions for the instrument. Before the interview, we answer a question about the “Little Fugue” in G major.
Sonos Handbell Ensemble
“Now Hear This” by Scott Yoo on PBS
Christia...
2022-10-2335 minA Moment of BachConcerto in A minor for four harpsichords (BWV 1065)A Moment of Vivaldi! This week, we look at Bach's transcription of Vivaldi's concerto for 4 violins. The crisp and elegant style of Vivaldi gets magnified by Bach here. 4 violins become 4 harpsichords, and the snapping and clicking of the harpsichord strings become a delightful metaphor for the clockwork precision of the composition and the structure of the music. We quote a character from a Douglas Adams novel, who, along with us, sits down to listen to a piece by Vivaldi and marvels that something could be so sublime and yet so mechanical at the same time. Also, listener Will gives us...
2022-09-2627 minA Moment of BachWas Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (BWV 99)Is this a cantata? Is this a chorale fantasia movement of a cantata? Is this a concerto? What is this thing?
The answer is: all of the above! By now, it shouldn't surprise us that Bach was not satisfied with simplicity. Here, he combined the chorale fantasia and concerto forms together into this unique first movement of a cantata, achieving some delightful contrasts of orchestral color.
Netherlands Bach Society performs BWV 99: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwmQo97zb6I
Netherlands Bach Society performs BWV 100 (mentioned in this episode): https://www.youtube.com/wat...
2022-09-1223 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Christe eleison
The “Kyrie” section of a mass comes first and must make an impression. Composers of ages past had learned to write a contrasting phrase in the middle: “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.” Bach takes this to an extreme; two grand archaic Kyries frame a stylish, Italian opera style soprano duet. It couldn’t be more opposite.
The beautiful intervals of thirds and sixths make the duet harmony, except when a special moment is called for, when we hear tense seconds and sevenths. But everything has its opposite, even within this duet. Thirds later become sixths, and seconds sevenths. Bach uses these r...
2022-08-2231 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Kyrie eleison (I)In January 2021, on our very first episode, we explored a "bass drop" moment at the very end of Bach's monumental Mass in B minor, where the soaring high voices and instruments suddenly give way to a deep, full, bass sound, in one of the most satisfying moments of music of all time!
Today, we revisit the evergreen Mass in B minor, and find another "bass drop" moment suggested by listener Bill -- this time from the very first movement. Here, the fugue subject enters for the first time in the bass voices, and in a stroke of g...
2022-08-1533 minA Moment of BachFrench Suite no. 4 in E-flat major (BWV 815): Allemande"The psychological effect of all this key-shifting, some jerky, some smooth, is very difficult to describe...perhaps it is the magic of Bach that he can write pieces with this kind of structure which have such a natural grace to them that we are not aware of exactly what is happening." In this episode we use these words by author Douglas Hofstadter to explore Bach's harmony as a deep stack of entangled and recursive structures. A moment from listener Santiago is the smallest of these stacked units, and we use it to zoom out.
French Su...
2022-08-0823 minA Moment of BachDarzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes (BWV 40): opening chorusToday, we give a play-by-play of the opening chorus of this extravagant cantata, which was suggested to us by listener Riley. We talk horns, stretto, and... why you should listen to all different kinds of music.
See this delightful work as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLDTvI1RrgI
Thanks to all our listeners! And this week, an extra thank-you goes to Riley for suggesting this cantata!
2022-08-0122 minA Moment of BachIch hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21): two chorusesA divine duality: our bad thoughts and God's comfort, our imperfections and God's forgiveness, our guilt and God's love nevertheless. In this long cantata masterwork, Bach does the Psalms justice and expresses their vast emotions. He uses a set of spry and agile musical tools as varied as each phrase of the psalms he puts to music.
This is the second of two episodes this month on BWV 21. Performance of this cantata by the Netherlands Bach Society (Shunske Sato, director):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGT0iPpU9is
Special thanks to listener E...
2022-07-2520 minA Moment of BachIch hatte viel Bekümmernis (BWV 21): soprano ariaAll Bach arias are duets.
This is the first of two episodes on BWV 21, which is one of Bach's earlier works. It's a cantata rich with meaning, with biblical truths spread out from the Psalms to Revelation. And, Alex has a revelation of his own about Bach arias -- sparked by this very piece.
Performance of this cantata by the Netherlands Bach Society (Shunske Sato, director):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGT0iPpU9is
2022-07-1826 minA Moment of BachO Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross (organ chorale prelude, BWV 622)In this hymn prelude about bewailing our sins, Bach chooses not to set the familiar melody starkly and austerely. Instead, the most flowery and passionate ornaments decorate the song. Organists know that our moment is going to be at the end: the famous c-flat major chord which strikes the word "Kreuze" (cross) and the following twists to the slow end on "lange" (long). Let's explore how these harmonies are not randomly chosen but are instead striking alterations of a regular harmonic progression. It's not hard to see why this chorale prelude has long been one of Bach's most popular.
2022-07-1120 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Cum sancto spirituListener Alysse requested this triumphant moment from the energetic "Cum sancto spiritu" -- which happens to be Alex's favorite movement of the Mass in B minor. This movement is full of verve and rhythmic complexity. In this episode, we marvel at these rhythms and how they manifest in the two fugues. And, along with listener Alysse, we stand awe and admiration of the mind that brought this music into the world.
Netherlands Bach society performs Mass in B minor, led by Jos van Veldhoven -- link takes you straight to the movement we discuss in the episode:
...
2022-07-0425 minA Moment of BachMagnificat (BWV 243): EsurientesBach's Magnificat tells the story of Mary's rejoicing and God's providence. In the lovely "Esurientes" alto aria with a duo of flutes, we hear God's bounty against the silence of the rich being turned away empty-handed. But how do we, or Mary, or Bach, cope with the ever-present staggering wealth inequality in human society? Admitting it and learning about it is a start. Mary was optimistic, and the least Bach can do with Mary's song is to highlight its joy and inherent fairness in a hopeful and positive way. At "He has filled the hungry with good things..." the...
2022-06-2718 minA Moment of BachMagnificat (BWV 243): Fecit potentiamNestled in the middle of Bach's setting of the Magnificat, we can find a moment of extreme tension -- a striking diminished chord, followed by silence, and then... instead of a resolution, Bach playfully subverts our expectations and gives us an even weirder dissonance, an augmented chord. The choir and orchestra of the Netherlands Bach Society, operating as always on a high level of musicianship, approach this moment with care -- the diminished chord, signifying the peoples' sin of arrogance, is given a few seconds to resound in the church... then, the next phrase, depicting the thoughts of the s...
2022-06-2017 minA Moment of BachWachet auf/St. Matthew (with Kian Ravaei)Composer Kian Ravaei joins us this week as guest and shares with us the powerful spiritual connection points that Bach has made recently in his life in this interview. Kian describes the power that the music of Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (cantata 140), the St. Matthew Passion, and the collected chorales have had on him. We discuss the particular powers of Bach's music to move us spiritually, give us autonomy as a listener, inspire us to meaningfully create in times of hardship and times of grief, and guide us to compose with proper technique.
Thanks Kian f...
2022-06-1338 minA Moment of BachChorale: Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn (BWV 324)This breezy little two-line chorale doesn't seem like much, but it is Bach's setting of a tune that was very well known -- the German Magnificat. This leads us down a rabbit hole of discussion about how this performance relates to BWV 10, a cantata that Bach based on this same tune. We explore the tune and its psalm tone, and we delight in the way Bach sets the words "ewigkeit zu ewigkeit" (eternity to eternity) as continuous, neverending, rising figures in the choral parts.
Chorale Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn (BWV 324) performed by Young Bach Fellows:
...
2022-06-0623 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 4: movement 3Episode 3 of our miniseries on Brandenburg 4.
How much of Bach's music is actually written on the page, and how much is worked out by the performers? What is actually left out of the music notation, and kind of training is needed to realize what's missing? If performers are going to slow down or speed up subtly during a performance, that is usually worked out by them; it is rarely notated in music this early.
The final Presto of this concerto is a fugue so dense in energy and flow. Despite this, there is still a s...
2022-05-3120 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 4: movement 2Episode 2 of our miniseries on Brandenburg 4.
In this episode: JAZZ? We talk a bit about jazz harmony and how it shares some foundational chord progressions with baroque music. We also pick apart a couple of measures from this twisty, moody movement, and we put them back together in a couple of different configurations, just like how Bach did it when he composed -- assembling the puzzle pieces to create the finished work, a machine of clockwork precision and beauty.
See movement 2 of Brandenburg 4, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, led by Shunske Sato:
h...
2022-05-2323 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 4: movement 1Welcome to our miniseries on Brandenburg Concerto No. 4! In this first episode, we will talk about the first movement.
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are considered by many to be the pinnacle of instrumental Baroque music. Come and join us as we explore why. This episode explores the many small building blocks that come together to make the first movement of this concerto into something greater than the sum of its parts. Two agile recorders compete with a showy violin part, all accompanied by a background orchestra (which isn't really in the background). How can we pick a single mo...
2022-05-1624 minA Moment of BachNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (organ chorale prelude, BWV 659)Passed down to us through almost two millennia, the poem that would later become "Savior of the Nations, Come" was set to a plainchant melody in the Middle Ages, and that melody was given a strong, angular treatment by Martin Luther, who also adapted and translated the text. A couple centuries later, it was Bach's turn to create something new from this storied hymn -- and he did, multiple times. This organ prelude may be one of Bach's more austere arrangements of this hymn, but he couldn't help adding some clever complexity to it.
We talk about ho...
2022-05-0921 minA Moment of BachConcerto for two violins in D minor (BWV 1043): 3rd movementThis is the second episode of our double-part look at the "Bach Double" violin concerto. In this episode, we hear how one moment of expressive subtlety can demonstrate the difference between "flashy fast notes" and true baroque emotion. A single "sighing" motif written as plain eighth notes demonstrates to us that the musicians of Bach's time were trained in a high art of ornamentation, and if they just played the notes on the page, the result would have fallen flat.
Netherlands Bach Society performing the "Bach Double" (mvt. 3); Shunske Sato and Emily Deans, violin soloists:
h...
2022-05-0223 minA Moment of BachConcerto for two violins in D minor (BWV 1043): 2nd movementContrast -- a major aspect of all good art. The striking colors of a sky at sunset, the thrilling first few notes of "Et resurrexit" from the Mass in B minor, or the shadowed look of a chiaroscuro painting -- all are much more powerful for the presence of sharp contrast.
In this episode we explore how Bach uses contrast in the sublime middle movement of the "Bach Double", otherwise known as the Concerto for two violins in D minor. The interplay of the two soloists is tender and personal, with an almost empathetic quality.
Neth...
2022-04-2523 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Et resurrexitIn celebration of Easter, we complete the pair of parts including last week's "Crucifixus." In one of the most stunning reversals in all of music, Christ is laid into the dark grave in the lowest of lows, when suddenly "And he rose again on the third day..." bursts forth with triumphant celebration.
Bach was a master of text. Without rushing past the dramatic parts of the story told in the Nicene Creed, he separates movements like these two for maximum contrast at those iconic first few seconds of "Et resurrexit." His personality as a composer (or, really, l...
2022-04-1831 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: CrucifixusSome of the most evocative and emotional music ever written, the "Crucifixus" movement from the Mass in B minor depicts Christ's suffering and death -- you can hear the striking lashes, the plodding steps of His painful walk to Golgotha, the twisting of the crown of thorns, the nailing and the crying, the sighing and the dying. Bach's use of the passacaglia form here leads to the possibility of extreme dissonances, all within the creative framework of a repeated bass line, which sounds as if it is endlessly marching down, down, down... Full of remarkable moments, the "Crucifixus" movement...
2022-04-1139 minA Moment of BachSt. John Passion: ”Ich folge dir gleichfalls” ariaA dark and imposing masterwork like the St. John Passion needs a moment of joyful reprieve. That reprieve comes in the form of the soprano aria ”Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten" (I too, follow you with joyful steps), in which we hear light flutes bouncing their steps. But even this happy sound comes with a strange chromatic ascent as the soloist sings "do not cease to push me, to pull me...". The St. John Passion is partly an instructive drama about how to follow Jesus; Peter must do his best at this despite his faults and denials. Wi...
2022-04-0422 minA Moment of BachSt. John Passion: ”Herr, unser Herrscher” opening chorusToday we take our first dive into the St. John Passion. In the very first measure of music, the strikingly twisted sounds of the oboes in harsh dissonances calls to mind the pain and anguish of the Passion story. The scene is set for Good Friday.
Bach's St. John Passion, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, conducted by Jos van Veldhoven:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMf9XDQBAaI
Article on the St. John Passion by Alex Ross (quoted in this episode from 0:41 - 1:49):
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/02/bachs-holy-dread
...
2022-03-2825 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: ”Barrabam!” and ”Wahrlich...” momentsThe St. Matthew Passion is full of short bursts of dramatic expression. In this episode, we explore two moments of reaction by an onlooking crowd.
One of Bach's shortest and most surprising moments happens when Pontius Pilate asks the crowd which prisoner should be released -- Jesus, or Barrabas? The crowd's reply is as disturbing as it is musically shocking.
Another moment happens later, after the earthquake and chaos immediately after Christ's death. After the frantic narration, the guard and crowds speak. But this moment is not one of pure terror, but rather sublime realization: "Tr...
2022-03-2122 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: ”Aus Liebe” aria (mvt. 49)Sometimes the simplest expression is the most powerful. At a pivotal point in the intimidating and complex St. Matthew Passion, Bach places this strikingly stark, simple, yet devastating piece of music. We discuss how the sparse instrumentation, with its lack of bass sounds, leaves the listener unmoored, feeling the vulnerability of the soloist's emotion. And Alex talks about a "moment of West Wing", so to speak.
St. Matthew Passion, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society (this link takes you directly to the "Aus Liebe" aria, with soprano Griet de Geyter):
https://youtu.be/ZwVW1ttVhuQ?t=6...
2022-03-1427 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Qui sedesDo you suffer from "sound fatigue?" Do you worry that after just a few seconds of starting to listen to a piece of music that the rest of it will just... sound the same? Good news! We have something just for that. Bach's B minor mass boasts a wide variety of sound color for your listening pleasure.
As long and towering as it is, it never gets old; each part has something new to offer. The structure of the parts and their church themes are just as important and effective as the sound variety in this gigantic m...
2022-03-0729 minA Moment of BachIch steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe (BWV 156): soprano/tenor duet"All's well that ends well." It's an old adage, perhaps best known as the title of a Shakespeare comedy... but for Bach, and in the context of his church life, "all's well that ends well" took on a much more serious meaning. In this cantata, his librettist, Picander, used the phrase to mean that a life well-lived in the service of the Lord will find its end in the peace of earthly death.
The title of the cantata means, literally, "I stand with one foot in the grave." But there is no winking irony nor intentional macabre-ness t...
2022-02-2829 minA Moment of BachFugue in D major (Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1)"Bach's music is for many people, as it is for me, daunting. I must be wrong there, because he must have wanted his music to be played...without all this awe and respect. Bach has proven that in the time between him and us, there is little or nothing better than his work." The paraphrased words of the harpsichordist for this recording show us how Bach doesn't need to be overly serious and pompous.
In this delightful fugue, the theme evokes the overly prim and proper gestures of aristocrats meeting one another, and perhaps pokes f...
2022-02-2125 minA Moment of BachToccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565)Possibly the most famous organ work ever written, the Toccata and Fugue in D minor is instantly recognizable by its first few notes. But... are those the notes that Bach wrote? The answer might surprise you...
In fact, this cornerstone of the organ repertoire has flummoxed so many musicians and music scholars through the generations, it's no wonder that it gets so much attention -- and that's not including the notoriety it began to develop as a piece of stock music for horror films in the silent film era. It found a wide audience in 1940 when it was...
2022-02-1438 minA Moment of BachNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61): OvertureAs our second season is beginning, we revisit the masterwork Christian selected for his first moment, but this time we look at the very beginning. The cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland is the regal music for the first week of the liturgical year, but its overture is more than just pomp and circumstance. If we delve into the first few seconds, we will find that the music is all shaped by the Advent theme of preparation and the divine coming down to be human. Advertisers blast Christmas music at us every year -- why not prepare for the...
2022-02-0726 minA Moment of BachViolin Partita No.2 in D minor: ChaconneWelcome back! For our first episode of Season 2, we dive into one of the great violin solo pieces. And there is a rich well of musical material here in the Violin Partita No. 2. Alex's moment features the technical prowess of the soloist, Shunske Sato -- a bravura section of flurrying fast arpeggiated figures. But even more profound is the structure of the Chaconne: a cyclical theme that moves from minor to major to minor, and seems as if it could circle around and around, into eternity.
Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor (BWV 1004) as performed by Shunske Sa...
2022-01-3129 minA Moment of BachBONUS: Blooper reel Season 1 (BACHTOBERFEST continued)To celebrate a milestone in downloads and a successful season wrap with Bachtoberfest, here is our last entry of the year: a blooper reel that we collected from a bunch of episodes in Season 1.
Here's to the listeners who gave this little podcast ten thousand downloads. See you in Season 2 for more Bach!
2021-10-1312 minA Moment of BachBACHTOBERFEST season closer & Coffee Cantata BWV 211In our season finale before we take a break and return early next year, we celebrate the first season’s wrap! For this "Bachtoberfest," we talk Coffee Cantata, German beer, and all things A Moment of Bach. We answer a bunch of listener questions about our own musicmaking processes and history with Bach, and we get deep into some listener ideas.
Special thanks to YOU the listener for hearing 37 episodes! You made this a real thing. See you in Season 2!
We’ll drop one more bonus after this with the year’s blooper...
2021-10-041h 04A Moment of BachIch habe genug (BWV 82): ”Schlummert ein” aria (with Dr. William Heide)Today we are joined by Dr. William Heide, longtime music minister at St. John's Lutheran Church, Orange, CA -- as well as a longtime Bach expert. He has conducted over 60 full Bach cantatas in concerts spanning the three decades of his tenure at St. John's.
The three of us chat about the lasting power of this particular work, in which the soloist sings about welcoming his own passage from life to death, about closing his weary eyes to rest, about leaving the pain of the world behind. The middle movement is a masterwork within a masterwork -- a...
2021-09-2745 minA Moment of BachCrab Canon (Canon 1 a 2 from The Musical Offering, BWV 1079)A short, simple piece for a solo instrument -- only 35 seconds long. Yet it has captured the imaginations of so many people: musicians, philosophers, artists, mathematicians, and more. It's all because of the unique cleverness of Bach -- showing us here that he can construct a piece that can be played forwards OR backwards... OR both at the same time! Yes, this piece is actually for two instruments -- one playing it normally and the other playing it backwards in time.
Alex recounts the story of Bach composing this piece (and the rest of The Musical Offering), and...
2021-09-2026 minA Moment of BachIch ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 (Orgelbüchlein)The organ is an instrument built into a building. Selecting a variety of sounds for an organ composition which requires more than two is a new task on each different organ, and the varieties and combinations are essentially endless. In this chorale prelude in "trio" texture, three distinct organ sounds make up the musical texture, each with a distinct job.
Bach's mastery of organ composition was demonstrated not just by long showy fugues and toccatas. The Orgelbüchlein is a collection of short chorale preludes in artful style and with the theological purpose of spanning the themes o...
2021-09-1328 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Et in terra paxAlex spends one more episode excitedly leading us through some of his favorite music, this time from the "Et in terra pax" movement. Picking up from where last episode left off, we talk about the beauty and simplicity of the main melody of "Et in terra pax", which Bach cleverly reuses as a fugue subject a bit later. This is classic Bach -- elegant and sophisticated, joyful and heartfelt, deeply complex and yet effortlessly clear and beautiful.
"Et in terra pax" from Mass in B minor, as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society: https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE...
2021-09-0630 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Gloria in excelsis Deo"Glory to God in the highest!" The orchestra and choir burst with excitement and joy. Alex and Christian talk about the beauty of the Latin language, the huge orchestra (which seems actually pretty small by today's standards), the Protestant Reformation, and somehow Christian even gets a tuba joke in there. Alex talks us through his favorite moment -- the end of the instrumental introduction, where Bach uses a rhythmic trick to ramp up the excitement leading into the choral entrance.
"Gloria" from Mass in B minor, as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society: https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE?t...
2021-08-3026 minA Moment of BachPART 2: Aus der Tiefen rufe ich...: moments from mvts. 3-5In the second half of a two-part mini-series, Christian picks up where we left off and covers moments from movements three through five of the cantata Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (BWV 131). At the end of this episode, we play for you all five moments in order. If you haven't listened to episode 30, you should start there.
This very early work uses arcane sounds and woeful harmonies to call "out of the depths," but it also contains minute-for-minute some of the most varied experiments in voice-leading, rhythm, suspended harmonies, beat units, and final chord pro...
2021-08-2337 minA Moment of BachPART 1: Aus der Tiefen rufe ich...: moments from mvts. 1-2For our thirtieth(!) episode, we celebrate by taking a five-movement cantata and giving you one moment from each. This will be a two-part series; this episode introduces the cantata and delves into Christian's moments from the first two movements, while next week we'll see his moments for movements 3-5.
This very early work uses arcane sounds and woeful harmonies to call "out of the depths," but it also contains minute-for-minute some of the most varied experiments in voice-leading, rhythm, suspended harmonies, beat units, and final chord progressions (cadences) that Bach ever wrote. Are they attempts at an o...
2021-08-1633 minA Moment of BachChromatic Fantasia and FugueWhat is the "flow state"? The answer can be heard in this performance of Bach's "Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue" by Menno van Delft. So deeply "in the zone" of playing this piece, he demonstrates what so many professional musicians can do after practicing a piece for so many hours: the muscle memory kicks in and the piece just plays itself, with the performer able to fully express the musicality without worrying about the minutiae of notes and rhythms.
In this episode we talk about the flow state, as well as the meaning of "chromatic" and "fantasia". Also...
2021-08-0921 minA Moment of BachHerr, deine Augen sehen... BWV 102: chorus (Sie haben ein härter Angesicht...)The harsh musical interval of the tritone, the "Diabolus in Musica" (devil in music), was strictly controlled in much of early music. So wouldn't it be striking and bold to make a melody out of two of them?
In this scary cantata opening, Bach does exactly this to set a terrifying fugue on the words "They have made their faces harder than a rock" to depict those who have gone astray from God. The music is appropriately harsh with tritones abounding, showing us that Bach's counterpoint can serve chaos just as well as order. These lawbreakers are l...
2021-08-0220 minA Moment of BachKomm, Jesu, komm (BWV 229): 1st movementBach died on July 28, 1750, leaving behind a staggering 1,100 complete musical works, some comprised of many separate movements of music. Today we honor the 271th anniversary of Bach's death -- by digging into the double choir motet Komm, Jesu, komm. We talk about funeral music, Pascal's Wager, the "angry" interval of the diminished 7th, and the special emotionality of the German language.
Komm, Jesu, komm (BWV 229) as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society; conducted by Stephan MacLeod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boPBBgsnyiI
A helpful and concise biography on J. S. Bach: https://courses.lumenlearning.co...
2021-07-2629 minA Moment of BachViolin Concerto in A minor: II. Andante (opening)What is it that makes some magical moments of music feel like freefall or floating? What is it that makes some moments feel like firm, steady ground? The key is in the bass -- the lowest part of the music, which (by Bach's time) had developed a foundational role in all current musical styles. Listen here how Bach takes a firmly grounded bass line and toys with it -- pushes and pulls it. After a magical feeling of floating, Bach employs the wonderful trick of "dropping" the bass back in; this trick is going strong in the present day...
2021-07-1932 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: "Erbarme dich" aria (mvt. 39)One of the most beloved arias of all time, "Erbarme dich" ("Have mercy on me") comes straight from the contrite heart of Peter, the disciple of Jesus, on Good Friday. After denying Christ three times, he realized his sin, and "went out and wept bitterly". The violin solo represents the anguish of Peter's soul at this moment. Bach scores the emotion here, just like a movie composer would. This is musical storytelling at its finest.
Thank you to listener Molly for the suggestion!
Hear "Erbarme dich" performed by the Netherlands Bach Society (Tim Mead, alto; Shun...
2021-07-1229 minA Moment of BachGoldberg Variations: 18 (canon at the sixth)In our first episode about the monumental Goldberg Variations, Christian shows how to break down a canon (round). Unlike "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," the two parts in this canon do not start on the same note. But we can also learn about how this canon was written by using a different perspective entirely. The recipe is simple: start with a very simple melody; add harmony (at the sixth interval), making the melody into two parts; delay one part by a beat (it won't work without this part!), causing some momentary tensions; decorate everything with ornamentation. Because of the...
2021-07-0529 minA Moment of BachMass in B minor: Credo in unum DeumA solitary voice: "I believe in one God."
Then a second voice: "I believe in one God."
Then another, then another, then another: "I believe in one God..." soon the whole room is full of people confessing their shared faith.
Bach sets this simple text (the beginning of the Nicene Creed) to a simple seven-note tune, but spirals it out into a seven-voice fugue that ranks up there with the most complex pieces of harmonic work of the baroque era. And yet, despite the remarkable density of the counterpoint, the music sounds effortless a...
2021-06-2832 minA Moment of BachBONUS: More Cello Suite no. 1 details with Alec SantamariaIn this short bonus episode, we continue our discussion with Alec but go into greater technical detail. At the beginning Christian narrates the topics for discussion to come. To hear Alec play through the minuets uninterrupted, go to the main Episode 22 at 57:25. To get more context for this bonus episode, we recommend you first listen to Episode 22 in its entirety.
Alec Santamaria is a violist, violinist, and teacher based in Los Angeles. He is the viola teacher at Renaissance Arts Academy and Wildwood Music Camp, and holds the Richard Rintoul Viola Chair at the American Youth Symphony, w...
2021-06-2215 minA Moment of BachCello Suite no. 1 in G major (with Alec Santamaria)Our second guest Alec Santamaria brings his viola to show us how violists can play the Bach cello suites! We delve into tuning for baroque music, perfect pitch, the viola and aspects of its technique when playing Bach, and Alec’s narration of his “moments” from the most famous part of any of the suites -- the G major prelude (and other topics too!).
Alec Santamaria is a violist, violinist, and teacher based in Los Angeles. He is the viola teacher at Renaissance Arts Academy and Wildwood Music Camp, and holds the Richard Rintoul Viola Chair at the Am...
2021-06-211h 02A Moment of BachEnglish Suite No. 1 in A major: SarabandeJoin us as we uncover the complexity under the surface of the seemingly simple music of Bach's English Suite in A major.
The harpsichord is an elegant yet austere instrument. It has only a fraction of the power and versatility of a pipe organ, and none of the soft/loud sensitivity of the piano, yet, it is elegant in its simplicity. We remark on how the harpsichordist seems to activate the very core of this music in her interpretation, adding ornamentation and stretching time. She proves here that the harpsichord can be wonderfully expressive.
Netherlands Bac...
2021-06-1426 minA Moment of BachDer Herr denket an uns (BWV 196): fugue (Er segnet...)What is counterpoint? What’s a fugue, and why is that musical structure so tied to the idea of Bach’s work? The answer lies not only in the most towering and imposing works of fugue, but also the most simple and graceful. This early wedding cantata features a small moment of fugue so sublimely perfect that it seems like it must have always existed. As it flows along like an inevitable river, each of its parts begin separately but go through an identical natural progression of musical material as all the others. The words point to a blessing upon...
2021-06-0730 minA Moment of BachJesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (with Eric Clausen)Our first guest episode! We chat about one of the greatest and most enduring pieces of music ever written, "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring." Eric Clausen, a Lutheran pastor and Alex and Christian's brother-in-law, shares his perspective on church music and how this piece became so meaningful for him. We talk about Bach's life as a church musician, how these cantata texts can have more in common with contemporary praise music than "traditional" hymns, and music's enduring power to enrich the soul.
Thanks to Eric for his guest appearance on A Moment of Bach! Check out his pod...
2021-05-3144 minA Moment of BachO ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe (BWV 34): aria openingThe orchestra is full of countless sound combinations. In Bach's time, the orchestra was smaller and these new expressions mostly hadn't yet been explored. But in the "Wohl euch" aria from the Pentecost cantata O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, Bach experimented with a new language in tone color with violins and flutes. The Pentecost story of the cantata is a sort of reverse Tower of Babel; apostles were given a gift of the Spirit's fire and could suddenly communicate in many languages. Bach, a Protestant, took advantage of writing the church's vocal music in the people's language...
2021-05-2430 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: "Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder!" aria (mvt. 42)You will be humming this one for days! Even if you didn't know of this particular aria before hearing this episode of A Moment of Bach, it's impossible not to be charmed by this sprightly tune on a first listen. But there is also some fury and swift anger in the music -- the words are "Give me my Jesus back!" and they are shouted at the soldiers who have arrested Jesus on the night of His betrayal.
"Gebt mir" aria (Sayuri Yamagata, violin; Sebastian Noack, bass): https://youtu.be/ZwVW1ttVhuQ?t=5722
2021-05-1716 minA Moment of BachChorale: Christus, der ist mein LebenLet's call this one "How to Break a Chorale."
A Bach chorale is a pure, simple expression of a hymn tune. Sometimes it contains complex harmony, but the harmony is always in support of a song that the people knew, and the texture is simple and chordal. This is why today's moment feels like a bolt of lightning from the blue! It's a chorale for a few seconds...before it stretches apart at the seams. Four separate, strange tones tear the fabric of the chorale at the word "death." The chorale reemerges happily and hopefully.
2021-05-1025 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 3: movement 3It's our third and last episode of the Brandenburg 3 miniseries. The last movement of Brandenburg 3 is full of nonstop excitement and rhythmic drive. Come with us as we talk about the complexity (and simplicity!) of the rhythmic layers, and the way that inverted chords breathe fresh life into the music, and the moment -- the moment we both picked -- Bach's own viola solo.
Netherlands Bach Society performing the third movement of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3; Shunske Sato, artistic leader: https://youtu.be/qr0f6t2UbOo?t=370
Thank you for listening to A Moment of Ba...
2021-05-0328 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 3: movement 2For our second installment in the Brandenburg Concerto 3 miniseries, Christian describes the whole 20-second middle movement: chord 1, chord 2. Well...no, that isn't the whole story. We will uncover much more than meets the eye in this shortest of all Bach movements. It's an automatic "moment" -- no cutting or zooming in necessary.
Brandenburg 3 mvt. 2: https://youtu.be/qr0f6t2UbOo?t=350
2021-04-2615 minA Moment of BachBrandenburg Concerto No. 3: movement 1Welcome to our miniseries on Brandenburg Concerto No. 3! In this first episode, we will talk about the first movement.
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are considered by many to be the pinnacle of instrumental Baroque music. Come and join us as we explore why.
Alex's "moment of Bach" comes near the end of the first movement, when the music gets a little low and scary, and the cellos play some heavy metal music. Well, it sounds pretty metal!
Stay tuned for the next two episodes in this miniseries, as we continue to marvel at Bach's cr...
2021-04-1927 minA Moment of BachDu Hirte Israel, höre (BWV 104): openingDon't you just "know" when someone has put good work into a product just from your first experience with it? We think this is why Bach never feels lazy. While Bach excels at portraying a shepherd's pasture with music, we hear how some contemporary examples from film and TV are so much more widely varied in quality. Bach's musical pasture is so idyllic that we can use it to de-stress from our modern lives!
Cantata BWV 104: https://youtu.be/eZaL8XakQLo
Freesound #183454 CC license
2021-04-1216 minA Moment of BachBleib bei uns (BWV 6): alto aria"Stay with us, for night is falling..."
Happy Easter Monday! Today's moment comes from the Easter Monday cantata "Bleib bei uns" ("Stay with us"). The music is inspired by the story of the two disciples who met a stranger along the road as night was falling. The twist ending of this story makes us look back on the moment a little differently. "Stay with us..." is given new meaning.
Alto aria (Tim Mead, countertenor; Yongcheon Shin, oboe da caccia): https://youtu.be/YOtAvqH_A9k?t=346
2021-04-0522 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: "Wiewohl" recitative (mvt. 12)In our tenth episode, we celebrate the genesis of this podcast's main premise. Using a humble and unassuming bit of connecting music from the St. Matthew Passion, Christian shows how Bach portrayed the soul swimming in tears. Love emerges victorious in the last line, where the music reaches a shimmering conclusion. "How can we talk about moments like this?!" That was our question to each other, so that's why we've got a podcast now!
"Wiewohl" recitative: https://youtu.be/ZwVW1ttVhuQ?t=1732
2021-03-2923 minA Moment of BachSt. Matthew Passion: "Wenn ich einmal" chorale (mvt. 62)In our ninth episode, we take our first look at the beloved St. Matthew Passion. Staggering in its emotional scope, this work tells the complete story of Jesus's suffering and death (from the Gospel of Matthew -- in German!), interspersed with personal reflections. Hearing this music, it is as if you are transported -- you are there, at the cross. The St. Matthew Passion is a true masterpiece.
St. Matthew Passion last chorale: https://youtu.be/ZwVW1ttVhuQ?t=8543
2021-03-2231 minA Moment of BachGottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit: sonatinaIn our eighth episode, a very young Bach employs old funereal recorders and viols for maximum heartstring-pulling effect in one of the most sublime few minutes of music: the opening sonatina of the cantata Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (God's time is the very best time). The cantata, also known as Actus tragicus, is a masterwork from beginning to end. It's easy to see why Christian selected one of its many moments.
Full cantata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXMUpqSyJJo&t=1083s
2021-03-1529 minA Moment of BachJesu, meine Freude (BWV 227): 9th movementIn our seventh episode, we find lots of remarkable moments from Bach's 11-movement choral masterwork "Jesu, meine Freude". Alex describes his favorite moment: the end of movement 9 ("Gute Nacht"), when all the wandering voices slow down and come to rest on a single, solitary note. We also explore some new ways to listen to music that has multiple voice parts, focusing on the beauty of the inner lines.
Jesu, meine Freude conducted by Christoph Prégardien: https://youtu.be/uN5Tt7SAhzg
2021-03-0828 minA Moment of BachPrelude in C major (Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1)In our sixth episode, we marvel at the simple beauty of the C major Prelude, one of the most recognizable pieces of all time. Why is this keyboard exercise pattern with apparently no melody so famous and captivating? Christian unpacks its structure by looking not for a moment in the middle, but instead where the end and beginning seem to touch.
Prelude in C Major performed by Siebe Henstra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCqWH9bKzQE
2021-03-0118 minA Moment of BachPassacaglia in C minorIn our fifth episode, the church organ comes alive! Alex guides us through the journey of the Passacaglia in C minor -- starting with a hushed, low tune, and expanding into an epic finale that could shake a cathedral.
Passacaglia played by Reitze Smits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzBXZ__LN_M
And played by Cathedral Bells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t6xG9bsBA8
2021-02-2215 minA Moment of BachMagnificat (BWV 243): openingIn our fourth episode, Christian introduces the opening of the Magnificat. No expense was spared in Bach’s triumphant and expressive Magnificat, including a force of three trumpets and timpani. Christian uses the Magnificat opening to introduce the baroque trumpet, an instrument very different from the modern-day version.
Magnificat: https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/bwv/bwv-243/
2021-02-1514 minA Moment of BachWachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140): opening chorusIn our third episode, Alex introduces one of Bach's most beloved church cantatas: "Wachet auf" -- "Wake up!" The watchmen on the tower are calling! At a certain magical moment, Bach removes the bass instruments so we can hear the bright, ringing voices announcing that Christ is coming to the world. Alex also describes the beauty of the rest of the cantata, with audio examples from the Netherlands Bach Society's performance.
BWV 140 opening chorale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqZE54i-muE
2021-02-0818 minA Moment of BachNun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61): bass recitativeIn our second episode, Christian introduces the royal processional of the cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland. We celebrate the launch of the podcast with this cantata for the new church year, an early Bach work. But the "moment" is hidden later on, where the young Bach uses an experimental sound: a knock at the door from plucked strings with an unresolved harmony. The voice of Jesus sings "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
BWV 61 bass recitative: https://youtu.be/MzWJsRjanC4?t=571
2021-02-0117 minA Moment of BachDona nobis pacemIn our first episode, Alex introduces a triumphant moment near the end of the "Dona nobis pacem" from the monumental Mass in B Minor, and we introduce the audio centerpiece of our podcast: the Netherlands Bach Society and their "All of Bach" project. But first, we discuss the question at the heart of the show's premise: "Why Bach?"
Dona nobis pacem: https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE?t=6315
Artwork: Sydney LaCom
2021-01-2520 minA Moment of BachTRAILER: A Moment of BachWelcome to A Moment of Bach, where we break down our favorite moments from J. S. Bach's vast output. Join hosts Alex Guebert and Christian Guebert for weekly moments! Ep. 1 launches on 1/25/2021.
Recordings provided by the Netherlands Bach Society's All of Bach project.
https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/allofbach
Artwork: Sydney LaCom
2021-01-0905 min