IN 15. J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor

Markus Rathey, Yale Institute of Sacred Music/Yale School of Music
9:00 – 11:30 AM, June 8-12
$325

In 1818 the Swiss Musician Hans Georg Naegeli called Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor the greatest musical artwork of all times and people. But Bach’s latest oratoric composition is not only one of his most important; it is also one of his most problematic works, because the history of its origin and of its transmission is very complex. The first two parts of the mass, Kyrie and Gloria, were already composed in 1733, and Bach had sent copies of them to the court in Dresden. The whole mass wasn't completed until a few years before the end of Bach’s life. The course will explore the origin of the Mass in B Minor, the musical and theological basis for his understanding of the text of the mass, and the liturgical context of Bach's music.

Book List

Syllabus

Questions? Call 203-432-9526