Bachelbel!
Wednesday, October 14, 7PM
Most experienced choral singers have sung and loved Bach's early Easter cantata, 'Christ Lag in Todesbanden' (BWV 4). It's one of his early cantatas, written for 4-part choir, 5-part strings, and SATB soloists; and every verse is based one way or another on Luther's eponymous chorale, itself a re-working of an older hymn entitled 'Christ ist erstanden.'
What most people don't know is that Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) wrote his own cantata on the same chorale, and it's a doozy. Pachelbel too bases the entire piece on the chorale, and many similarities and correspondences make it hard not to think that the young Bach knew the earlier work. Although we have no evidence of meetings between the two composers, Bach in his early years was tutored by his brother, Johann Christoph Bach, who had studied with Pachelbel; and manuscript copies of music by Pachelbel and other contemporary German composers circulated widely.
In our Sing, we'll take a look at the chorale itself, noting its important and attractive features; we'll sing through the Pachelbel, with a little commentary between movements; and we'll close by singing Bach's cantata straight through.
Please join us as we explore these wonderful Baroque cantatas!
Wednesday, October 14, 7PM
Most experienced choral singers have sung and loved Bach's early Easter cantata, 'Christ Lag in Todesbanden' (BWV 4). It's one of his early cantatas, written for 4-part choir, 5-part strings, and SATB soloists; and every verse is based one way or another on Luther's eponymous chorale, itself a re-working of an older hymn entitled 'Christ ist erstanden.'
What most people don't know is that Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) wrote his own cantata on the same chorale, and it's a doozy. Pachelbel too bases the entire piece on the chorale, and many similarities and correspondences make it hard not to think that the young Bach knew the earlier work. Although we have no evidence of meetings between the two composers, Bach in his early years was tutored by his brother, Johann Christoph Bach, who had studied with Pachelbel; and manuscript copies of music by Pachelbel and other contemporary German composers circulated widely.
In our Sing, we'll take a look at the chorale itself, noting its important and attractive features; we'll sing through the Pachelbel, with a little commentary between movements; and we'll close by singing Bach's cantata straight through.
Please join us as we explore these wonderful Baroque cantatas!