Bach Cantatas Mailing List (BCML)
Discussions - Year 2018

2018 Discussion Conclusion & Beyond

William L. Hoffman wrote (May 27, 2018):
2018 Discussion Conclusion

This Week's BCML Discussion for the week of Trinityfest, today known as the First Sunday after Pentecost, will be a study of the "Great Catholic Mass" in B Minor as a "summa" liturgical work of sorrow (Kyrie and Agnus Dei), joy (Sanctus-Benedictus-Osanna, Dona nobis Pacem), and mixed Christological (Gloria in excess Deo), and Trinitarian (central Credo). This discussion also will consider possibly parody contradiction models and sources as well as a contemporary and stimulating perspective on this Mass as found in Daniel Melamed's new book, Listening to Bach: The Mass in B-Minor and Christmas Oratorio.

This last work of his Christological Cycle or fifth cycle of well-ordered church music also is a mixed work of joy and sorrow which is the character of Bach's fourth cycle of Occasional Music involving some 50 celebratory and memorial cantatas both sacred and secular (non-liturgical), discussed the rest of this year. A valuable resource that may be available is Martin Petzoldt's "in preparation" Bach Commentary, Volume III; Passions, Fest and Casual Cantatas, https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://www.baerenreiter.com/shop/produkt/details/BVK1743/&prev=search

2019, 5th Round Part 20 Discussions

This year, the Bach Cantata Mailing Listing is completing four rounds of discussions of Bach's vocal works, which hopefully has made an important contribution to understanding and appreciating Bach. Under consideration for the 5th Round (Part 20), beginning in 2019, is the possibility of expanding to utilize other significant resources at the Bach Cantata Website: (http://www.bach-cantatas.com/index.htm) such as Performers biographies and Discographies) to examine from the perspective of technological innovations such as recordings and on-line resources that are a hallmark of the abiding and rewarding interest in Bach. Beginning with pioneers of recordings such as Pablo Casals, Albert Schweitzer and the still controversial Glenn Gould and Leopold Stokowski, the discussions could consider significant Bach performers and ensembles, their music (both vocal and instrumental), and their contributions to the growing Bach legacy. SDG

NT 2019 BCML Discussion

Ed Myskowski wrote (July 11, 2018):
[To William L. Hoffman] I have only participated on BCML sporadically for the past several years, and not at all (health issues) in the most recent 12 months. This is just a quick note to reassure friends (and disappoint some others?) that rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated (to lift a phrase from Mark Twain). I believe it is an accurate quote of Stravinsky: Do not borrow, simply steal! But only from the best.

It is good to see that Will Hoffman's fine commentary continues unabated. Are there any plans in the works for an ongoing fifth discussion cycle?

I note the following suggestion of parody of a sacred work for secular use. I believe we beat this topic nearly to death a few years ago, but without definite conclusion as best I can recall, as to whether there were definite examples of this less common parody technique.

For a fine up-to-date discussion of parody in Bach, see Daniel R. Melamed, Listening to Bach: Mass in B minor and the Christmas Oratorio, which I ran across independently on Amazon, but which I believe Will Hoffman also references in his recent discussion of BMM.

Cheers to all, I hope to be a regular reader and more frequent contributor in the coming months and years.

William L. Hoffman wrote (July 11, 2018):
[To Ed Myskowski] Welcome back and thank you for your comment on parody. In the current BCML discussion on occasional secular music of joy and sorrow, I will be citing George B. Stauffer's article, "Bach and the Bounds of Originality" in The World of Baroque Music: New Perspectives. For the 2019 BCML fifth discussion round, Aryeh and I are thinking about expanding to include noted Bach performers and their repertory, beginning with the impact of recording artists cellist Pablo Casals and organist Albert Schweitzer, as discussed in Paul Elie's book, Reinventing Bach (https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/books/reinventing-bach-by-paul-elie.html). The discussion could expand to include other noted performers in the same repertory. The BCW and other on-line sources have a wealth of information on Bach performers, recordings, repertory, and topics.

Ed Myskowski wrote (July 12, 2018):
[To William L. Hoffman] I am glad to hear that there are plans for ongoing discussion on a weekly basis, and thanks to you and Aryeh (and everyone else involved) for the work required to keep this great tradition going. In the vein of Bach performers as a regular topic, let me start early by putting in a word for Boston's Craig Smith, founder of the ongoing weekly performance of a Bach Cantata at Emmanuel Church in liturgical context, as well as many other performances by Emmanuel Music Music of the music of Bach (and many others), and the source of many fine performers. Perhaps the best known internationally is Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, but there are many others deserving of note, which I will be happy to provide, god-willing.

William L. Hoffman wrote (July 13, 2018):
[To Ed Myskowski] Emmanuel Music is an incredible program and I would love to hear more. I just came across Trinity Wall Street, with a great repertory, Bach at One, http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Pic-Rec-BIG/Wachner-J-BO43-64e[Video-2015-2016-Prog].pdf. The web has an explosion of recordings of vocal works by universities, churches, and other groups. Two groups continue to record all the works, Bach Stiftung and Jos von Veldhoven, and Jordi Savall has a new recording of the St. Mark Passion. We are indebted to Bach Bethlehem, Bach Tomanerchor in Leipzig, Oregon Bach, American Bach Soloists, and many others. Historically, it begins with the Zelter Berlin group and in Leipzig. I remember the Bach Aria Group, Fritz Lehmann and the Smithsonian Players (OVPP). BCW sources include "Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Recommended Cantatas - General Discussions,” http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Topics/Recordings-2016.htm, as well as Wikipedia. I would love to have running comments from Johan van Veen and music Dei dionum, altho I know he is very busy.

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