Lysa castle, possibly the location of performances of BWV 233 to 236

Apart from the 1733 Mass for the Dresden court (later incorporated in the Mass in B minor), Johann Sebastian Bach wrote four further Kyrie–Gloria Masses, BWV233–236. These compositions, consisting of the first two sections of the Mass ordinary (i.e. the Kyrie and the Gloria), have been indicated as Missae breves (Latin for "short masses") or Lutheran Masses.

They seem to have been intended for liturgical use, considering a performance time of about 20 minutes each, the average duration of a Bach cantata. They may have been composed around 1738/39. Possibly they were written for Count Franz Anton von Sporck or performed by him in Lysá (German: Lissa).

Each of the Kyrie-Gloria Masses is in six movements: the Kyrie is one choral movement (with Kyrie/Christe/Kyrie subdivisions) and the Gloria is in five movements. The first and last movement of the Gloria are also choral, framing three arias for different voice types. The music consists mostly of parodies of earlier cantata movements. Bach changed the music slightly to adjust to the Latin words, but kept the original instrumentation. For instance, the opening chorus of Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187, became the final movement of the Missa in G minor, Cum sancto spiritu. Occasionally he switched a voice part, for example he asked for a tenor in the Qui tollis of that Missa, a parody of the soprano aria Gott versorget alles Leben of that cantata.

History

Compositions

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in F major, BWV 233

For the Missa in F major, BWV 233, scored for horns, oboes, bassoon, strings, SATB, and basso continuo, Bach derived most of the six movements from earlier cantatas as parodies. The first movement derives from Kyrie "Christe, du Lamm Gottes" in Fmajor, BWV 233a, which may have been performed for the first time on Good Friday, 6 April 1708.

No.TitleVoiceBase
1Kyrie eleison – Christe eleison – Kyrie eleisonChorusBWV 233a
2Gloria in excelsisChorus
3Domine DeusBasspossibly BWV Anh. 18/6
4Qui tollisSopranoBWV 102/3
5QuoniamAltoBWV 102/5
6Cum sancto SpirituChorusBWV 40/1

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in A major, BWV 234

For the Missa in A major, BWV 234, scored for flute, strings, SATB, and basso continuo, Bach parodied music from at least four earlier cantatas.

No.TitleVoiceBase
1Kyrie eleison – Christe eleison – Kyrie eleisonChorus
2Gloria in excelsisChorusBWV 67/6
3Domine DeusBass
4Qui tollisSopranoBWV 179/5
5QuoniamAltoBWV 79/2
6Cum sancto SpirituChorusVivace part: BWV 136/1

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G minor, BWV 235

For the Missa in G minor, BWV 235, scored for oboes, strings, SATB, basso continuo, Bach derived all six movements from cantatas as parodies.

No.TitleVoiceBase
1Kyrie eleison – Christe eleison – Kyrie eleisonChorusBWV 102/1
2Gloria in excelsisChorusBWV 72/1
3GratiasBassBWV 187/4
4Domine FiliAltoBWV 187/3
5Qui tollis – QuoniamTenorBWV 187/5
6Cum sancto SpirituChorusBWV 187/1

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G major, BWV 236

For the Missa in G major, BWV 236, scored for oboes, strings, SATB, basso continuo, Bach derived all six movements from cantatas as parodies.

No.TitleVoiceBase
1Kyrie eleison – Christe eleison – Kyrie eleisonChorusBWV 179/1
2Gloria in excelsisChorusBWV 79/1
3GratiasBassBWV 138/5
4Domine DeusSoprano, altoBWV 79/5
5QuoniamTenorBWV 179/3
6Cum sancto SpirituChorusBWV 17/1

Reception

In 1818 the Missa in Amajor, BWV234, was one of a very few of Bach's compositions for voices and orchestra to appear in print prior to the Bach Gesellschaft complete edition in the second half of the 19th century.

Discography

External links