What is a Bach motet?

a cantata: In Bach’s practice, “motet” refers to a polyphonic composition for voices, often accompanied by continuo, although there are still doubts about that practice. Instruments sometimes double voices (we say they play colla parte: “with the parts”, i.e. following voices) but don’t have an autonomous role.

How many Bach motets are there?

six motets
There is a case for regarding the six motets catalogued BWV 225–230 as being authenticated, although there is some doubt about one of them, Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden. A seventh motet, Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV Anh.

What is a medieval motet?

A motet is a piece of polyphonic choral music commonly associated with the Renaissance period of classical music. The form emerged in the Medieval period as an early form of vocal polyphony.

What was Bach’s Favourite instrument?

Bach’s favorite instrument is called thelautenwerck. You will see two of these in the list of instruments he owned at the time of his death, but it goes by a different name; the lute-harpsichord.

Did Bach ever play a piano?

”Bach was familiar with the piano, you know. It was invented during his lifetime, and he not only played the piano, but actually composed at least two of his pieces specifically for the instrument,” Mr. Rosen pointed out in a recent telephone interview.

When were the Bach motets first recorded?

Most recordings of the Bach motets have been made since the Second World War. The Thomanerchor, for example, recorded a set in the 1950s. However, there were several pre-War recordings of the motets. The first recording of a Bach motet was a 1927 version of Jesu, meine Freude.

Why did Bach write a motet for a choir?

The motet is described as being for double-choir (in other words eight voices divided into two four-part choirs). It may have been composed to provide choral exercises for Bach’s students at the Thomasschule. The motet’s biblical text would have been suited to that purpose.

Is Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren by Bach a motet?

Although some scholars have expressed doubts about the attribution to Bach, the work is generally regarded as a surviving motet by Bach. Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren, originally BWV 231, later renumbered to BWV 28/2a, is the second movement of the motet Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt, presented as a separate motet.

Who is the author of Bach and the German motet?

Kirsten Beißwenger (collaborator). ( BWV 2a ed.). Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel. ISBN 9783765102493. Preface in English and German. Melamed, Daniel R. (1995). J.S. Bach and the German Motet.