Index to Articles

This section of the Bach Cantatas Website (BCW) contains articles about various aspects of J.S. Bach & his music.
If you would like to contribute an article, which would be published in this section, please send it to me in accordance with the guidelines at: How to contribute.

Contents

Vocal Works
- Cantatas
- Other Vocal Works
- General
Instrumental Works
Chorales
Bach's Life & Time
Musicians
Performance Practice
Bach and other composers
Various Topics

Vocal Works:

Cantatas:

JS Bach:- the developing composer:- a critical examination and comparison of BWV 1 & BWV 4 from the Second Cycle of Leipzig Cantatas (Julian Mincham, Jan 2006)

Bach, the Grape-Stamper (BWV 43/7) (Thomas Braatz, Jun 2005)

The Need for Bach: A discussion of his life, Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen, BWV 51 and Ich habe genung, BWV 82 (Sean Burton, Oct 2004)

Program Notes to Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 (Sean Burton, Oct 2004)

BWV 56 “Ich will den Xstab gerne tragen” - An Attempt to Trace the Symbols and Other Poetic Expressions in the Libretto Back to Their Original Sources [PDF] (Thomas Braatz, Apr 2014)

Program Notes to Jesu, der du meine, Seele BWV 78 (Sean Burton, Oct 2004)

Text, music and performative interpretation in Bach’s cantata Ich habe genug (Uri Golomb, Mar 2001)

Sellars Staging (Uri Golomb, Jan 2004)

The Marche movement in BWV 207 and BWV 207a [PDF] (Thomas Braatz, Sep 2013)

Bach’s Dramatic Music: Serenades, Drammi per Musica, Oratorios [PDF] (William Hoffman, Aug 2008)
Bach’s Dramatic Music: Serenades, Drammi per Musica, Oratorios [HTML]

Opera and the Dramma per Musica (Thomas Braatz, Jul 2008)

The Historical Figures of the Birthday Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach [PDF] (Marva J. Watson, May 2010)

The Rise and Fall of the Stübel Theory [PDF] (Thomas Braatz, Apr 2007)
The Rise and Fall of the Stübel Theory [HTML]
- Feedback to the Article

Arnold Schering on "Who sang the soprano and alto parts in Bach's cantatas?" [PDF] (Thomas Braatz, Nov 2009)

Bach and Emotion: ‘Zur Recreation des Gemüths' Editorial Introduction [PDF] (Editors Ruth Tatlow, Yo Tomita, and Barbara M. Reul; Editorial Assistant: Mark Seow, Jun 2020)

Bach and Emotion: ‘Zur Recreation des Gemüths' Transcript of a live video discussion [PDF] (with Ruth Tatlow, Bettina Varwig, and John Butt, Jun 2020)

Weimar-Halle-Leipzig. Drei orte, drei Anlässe und drei Fassungen der Musik von "Christen, ätzet diesen Tag" (BWV 63) [German, PDF] (Marc-Roderich Pfau, 2021)
Mit freundlicher Erlaubnis der Händel-Gesellschaft Halle

Cantata Odyssey: Print, On-Line Sources From Bach's Musical World (William L. Hoffman, Sep 4, 2022)
Cantata Odyssey: Bach Werke Verzeichnis (Works Catalogue) New 3rd edition (William L. Hoffman, Sep 15, 2022)
New Works Catalogue BWV 3^rd edition, Exploring Bach's Sources, Genres (William L. Hoffman, Oct 2, 2022)

Bach's Cantata Compositional Genesis (William L. Hoffman, May 24, 2023)

Bach's Leipzig Calling Begins (William L. Hoffman, Jun 14, 2023)

Bachfest Leipzig 1723: Sessions, Thomaskantor and Protestant Church Cantatas (William L. Hoffman, Jun 23, 2023)

First Leipzig Cantata Cycle, Other Compositional Activities (William L. Hoffman, Jul 11, 2023)

Bach's First Leipzig Church-Year Cycle (William L. Hoffman, Jul 28, 2023)

First Leipzig Cantata Cycle Texts, Scheide Analysis (William L. Hoffman, Aug 4, 2023)

Early Trinity Time Cantatas: Bach's Grand Design (William L. Hoffman, Sep 3, 2023) <<<LCY

Middle Trinity Time Cantatas (William L. Hoffman, Sep 18, 2023) <<<LCY

Late Trinity Time Cantatas; Reformation, Michaelmas Festivals (William L. Hoffman, Oct 10, 2023)

New Advent Cantatas, Oratorio; All-Souls Day Cantatas (William L. Hoffman, Dec 8, 2023)

Musical Explorations, "BACH for Future": New Cantatas, Pasticcios, Adaptations (William L. Hoffman, Dec 24, 2023)

Bachian Christmas Time (Turning Time); Epiphany Time (William L. Hoffman, Jan 14, 2024)

Ecclesiastical Year/Readings: Epiphany Time, Pre-Lenten Sundays (William L. Hoffman, Feb 22, 2024)

Bach, Family, Other Composers at Lent Season (William L. Hoffman, Mar 9, 2024)

Last Two Lenten Sundays (Laetare, Judica), Bach Cantatas (William L. Hoffman, Mar 20, 2024)

Palm Sunday, Marian Annunciation feast (March 25), Holy Week (William L. Hoffman, Mar 30, 2024)

Easter Festival 1724, Christological Church Year Cycle (William L. Hoffman, Apr 11, 2024)

Bach's Johannine Trilogy Begins: Passion, Resurrection, Farewell Discourse (William L. Hoffman, Apr 26, 2024)

Hans-Joachim Schulze: Bach Cantatas, Essays, Poets, Parodies (William L. Hoffman, May 13, 2024)

End of first cantata cycle: Pentecost Festival, Trinityfest (William L. Hoffman, May 27, 2024)

Pentecost Feast (William L. Hoffman, Jun 2, 2024)

Bachfest Leipzig 1724, chorale cantata (2nd) cycle (William L. Hoffman, Jun 12, 2024)

Chorale Cantata Cycle: Challenges, Ingredients, Scope (William L. Hoffman, Jun 21, 2024)

Chorale Cantatas: Unity through diversity (William L. Hoffman, Jun 26, 2024)

Trinity Time Lectionary (William L. Hoffman, Aug 6, 2024)

Leipzig Church-Year Cantata Cycles: Bach's Grand Design (William L. Hoffman, Sep 3, 2024)

Bach's Chorales: Bibliographical Articles (William L. Hoffman, Sep 8, 2024)

Chorale Cantata Cycle: Middle Trinity Time (WiL. Hoffman, Sep 30, 2024)

Diverse Late Trinity Time Cantatas, 3-Year Lectionary (William L. Hoffman, Nov 5, 2024)

Special Occasions Music, Hymnal Lectionaries (William L. Hoffman, Dec 9+12+19, 2024)

Other Vocal Works:

Information about Bach’s Motets with a Specific Examination of BWV 226 Extracted from Klaus Hofmann’s Book on This Subject - Summaries and Translations [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Jan 2010)

Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 by Teri Noel Towe (1991)

Bach’s B minor Mass on Period Instruments [Comparative review of 9 recordings] by Donald Satz (Feb-Mar 2000)

Like Father, Like Son by Boyd Pehrson (Feb 2002)

Bach’s Four Missae [PDF] by Uri Golomb (Dec 2008)

Saint Matthew Passion, BWV 244 by Teri Noel Towe (1991)

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion from Harnoncourt [Comparative review of 9 recordings] by Donald Satz (Mar-May 2001)

Two Easter St. Matthew Passions (Plus One) by Uri Golomb (May 2002)
- Feedback to the Article

The Passion according to Saint Matthew BWV 244 by Joshua Rifkin (Early 1970’s)

Liturgical drama in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion [PDF] by Uri Golomb (Apr 2006)

The Relationship between BWV 244a (Trauermusik) and BWV 244b (SMP Frühfassung) [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Dec 2006)

Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 - Early History (A Selective, Annotated Bibliography) by William Hoffman (Apr 2009)

Spiritual Sources of Bach's St. Matthew Passion by William Hoffman (Apr 2009)

Bach and the “Great Passion“ by David Glenn Lebut Jr. (Apr 2009)

The Genesis of Bach's `Great Passion': 1724-29 [PDF] by William Hoffman (Apr 2009)

Early Performances of Bach's SMP by Thomas Braatz (Apr 2009)

Saint John Passion, BWV 245 by Teri Noel Towe (1991)

The Passion of Saint John, BWV 245 by Michael Steinberg (Aug 2004)

St. John Passion by Audrey Wong & Norm Proctor (Jun 1994)

The St. John Passion on stage by Uri Golomb (Apr 2000)

Bach's use of the cut-time time signature [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Jul 2009)

Literary Origins of Bach’s St. John Passion: 1704-1717 by William Hoffman (Mar 2010)

Bach’s Passion Pursuit by William Hoffman (Mar 2010)

Narrative Parody In Bach's St. Mark Passion [PDF] by William Hoffman (May 2000, Mar 2012)

Hierarchies and continuities in televised productions of Bach’s Passions by Uri Golomb (Sep 2010)

A Bottomless Bucket of Bach - Christmas Oratorio by Donald Satz (Apr 2000)

BWV 248/19 “Schlafe, mein Liebster” - A Background Study with Focus on the Colla Parte Flauto Traverso Part [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Jan 2011)

Easter Oratorio BWV 249 - An Examination of its Sources and Development [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2010)

Bach’s Oratorios [PDF] (Uri Golomb, Oct 2007)

BWV 524 Quodlibet (Fragment) “Was seind das vor grosse Schlösser” (Thomas Braatz, Dec 2004)

New Works Catalogue BWV3: Latin Church Music (William L. Hoffman, Oct 12, 2022)
Works Catalogue BWV3: Passion Settings (William L. Hoffman, Oct 29, 2022)

General:

Bach and a Play of Passion by Prof. Jonathan Freeman-Attwood (Jan 2002)
- Complete Musical Extracts
- Feedback to the Article

J.S. Bach's Use of Trombones [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Apr 2010)

'Death' in Bach's sacred libretti by Thomas Braatz (Jun 2005)

Using Composition Theory to Analyze a Work by J.S. Bach [PDF] by John Reese (May 2011)

Bach’s Bells - Mors certa, hora incerta [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Mar 2012)

Latin Church Music by William Hoffman (Jul 2011)

On “der Held/Löwe aus Juda” (The Lion in the texts of Bach Cantatas) [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2011)

Instrumental Works:

J.S. Bach: Orgelbüchlein, Köthen, after 1720? [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Feb 2012)

Implication of Bach’s Title "Well Tempered Clavier" by Peter Metcalf (Apr 2008)

The Quodlibet as Represented in Bach’s Final Goldberg Variation BWV 988/30 by Thomas Braatz (Jan 2005)

Striking the right tone by Haggai Hitron (Feb 2007)

The Art of Fugue: Expanding the Limits! by Ewald Demeyere (Apr 2006)

J.S. Bach’s The Art of Fugue [PDF] by Uri Golomb (Feb 2006)

Chorales:

The Origin of the Texts of the Chorales by Albert Schweitzer (1908)

The Origin of the Melodies of the Chorales by Albert Schweitzer (1908)

The Chorale in the Church Service by Albert Schweitzer (1908)

Choral / Chorale by Charles Sanford Terry (1952)

Hidden Chorale Melody Allusions by Thomas Braatz (Dec 2004)

The History of the Breitkopf Collection of J. S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2006)

German Hymnology [PDF] by Carl F. Schalk

Congregational Singing, from the MGG I (Bärenreiter) (1986)

Chorale-Song Collections, Student Work, by William L. Hoffman (Oct 14, 2018)

Bach Recent Chorale Studies, Resources, by William L. Hoffman (May 14, 2022)

Works Catalogue BWV3: Chorale Collections, Sources, Usages; Sacred Songs, by William L. Hoffman (Nov 11, 2022)
BWV3 Catalogue, BCW Chorale Resources, by William L. Hoffman (Nov 27, 2022)

The World of the Bach Chorale Settings, by William L. Hoffman (Dec 14, 2022)

Chorale Addendum: Borrowings, Adaptations, Sources, by William L. Hoffman (Jan 11, 2023)

Bach's Life & Time:

Four Town Pipers, Three Professional Fiddlers, and One Apprentice... by David Sherr (Nov 2004)

School Rules and Regulations for the St. Thomas School of Leipzig, as Established and Decreed by the Most HonorablCity Council of Leipzig Immanuel Tietzen, Printer, 1723 [all in PDF 8 format] by homas Braatz (Oct-Dec 2007)
1. Preface
2. Original German text
3. English Translation (by Thomas Braatz)
4. Organizional Structure of the Thomasschule in Leipzig
5. Bach and the Schulordnung - Separating Myth from Reality
6. Appendix
7. Organizational Structure of Leipzig's Governmental Bodies during J.S. Bach's Service: School, Church, and University [htm]

The Practical and Personality Conflicts of J. S. Bach in Leipzig 1730 by Peter Metcalf (Apr-Jun 2008)

Bach’s Collegium musicum in Leipzig and Its History by Thomas Braatz (Jul 2008)
- Feedback to the Article

Was J.S. Bach an Atheist? by Wolfgang Eubel (Dec 2008)

Bach & Prince Leopold by Emily Gojko (Apr 2009)

Music for the Mass in Bach's Time by Douglas Cowling (Sep 2009)

J.S. Bach's Performance Environment in the Nikolaikirche from 1723 to 1750 [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Nov 2009)

Picander - quotation from Spitta's book: "J.S. Bach" [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Feb 2010)

Bach and the “Snake-Fire-Sprayers” - Fire-Fighting Regulations and Equipment During Bach’s Time in Leipzig [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2011)

Bach and the Beggars by Thomas Braatz (Oct 2011)

The Problematical Origins of the “Generalbaßlehre of 1738” [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Jan 2012)

The Rules Established for the Thomasschule by a Noble and Very Wise Leipzig City Council - Printed by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf Leipzig, 1733 - Original German Text [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Feb 2012)
The Rules Established for the Thomasschule by a Noble and Very Wise Leipzig City Council - Printed by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf Leipzig, 1733 - English Translation [PDF]

Bach’s Text and Music Business Connections [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Aug 2013)

Translation of a first-hand account describing the location in Leipzig where Catholics were holding their services in 1728 [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2013)

Liturgy and Music in Leipzig’s Main Churches by Martin Petzoldt [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Oct 2013)

Size of Bach's music paper [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Feb 2014)

Missing Indications for Saints’ Feast Days on Christmas Feast Days [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Apr-May 2014)
- Additions
- Post Scriptum

Theology by William Hoffman (Apr 2014)

The meanings behind Bach’s seal by T. Herbert Dimmock (Mar 2024)

Musicians:

Günther Ramin 1898-1956 - Thomaskantor 1940-1956 by Michael Meacock (Feb 1999)

András Schiff/Philharmonia Orchestra: Johann Sebastian Bach, 2000 by Uri Golomb (Oct 2000)

An Interview with Pieter Jan Leusink by Peter Bloemendaal (Mar 2001)

Interview with the Baritone Barry McDaniel by Aryeh Oron (Jul 2002)
- Part 1 - Beginnings, early stages
- Part 2 - Bach
- Part 3 - Musical career
- Part 4 - Various matters
- Feedback to the Interview

Interview with the Boy Alto & Bass Panajotis (Panito) Iconomou by Aryeh Oron (Sep-Nov 2002)
- Part 1 - Beginnings
- Part 2 - Singing with the Tölzer Knabenchor
- Feedback to the Interview

In Balance with Bach - an interview with Frank Wakelkamp, cellist on the Leusink Bach Cantatas recordings by Peter Bloemendaal (May 2003)

Interview with Ton Koopman [PDF] by Uri Golomb (Sep 2003)

Interview with Schreier Are Söholt (Nov 2003)

Robert Bloom (1908-1994): In Appreciation by Norman B. Schwartz (Jun 2004)

Interview with Joshua Rifkin [PDF] by Uri Golomb (Jun 2008)

Albert Schweitzer & Bach by William Hoffman (Jan 2019)

Gustav Leonhardt & Bach by William Hoffman (Jan 2019)

My Life with Bach’s Music by Bernard Foccroulle (Jan 2019)

Performance Practice:

Bach’s Choir and Orchestra by Ton Koopman (1999)

The “Shortening of the Supporting Notes” in the Bc of Bach’s ‘Secco’ Recitatives by Thomas Braatz (Apr 2002)
- Feedback to the Article

Playing Plain Recitative in Bach's Vocal Works by Bradley Lehman (Apr 2003)

Performance Practice: Plain Recitative In Bach's Vocal Works (updated and fuller version of the above) by Bradley Lehman (Sep 2003)

Sacred performance and sacred symbolism by Boyd Pehrson (Jan 2002)

Bach Without Fear by Nicholas McGegan (Jun 2005)
- Feedback to the Article

Evidence for the Size of Bach’s Primary Choir by Thomas Braatz (May 2008)

Cantabile [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Oct 2008)

Bach's Definition of Chor in his Autograph Documents [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Nov 2009)

Another Chink in Rifkin's OVPP Theory [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Dec 2009)

The OVPP (One Vocalist Per Part) Controversy [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Dec 2010)

Rhetoric in the Performance of Baroque Music [PDF] by Uri Golomb (Apr 2008)

Documentary Evidence Revealing the Contemporary Performance Practices For Bach’s Organo (Basso Continuo) Parts [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2012)

Mattheson on OVPP/OPPP [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2012)

Bach on a Budget [PDF] by Gary Harney (May 2016)

Tuning & Temperament:

The Keyboard Temperament of J. S. Bach by John Charles Francis (Jun 2004)
- Music Examples (Jun-Jul 2004)
- Feedback to the Article: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Das Wohltemperirte Clavier - 　Pitch, Tuning and Temperament Design by John Charles Francis (Jul 2005)
- Das Wohltemperirte Clavier - 　Frequencies for tuning instruments to the cammerton temperament

The Hänfling/Bümler Temperament - A Trigger for Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier? by Thomas Braatz (Nov 2005)

Friedrich Suppig's Diagrammatic Tunings [PDF] by John Charles Francis (Mar 2006)

Tuning Interpretation of Bach's '1722 Seal' as Beats Per Second by John Charles Francis (Apr 2006)

Tuning and Temperament (An excerpt from Peter Williams' J.S. Bach: A Life in Music, Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 333-338) [PDF] by Peter Williams (2007)

Bach’s Well Tempered Tuning [PDF] by John Charles Francis (Feb 2011)

Esoteric Keyboard Temperaments of J. S. Bach [PDF] by Charles Francis (2005)

Bach and other composers:

In Defense of Bach by John Reese (Jun 2004)
- Feedback to the Article

How fast could and did Baroque composers compose cantatas? by Thomas Braatz (Sep 2008)

Telemann's Doubling of Bass Parts [PDF] by Thomas Braatz (Feb 2010)

Cantata Cycle by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel performed by Bach in Leipzig:
- Ein weiterer Kantatenjahrgang Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel’s in Bach’s Aufführungsrepertoire Bach-Jahrbuch 2009] [PDF] by Andreas Glöckner (2009)
- Is there another cantata cycle by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel that belonged to Bach’s performance repertoire? [from the Bach-Jahrbuch 2009] [PDF] by Andreas Glöckner, translated by Thomas Braatz (Jan 2012)

- Ein unbekanntes Leipziger Kantatetextheft aus der Jahr 1735 - Neues zum Thema Bach and Stölzel Bach-Jahrbuch 2009] [PDF] by Marc-Roderich Pfau (2009)

Bach and Mahler [PDF] by William Hoffman (May 2012)

Various Topics:

The Esoteric Bach by Thomas Braatz (Apr 2001)

Anti-Judaism and Bach’s Cantata BWV 4 by Richard A. Goodman (Jul 2001)

Laus Deo by Thomas Braatz (July 2005)

The Besht or Bach? Or Both? by Shoshannah Brombacher (Nov 2008)

Articles on Bach - General Discussions (July 2020-)

New Bach Essays (January-February 2022)

Links to other sites: Articles on J.S. Bach, his Religion & his Music

Prepared by Aryeh Oron (September 2001 - December 2024)