ECU Libraries Catalog

J.S. Bach and the German motet / Daniel R. Melamed.

Author/creator Melamed, Daniel R.
Format Book and Print
Publication InfoCambridge ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Descriptionxv, 229 pages : illustrations, music ; 26 cm
Subject(s)
Contents Part one. he term and concept "motet". The term "motet" in the first half of the eighteenth century -- J. S. Bach's use of the term "motet" -- Part two. Bach's motets. Bach's motets and their relation to the genre -- Bach's earlier motets: rethinking authorship and dating -- Bach's later motets: rethinking compositional history -- Chronology, style, and performance practice of Bach's motets -- Part three. The concept of the motet-like movement -- Motet style in Bach's church cantatas -- Motet style in Bach's Latin works and oratorios -- Bach's use of motet style in concerted works -- Part four. Bach's contact with seventeenth-century German motets. The history of the Altbachisches Archiv -- J. S. Bach and the Altbachisches Archiv -- Sebastian Knupfer, "Erforsche mich, Gott" -- Appendix. Original texts of motet definitions cited in this study.
Abstract J.S. Bach's much-performed motets are probably the most sophisticated pieces ever composed in the genre. The author takes a fresh look at Bach's works in the context of the German motet tradition, showing that they are firmly rooted in the conventions of his time. This allows new insights into Bach's contribution to the genre and into the vexing question of instrumental participation in the motets. Professor Melamed argues for Bach's authorship of an early motet wrongly dismissed as inauthentic, and demonstrates that other motets were products of Bach's familiar technique of musical reworking. The chronology of the motets can be substantially revised, and Bach's activities as a motet composer shown to extend over his entire career. An understanding of the eighteenth-century conception of "motet" sheds light on how and why Bach used motet style in his cantatas, Latin works, and oratorios. Finally Bach's study and performance of seventeenth-century motets late in his life, documented in newly discovered and reconstructed sources, played an important role in his exploration of his family's history and of the musical past.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 214-218) and indexes.
LCCN 94005293
ISBN052141864X (hardback)

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML410.B13 M33 1995 ✔ Available Place Hold