Reception History of Bach’s B-Minor Mass

1. Reception History of Bach’s B-Minor Mass 1. The Notated Music 2. The Performed Music

2. Reception History of Music • History of • social responses to art • the aesthetics behind those responses • Variables & Constants • “Every generation reinterpretes the same music anew” (Z. Lissa 1975) • synchronic, diachronic constants • Music needs to be replayed: reception & perception – ever-present history

3. Transmission of the Manuscript • Autograph Score (Berlin P 180) • C.P.E. Bach, annotation for performance (e.g. “patrem omnipotentem”) • 2 copies before annotation!

4. Transmission of the Manuscript • Autograph Score (Berlin P 180) • C.P.E. Bach’s Nachlaß catalogue in 1790 termed the 4-part work “die große catholische Messe,” ‘the great catholic mass.’ • copies own by Johann Nicolaus Forkel, first biographer of JSB (1802), but not mentioned in that work

5. Transmission of the Manuscript • Autograph Score (Berlin P 180) • known by Haydn in Vienna via Baron van Swieten • 1733–1803, Dutch-born, trained as a diplomat; main posting was to Berlin (1770-77), where he developed a taste for the music of Handel and J.S. and C. P. E. Bach • Returning to Vienna as Prefect of the Imperial Library, he became a champion of these composers. He led a group of the nobility which sponsored private performances of oratorios, notably Handel's Messiah (arranged by Mozart) and Haydn's The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801) (both to librettos compiled by van Swieten • Beethoven requested it for his Missa Solemnis from Breitkopf & Härtel in 1810 and Nägeli in 1824. • Parts for Dresden (Mus. 2405-D-21) • unknown until the mid-19th century (Mendelssohn!)

6. Early Performances • Extracts: • 1786 Hamburg: “Credo” performed with selections from Messiah under CPE • critics: “the vocal parts must adequately be filled, if it is to achieve its full effect.” • (since 1811, Berlin Singakademie: rehearsed under Carl Friedrich Zelter (1758–1832) [1829 Matthäus Passion under FMB]) • 1828 Frankfurt: “Credo” under Schelble

7. Early Performances • Extracts: • 1828 Berlin under Spontini (1774–1851, it. composer and GMD Berlin 1820–42) • Program included: • Beethoven: Kyrie & Gloria • CPE: Heilig • Performing force: • 96 choir • 68 orch.

8. Critique of Early Performances • Adolf Bernhard Marx • 1795–1866, German music theorist, author and composer. A pupil of Türk and Zelter and a friend of Mendelssohn, he edited the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (1824 -30), becoming professor at Berlin University in 1830 and co-founding in 1850 the Berliner Musikschule (later the Stem Conservatory). His writings, especially the textbooks (Die Lehre von der musikalischen Komposition, 1837 -47), is noted for his sectional and schematic treatment of form emphasizing thematic material, including a pioneering discussion of sonata form • JS with CPE? • such large force? • only extracts?

9. Critique of Early Performances • Ludwig Rellstab • 1799–1860, German music critic and poet, 1830 founded the important Berlin weekly, Iris im Gebiete der Tonkunst (1830-41), the first to refer to Beethoven's Piano Sonata op.27 no. 2 in terms of moonlight. Schubert and Liszt set some of his poems, Mendelssohn and Meyerbeer his librettos (criticism of Sontag and Spontini put him into jail!) • JSB among the greatest, but unable to “pronounce his profundest ideas simply”

10. Critique of Early Performances • Carl Friedrich Zelter • 1758–1832, composer and reformer of music education, teacher of FMB and Meyerbeer, founder the Liedertafel in 1809 and Royal Academy of Church Music in 1822. Friend and musical adviser to Goethe • letter to Goethe: • superficial French influence ruins the “German purity” in JSB’s music • “remove this foreign element like a thin foam, and the bright content lies immediately underneath”

11. First Complete Performance • Leipzig 1859 (attended by Liszt) • Frankfurt 1861 • London 1876 • Problems • scale and difficulty • no published score until 1845

12. First Editions • 1805, Hans Georg Nägeli of Zurich purchased autograph • 1773–1836, music educator and published, voice teacher and choir director

13. 1818, invitation for subscription, but interest not enough to publish as scheduled for Easter 1819 • 1833 only edition of Kyrie and Gloria published with Simrock of Bonn • 1845 completed by Simrock alone: “Hohe Messe” • Bach–Beethoven–Bach

14. Nicolaus Simrock • 1751–1832, musician turned publisher, • his firm is famous for publishing Beethoven, Brahms and Dvorak

15. Bach-Gesellschaft (BG) • 1850 Centenary of Bach’s death • Complete Editions (Gesamtausgaben [GA], opera omnia) • by Composer (*=incomplete, †=critical) • Händel 1787*, 1843*, 1859†, 1955-† • Mozart 1798*, 1877†, 1955† • Haydn 1800*, 1907*, 1950*, 1960-† • Beethoven 1828*, 1857*, 1862†, 1961-† • Schubert 1835*, 1860*, 1884†, 1964-† • Bach1851†, 1954-†

16. BG 6 (1856, rev. 1857) • Nägeli-Simrock’s edition ignored the Dresden parts, but BG6 (1856) edited without consulting the autograph, since Nägeli’s son refused access to it • Even when under finanicial crisis to sell it, Nägeli’s son avoided BG’s offer in order to secure interest for the Nägeli-Simrock edition. • Yet the buyer was a undercover and delivered the autograph to Chrysander of the BG!

17. Friedrich Chrysander • 1826–1901, Handel scholar, pioneer of source study, edited: • 1858-1902, Handel Collected Works • 1863, 67, Yearbook for Musical Scholarship (Jahrbuch für musikalische Wissenschaft ) • 1868-71, 75-82, AmZ (Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung) • 1869-71, Musical Monument (Denkmäler der Tonkunst) • 1885-94, Musicological Quarterly (Vierteljahrsschrift für Musikwissenschaft)