Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott-Bach

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Introduction

  • First Performed in Leipzig on 31st October 1730
  • Composed for the Festival of Reformation
  • Celebration of Martin Luther's break with the catholic church
  • The Lutheran cantata was performed before the sermon
  • The text is taken from Martin Luther's Hymn
  • The second movt is the chorale tune but the text is heard from Franck's poetry
  • Traditional baroque piece
  • Other baroque composers include Vivaldi and Monteverdi
  • Sacred vs Secular music
  • German composers dominated the style of music
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Wider Listening

  • And The Glory of the Lord-Handel
    • Modulates to related keys
    • mostly diatonic
    • mostly uses perfect cadences but ends with  a plagal cadence
    • Continuo below with SATB choir
    • Word Painting
    • Melismatic
  • The Lamb-Tavenor
    • four-part choir
    • use of homophony
    • doubled parts
  • Symphony of Psalms-Stravinsky
    • Word painting-'tippano'-no drums
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Melody

  • Movement 8
    • Repeated notes
    • mainly conjunct with occasional leaps
    • descending scales
  • Movement 1
    • loose variation of the chorale melody
    • sequence
    • chromaticism
  • Movement 2
    • melisma
    • angular writing
    • ornamentation
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Structure

  • Movement 1
    • fugal structure that states each phrase in turn
  • Movement 2
    • ritornello form
  • Movement 8
    • nine line choral with repetition
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Texture

  • Movement 1
    • contrapuntal
    • imitative
    • canon
    • fugal
    • heterophony
  • Movement 2
    • contrapuntal
    • walking bass
  • Movement 8
    • homophonic
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Instrumentation

  • Movement 1
    • scored for four  parts (SATB)
    • three oboes incl. cor anglais, strings and continuo
  • Movement 2
    • duet for soprano and bass
    • violins, violas and continuo
  • Movement 8
    • the choral and SATB double up with the instruments
    • Violins, viola and continuo
  • All three use figured bass
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Harmony and Tonality

  • Movement 1
    • E minor
    • B minor
    • F# minor
    • A major
  • Movement 2
    • D major
    • A major
    • B minor
  • Movement 8
    • D major
    • A major
    • E minor
  • functional harmony
  • clear cadences
  • triads and major/dim 7ths
  • pedals/suspensions e.g. 4-3 suspensions, 7-6 suspensions and 9-8 suspension (movt 8)
  • dissonances
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Rhythm and Metre

  • Movement 1
    • cut common time
  • Movement 2
    • semiquavers with walking bass
  • Movement 8
    • moderate tempo 
    • flowing quavers
  • No indicated tempo
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