55: Introducing The Chorale! Chorale Preludes, Four-Part Chorales, &c.

In 1300, the word carol meant, a joyful dance in a ring accompanied by singers. The word choir also began to emerge, spelled cuer, queor, even quyre, both words were related to the Greek word, Chorus, evoking song and dance. In the 16th century, the word began to lose its association with dance, and Martin Luther, translating Latin hymns into the vernacular, published Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn which laid the foundations for all Protestant church music. I re-qyure your support:If J.S. Bach knew a book, he knew this one. Not only do we see him dedicate an entire annual cycle of cantatas in 1724 (exactly 200 years later) to the church melody, but one of the first music lessons Bach gave to his eldest son W.F. Bach was a chorale prelude. This is the third piece in the Notebook for W.F. Bach. The top line is one of the old church melodies, beautifully embellished by JSB:In this episode, we discuss two different types of Bach’s chorale preludes, one where the cantus firmus is embedded into a quick-flowing brook of notes, the other, a slower accompaniment to intricate embellishments on the 200-year-old melodies. These melodies were central to Bach’s life and his compositions. The episode ends with an analysis of Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV 682, one of the most complicated chorale preludes from the third part of Bach’s Clavier-übung, featuring the chorale melody in canons. Here is one entrance of the melody. The blue voice starts first, followed by the red:Pieces featured:BWV 691 and BWV 93 (Chorale) at the same timeBWV 651BWV 682Performers: Michel Chapuis, Kay JohannsenHere are the links to the cantata cycles mentioned at the end, thank you, Tucker! From the profile you can access different ensembles' complete cantata cycles as well as other great selections.Tucker's Spotify PlaylistsWe survive solely on donations. Thank you for your help!We encourage our listeners to become a paid subscriberat wtfbach.substack.comFree subscriptions are also great for our numbers.You can also make a one-time donation here:https://www.paypal.me/wtfbachhttps://venmo.com/wtfbachSupporting this show ensures its longevity. Get full access to W.T.F. Bach? at wtfbach.substack.com/subscribe