Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach's church music in Latin

Most of Johann Sebastian Bach's extant church music in Latin—settings of (parts of) the Mass ordinary and of the Magnificat canticle—dates from his Leipzig period (1723–50). Bach started to

Settings of (parts of) the Latin mass liturgy#

Bach composed five Kyrie–Gloria masses, the first of which was later expanded to the Mass in B minor. He also set the Sanctus part of the mass liturgy a few times, and copied and arranged mass-related compositions by other composers.

Around 1748–49 Bach completed his Mass in B minor, BWV 232, based on various earlier compositions including cantata movements and the early versions of Part I Missa in B minor for the Dresden court (Kyrie–Gloria mass composed in 1733), of the first movement of Part II and of the Sanctus (Part III). The Mass in B minor is Bach’s only setting of the complete ordinary of the mass.

Sanctus for six vocal parts (1724)#

In 1724 Bach composed a Sanctus for six vocal parts (SSSATB) and elaborate orchestral score for the Christmas service. Bach revised it when he reused it in the Mass in B minor, changing its initial vocal scoring to SSAATB, and its meter from ₵ to C.

Mass for the court at Dresden (1733)#

In 1733, Bach composed an extended Kyrie–Gloria mass for the court in Dresden, a setting of two parts of the Latin mass, the Kyrie and Gloria, scored for five vocal parts and orchestra.

Cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 (around 1745)#

Bach used three movements of the Gloria of his 1733 Mass for the Dresden court to compose the cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191, possibly for a performance in 1745.

Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (around 1748–49)#

In the last years of his life, Bach integrated the complete Mass for the Dresden court as Kyrie and Gloria in his Mass in B minor, his only complete mass (in Latin: missa tota).

Kyrie–Gloria masses, BWV 233–236 (1738–39?)#

Apart from the 1733 Missa in B minor for the Dresden court (later incorporated in the Mass in B minor), Bach wrote four further Kyrie–Gloria masses. These compositions, consisting of the first two sections of the Mass ordinary (i.e. the Kyrie and the Gloria), have been indicated as Missae breves (Latin for “short masses”) or Lutheran Masses. They seem to have been intended for liturgical use, considering a performance time of about 20 minutes each, the average duration of a Bach cantata. They may have been composed around 1738/39. Possibly they were written for Count Franz Anton von Sporck or performed by him in Lysá. Each of the Kyrie-Gloria Masses is in six movements: the Kyrie is one choral movement (with Kyrie/Christe/Kyrie subdivisions) and the Gloria is in five movements. The first and last movement of the Gloria are also choral, framing three arias for different voice types. The music consists mostly of parodies of earlier cantata movements. Bach changed the music slightly to adjust to the Latin words, but kept the original instrumentation.

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in F major, BWV 233#

For the in F major, BWV 233, scored for horns, oboes, bassoon, strings, SATB, and basso continuo, Bach derived most of the six movements from earlier cantatas as parodies.

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in A major, BWV 234#

For the in A major, BWV 234, scored for flute, strings, SATB, and basso continuo, Bach parodied music from at least four earlier cantatas. In 1818 this was one of a very few of Bach’s compositions for voices and orchestra to appear in print prior the Bach Gesellschaft complete edition in the second half of the 19th century.

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G minor, BWV 235#

For the in G minor, BWV 235, scored for oboes, strings, SATB, basso continuo, Bach derived all six movements from cantatas as parodies.

Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G major, BWV 236#

For the in G major, BWV 236, scored for oboes, strings, SATB, basso continuo, Bach derived all six movements from cantatas as parodies.

Separate movements, copies, and arrangements#

Bach composed and copied separate movements on a text extracted from the Mass ordinary. He also copied and arranged larger Mass compositions (mostly Kyrie–Gloria masses).

Sanctus in C major, BWV 237 (1723?)#

Bach composed the Sanctus in C major for SATB choir and orchestra, BWV 237, possibly for St. John’s Day, 24 June 1723.

Sanctus in D major, BWV 238 (1723)#

Bach’s Sanctus in D major, BWV 238, for SATB choir and orchestra, was first performed on Christmas, 25 December 1723.

Sanctus in D minor, BWV 239 , after Gloria of Caldara’s Missa Providentiae (Bach manuscript from 1738-41)#

Bach’s manuscript of the Sanctus in D minor, BWV 239, dates from around 1738 to 1741. It is a composition for SATB voices, string orchestra and continuo, based on the Gloria of Antonio Caldara’s .

Sanctus in G major, BWV 240 (Bach manuscript from 1742)#

Bach’s manuscript of the Sanctus in G major, BWV 240, dates from 1742. The authenticity of this composition for SATB choir and orchestra is however doubted.

Sanctus, BWV 241 , arranged from Kerll’s Missa superba (Bach manuscript from 1747–48)#

The , is Bach’s arrangement of the Sanctus of Johann Caspar Kerll’s Missa superba. Bach’s manuscript of this Sanctus setting was written between July 1747 and August 1748.

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach