Church music in Latin by Johann Sebastian Bach
comprises about ten compositions, all composed during
his Leipzig period. As a Lutheran church musician, Bach
was more devoted to the composition of sacred music in
German, writing hundreds of liturgical compositions in
that language, and for instance also producing a German
version of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. Compared to
Lutheran practice elsewhere, an uncharacteristic amount
of Latin was however used in church services in
Leipzig: it included mus...(+)
Church music in Latin by Johann Sebastian Bach
comprises about ten compositions, all composed during
his Leipzig period. As a Lutheran church musician, Bach
was more devoted to the composition of sacred music in
German, writing hundreds of liturgical compositions in
that language, and for instance also producing a German
version of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. Compared to
Lutheran practice elsewhere, an uncharacteristic amount
of Latin was however used in church services in
Leipzig: it included music on Latin texts being
performed on ordinary Sundays, on high holidays
(Christmas, Easter, Pentecost), and the Magnificat also
on Marian feasts (Annunciation, Visitation,
Purification).
In Lutheran service, a Missa was a setting of only
Kyrie and Gloria. Such a mass consisting of only Kyrie
and Gloria is for that time period sometimes indicated
as Missa brevis (literally: "short mass"). In 1733 Bach
composed such a Missa brevis for the Catholic court in
Dresden, however in an extended setting. In the late
1730s he again composed four Missae breves, mostly
parodies of earlier cantata movements. At the end of
his life he expanded the Missa for Dresden to his only
setting of the complete Mass ordinary, the Mass in B
minor.
BWV 237 to 241 are separate settings of the Sanctus.
The first two of these (C major, BWV 237 and D major,
BWV 238) were composed in 1723, his first year in
Leipzig. The Sanctus in D minor BWV 239 is considered
spurious, a work by an unknown composer copied by Bach.
The Sanctus in G major BWV 240 is considered doubtful,
and the Sanctus BWV 241 is Bach's arrangement of a
composition by Johann Caspar Kerll.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bach's_church_music_in_L
atin).
The Sanctus in d minor (BWV 239) is an accessible work
for mixed chorus, strings, and keyboard. The original
score contains instrumental parts for two violins,
viola, and basso continuo.
I created this arrangement of the "Sanctus, Sanctus,
Sanctus, Dominus Deus" (Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of
Hosts) for String Ensemble (4 Violins, 2 Violas & 2
Cellos).
SHEET MUSIC