Re: B Minor Mass Excerpts

At 5:09 PM -0500 11/25/03, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Norman writes:
>
> <<Hi all, has anyone performed choral extracts from Bach's Mass in B Minor?
> Each part of his mass consists of choral parts and solo parts. For example,
> "Kyrie" has 2 choral movements and 1 duet. Would it be inappropriate say to
> just perform one of the choral movements? Have any of you done this? Any
> thoughts?>>
>
> I have wanted to do something like that with music from the
> Passions, but I don't see most of those movements as working as well
> separately, though I would love to hear from someone who has done
> that.
> Nan Beth Walton

I wouldn't expect it to work with the Passions.  It is, after all, an
ongoing story line, and the choruses (except for the opening and
closing, of course) are simply interjections by the turba.  They are
not written to be self-contained, and they are not.  The chorales,
while beautiful, lose their special meaning when they are separated
from the story line.

John


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John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
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