The flourishing of free polyphony in the works of Bach

The work of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was the final stage in the musical culture of the Baroque. In his works, all the best achievements of previous eras were surprisingly combined: the art of polyphony of German organists, the homophonic style of Italian opera and French dance music. He inherited the traditions of concerto grosso instrumental music and folk songs.

The famous Russian composer and music critic A.N.Serov wrote:

“If there is anything in the field of music that needs to be approached … with love in the heart, with fear and faith, it is precisely the creations of the great Bach.”

The tragic history of Germany (the Peasant and Thirty Years’ Wars, the Peace of Westphalia, which finally consolidated the fragmentation of the country) gave Bach the opportunity to feel the deep contradictions of his time.

The creative heritage of Bach, who worked in almost all musical genres, is amazingly diverse! He entered the history of world musical culture as an unsurpassed master of sacred organ music. The depth of philosophical generalizations, the reflection of a complex and contradictory earthly existence and the divine world of perfect harmony are distinguished by his organ masses, chorales, oratorios, cantatas and passions (“passions”).

Back in the 17th century. a tradition of vocal and choral performance of “passions” – dramatized solemn narratives about the suffering and martyrdom of Jesus Christ arose. One of Bach’s greatest creations was St. Matthew Passion (1729), a grandiose piece of 78 numbers that was performed over four hours. As conceived by the author, two four-part choirs with soloists and an orchestra of 34 musicians participated in it. It was not easy to organize the performance of this monumental work during the composer’s lifetime.

The music of “Passion …” evoked a variety of emotions in the audience: from severe, sublime grief to sincere emotion, meditation and enlightened triumph of life. The restrained, mournful melody of the voice was accompanied by the sobs of the violin, and the parts of the choirs conveyed the cries of an angry crowd demanding the execution of Christ.

Strict adherents of the church did not like the music; it seemed to them too operatic and far from religious dogma. Only in 1829, a hundred years after its creation, the twenty-year-old German composer F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847) would carry out its performance in Leipzig.

“The overcrowded hall seemed like a temple; solemn awe reigned among those present; only occasionally there were involuntary expressions of deeply agitated feelings ”(from the memoirs of F. Mendelssohn).

One of Bach’s majestic creations was the High Mass (Mass in B minor) (1747-1749), created in the Baroque style.

Amazingly subtle and beautiful music, including arias, vocal ensembles and choirs, conveyed a wide emotional range: from exultation and enlightened feelings of joy to pity, sorrow and compassion. Short phrases of Latin prayers served only as a pretext for expressing thoughts about the opposition of life and death, about the triumph of the moral greatness of Man.

The complexity of the structure and the large volume did not allow it to be performed in the church during the festive daytime worship (during the life of Bach it was never performed). The Mass consisted of 5 major parts, including 24 numbers (15 choirs, 6 arias and 3 duets). Meanwhile, the grandiose work was striking in its integrity and clear thoughtfulness.

The baroque character of music was embodied in the polyphonic art of Bach, the culmination of which were fugues (Latin fuga – running) – polyphonic works based on one musical theme, sounding successively in different voices. The origin of this word is not accidental: the sounding voices really seem to “catch up” with each other and come to an agreement only at the end. Having bypassed all voices, the melody begins to split into small parts, its sounding becomes more tense, unstable.

Bach’s orchestral music is also well known. Each of the six Brandenburg Concertos (1711 – 1720), created in the concerto grosso genre, has its own unique timbre appearance. Clavier and violin concerts, in which Bach continued the traditions of A. Vivaldi, are the main thing that he created in this area. In clavier music (klavier is the German name for a harpsichord, a stringed keyboard instrument), he blazed new trails, outlining the main directions in the development of piano music.

The collection of fugues and preludes “The Well-Tempered Clavier” (1722, 1744) is an unsurpassed example of polyphonic clavier music, a textbook and handbook for performers of many generations. Beethoven called it his “musical Bible”, for Schumann it was “the best grammar.” Among the 48 fugues, no two are alike, each with a striking variety of melodies and moods. Connected with each other, they are completely independent works. Bach loved to improvise at the harpsichord on the themes of popular songs, composing graceful and light suites, consisting of German (allemand), French (courante), Spanish (sarabanda) and English (gigue) dances. The French and English suites have become a true decoration of concert programs.

Bach’s secular vocal and instrumental music was no less popular. About 30 cantatas (vocal and instrumental works for soloists of the chorus and orchestra) belong to the great composer. Each of them is imbued with cheerful and cheerful intonations, in all one can feel the wit and subtle humor of the author. In the “Peasant Cantata” (1742) folk song melodies are heard, conveying the element of folk life. It is a vivid sketch of a peasant holiday, a date of love in the bosom of nature. Coffee Cantata (1732) is a witty genre scene in which a grumpy father forbids his daughter to drink coffee, the then fashionable drink. But the inventive and resourceful daughter deftly bypasses all his prohibitions.

During his life, Bach created many musical masterpieces. It is known that at the end of his life the great German composer lost his sight. He dictated the last compositions to his students …