Altbachisches Archiv, also Alt-Bachische Archiv (ABA, old-Bachian archive), is a collection of 17th-century vocal music, most of which was written by members of the Bach family.

History

Johann Ambrosius Bach, Johann Sebastian's father, supposedly started to collect compositions by his relatives. Johann Sebastian Bach's obituary starts with an overview of the composers whose works are contained in the Altbachisches Archiv. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Sebastian's son and co-author of his obituary, retained the collection and gave it its name. After his death the largest part of the collection came, via Georg Pölchau[de], in the possession of the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin. All nine motets of the Sing-Akademie's part of the ABA collection, including BWV 1164, at the time attributed to Johann Christoph Bach, were published in the early 1820s.

The manuscripts of two compositions contained in the Sing-Akademie's part of the ABA collection were sold to the Royal Library in Berlin (later renamed as Berlin State Library): thus BNB I/B/11 and BWV 1164 were no longer in the Sing-Akademie's archives by the end of the 19th century. In 1935 Max Schneider, recovering ABA manuscripts scattered in the Sing-Akademie's archive, published a selection of these compositions, an edition which was reprinted in 1966. ABA numbers derive from this publication in two volumes. The original manuscripts of the Sing-Akademie's archive went lost during the Second World War, only to be rediscovered in Ukraine in 1999, after which they were returned to the Sing-Akademie, which in turn deposited the recovered manuscripts in the Berlin State Library for conservation.

Compositions

Altbachisches Archiv
ABABNBComposerCompositionGenreScoringBD
I, 1I/An/11Johannes Bach (Johann Michael Bach?)Sei nun wieder zufrieden[choralwiki; scores]motet (aria)SSAT+ATTB Bc
I, 2I/B/43Johannes Bach (Johann Michael Bach?)Unser Leben ist ein Schatten[choralwiki; choralwiki; scores]motetSSATTB+ATB
I, 3I/An/12Johannes BachWeint nicht um meinen Tod[choralwiki]motet (aria)SATB
I, 4Johann Michael Bach?Unser Leben währet siebenzig Jahr[choralwiki]motetSATT Bc
I, 5I/B/39Johann Michael BachDas Blut Jesu Christi[choralwiki; scores]motetSATTB Cnt 3Tbn Bc
I, 6I/B/40Johann Michael BachHerr, wenn ich nur dich habe[choralwiki; scores]Geistliches Konzert (funeral motet, 14 November 1690)SATTB
I, 7I/B/41Johann Michael BachIch weiß, dass mein Erlöser lebt[choralwiki; scores]Geistliches KonzertSATTB Bc
I, 8Johann Michael BachSei lieber Tag willkommen[choralwiki; scores]motetSSATTB Bc
I, 9I/B/42Johann Michael BachNun hab' ich überwunden[choralwiki; scores]motetSATB+SATB Bc
I, 10Johann Michael BachHalt, was du hast[choralwiki; scores]motetSATB+ATTB Bc
I, 11Johann Michael BachFürchtet euch nicht[choralwiki; scores]motetSATB+SATB Bc
I, 12Johann Michael BachHerr, du lässest mich erfahrenmotetSATB+ATTB Bc
I, 13Johann Michael BachDem Menschen ist gesetzt einmal zu sterbenmotetSATB+ATTB Bc
I, 14Johann Michael BachHerr, ich warte auf dein HeilmotetSATB+SATB Bc
I, 15I/An/10Adam Drese (not Heinrich Bach)Nun ist alles überwundenmotet (aria)SATB
I, 16I/B/12Johann Christoph BachEs ist nun aus mit meinem Lebenmotet (aria)SATB Bc
I, 17I/B/16Johann Christoph BachMit Weinen hebt sichs an[choralwiki]motetSATB Bc
I, 18Johann Christoph BachDer Mensch, vom Weibe geboren[scores]motetSSATB Bc
I, 19Johann Christoph BachSei getreu bis in den Tod[choralwiki]motetSSATB Bc
I, 20I/B/10Johann Christoph BachDer Gerechte, ob er gleich[choralwiki; scores]motet (funeral, 1675)SATTB Bc
II, 1Heinrich BachIch danke dir, Gottchurch cantata (Trinity XVII)SSATB+SSATB 2Vl 2Va Bc
II, 2I/B/3Georg Christoph BachSiehe, wie fein und lieblich ist (after Ps. 133)church cantata / vocal concerto (birthday), 6 September 1689)ttb Vl 3Vdg Vne Org
II, 3Johann Michael BachEs ist ein großer Gewinnchurch cantata (unknown occ.)s Vlp 3Vl Bc
II, 4I/B/37Johann Michael BachAch, wie sehnlich wart' ich der Zeit[choralwiki]church cantata (unknown occ.)s 5Str Org
II, 5I/B/38Johann Michael BachAuf, lasst uns den Herren loben[scores]church cantata / Aria (unknown occ.)a 4Str Bc (Vne, Org)
II, 6Johann Michael BachLiebster Jesu, hör mein Flehen[choralwiki]church cantata (Reminiscere)SATTB 2Vl 2Va Bc
II, 7Johann Michael BachAch bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christchurch cantata (unknown occ.)SATB 2Vl 3Va Bc
II, 8I/An/9Johann Michael Bach (old attribution: Johann Christoph Bach)Die Furcht des Herrenchurch cantata (new council)ssatbSATB 2Vl 2Va Bc
II, 9I/B/15Johann Christoph BachMeine Freundin, du bist schön[scores]church cantata (wedding)satbSATB Vl 3Va Bc
deestI/B/9Johann Christoph Bach?Ach, dass ich Wassers genug hätte[choralwiki; scores]church cantata / lamento (unknown occ.)a Vl 3Vdg Bc
deestI/B/11Johann Christoph BachEs erhub sich ein Streit[scores]Geistliches KonzertsatbbSATTB 4Tr Tmp Bss 2Vl 4Va Bc
deestI/B/13Johann Christoph BachHerr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren[choralwiki]motetSATB+SATB Bc
deestI/B/14Johann Christoph BachLieber Herre Gott, wecke uns auf[choralwiki; scores]motetSATB+SATB Wws Strs Bc
deestI/B/17Johann Christoph BachUnsers Herzens Freude hat ein Ende[choralwiki]motetSATB+SATB Bc
deestJohann Sebastian Bach (Johann Christoph Bach?)Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn (BWV 1164 = BWV Anh. 159)motetSATB+SATB
deestJohann Christoph BachFürchte dich nicht[choralwiki; scores]motetSATTB Bc

Sources

  • Melamed, Daniel R. (1988). . Journal of the American Musicological Society. 41 (3). American Musicological Society. University of California Press: 491–526. doi:. JSTOR . Archived from on 2022-03-30.
  • Axel Fischer and Matthias Kornemann (editors). De Gruyter, 2009. ISBN 978-3-598-11798-5.
  • Max Schneider (editor). Altbachisches Archiv: aus Johann Sebastian Bachs Sammlung von Werken seiner Vorfahren Johann, Heinrich, Georg Christoph, Johann Michael u. Johann Christoph Bach. (Das Erbe deutscher Musik, Series I). Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1935, reprint 1966. Vol. 1: Vol. 2:
  • Patrice Veit. , recension in Revue de l'Institut français d'histoire en Allemagne, 2007.

External links

  • at