Bach - Cantata (1723)

- Fugal Texture

- Cantata genre

- Cantus Firmus - Choral Melody

- Figured Bass

- Continuo

- Hemiola - used in triple time of the piece bars 42-43

- Ritornello Form (ABACA)

- Homophony at the end of phrases

- Canonic Imitation - bars 16-21

- Chorale - typical cadence progressions (e.g. Ic - V - I)

- Polyphonic texture - bar 99

- Tierce de Picardie with plagal cadence - bars 137-138

- Functional Harmony (V-I tonic/ dominant emphasis & related keys)

- Tonic and Dominant pedals - e.g. bar 114

- Typical cadential progressions

- Sequences - bars 1-10

- Mostly conjunct - especially chorale melody

- Diatonic

- Use of Recitative

- Aria - Obligato

- Cantata - Multi movement, Protestant (Lutheran), German

- Large Orchestra used - to demonstrate wealth & power of Church

- Cantus Firmus - Bar 15

- Text in German, not Latin - indicates Roman Catholic Church

- Grand scale - several movements

- Congregation used & orchestra doubling

- Choir employed by the church

- Words from bible quotation

- Plagal cadences e.g. movement 1 bar 138

- Diminished 7ths bar 7/9 Recitative

- Melismas show important words bar 18 - reflect biblical work being portrayed

- Minor key

- Chromatic movement in places e.g. bar 7-8

- Descending phrases

- Tritones e.g. bar 2 in harmony and bar 5 in melody D - Ab

- Repetition of main motif - almost entirels throughout the Ritornello

- Expressive leaps - Octave version bars 4-5

-Ritornello nearly always returns to the tonic key of G minor

- Modulates to dominant minor (D minor bar 88)

- Imitation - Canonic imitation bars 16-20

- Plagal Cadence bars 138-139

- Recitative:

• Tritones - bars 14-18
• Chromaticism - bar 15
• Dissonances
• Unrelated Keys: Unrelated tritone away from Bb - E maj
• Word painting - sorrowful tone
• Appoggiatura bar 7
• Diminished chords bar 13
• Unresolved 7th in bass
• Hard to sing - awkward leaps bar 13 F# - Eb

Chorale

- Plagal Cadence - bars 9-10

- Suspensions - chain of suspensions bars 8-10

- Modulations to unrelated keys - modulates from Ab to Bb

- Chromaticism - bar 2

- Bach breaks chorale rules e.g. unrelated modulations