Bach Cantata 78Analysis of Movements 3 and 4

The tenor’s time to shine!

Recitative

Recitative is a declamatory or speech-like form of singing used often in opera, oratorio or cantata

It is usually syllabic (one note per syllable)The words are extremely important – they

dictate the rhythm of the melody (a bit like rap!)A recitative is always sung by a solo singerMelodies tend not to be as lyrical as in arias and

are instead dissonant and jagged

Text of Movement 3

“My failings sorely grieve me! My sins are very great, The curse of Adam never more will leave me…”

The mood of this movement is shockingly dark when compared with that of movement 2

The text refers to “children of sin”. Bach uses dissonant harmony and wide intervals to emphasise the anguish of the words

As the text becomes more repentant, with the singer praying that he be forgiven, the setting becomes more gentle and pleading in nature

Movement 3 – Recitative Secco

This movement is an example of a Recitative Secco, which means that the recitative is quite bare with a very sparse accompaniment

Tenor and continuo play in this movement

Movement is in common time but there is not a strong sense of pulse

Tonality is quite uncertain. At different points it appears to be in c minor and f minor

Movement 3 – Recitative Secco (contd.)The melody line is full of large leaps and

dissonant augmented intervalsThe harmony includes many diminished

and augmented chordsThe vocal part ends its phrases

unaccompaniedThe style changes towards the end of

the movement. A new tempo is imposed by a repeated pedal note in the continuo. The vocal line become more lyrical with the introduction of melisma on the word erzurnet (angry)

Movement 4 - AriaText: “Thy sacrifice has cleansed the stain,

making my heart all pure again, happy and free.”

Light-hearted and lyrical contrast to the previous movement

Aria duet between flute and tenor with continuo accompaniment

6/8 time (compound duple)Begins and ends in G minor, with a modulation

to B flat major in the B sectionForm: Binary (A B1 B2) and ritornello form

RitornelloThe opening 12 bar ritornello introduces the

flute descant or obbligato The flute line is very florid, containing

appogiatura and semiquaver sequences, which continue throughout the movement

Meanwhile the continuo moves mainly in pizzicato quavers

Section AMainly in G minorOpens with ritornelloTenor enters with the opening flute part,

12 bars later

4 bar ritornelloFlute and tenor have a polyphonic 8 bar duet4 bar ritornello, ending with a perfect

cadence in B flat major

Section BMoves from B flat major to C minor to E

flat majorSemiquaver sequences in both the flute

and continuo partLarge leaps, notably on the words “Streite”

(fight) and “beherzt” (brave), dominate the tenor part

Section B2Opens with 2 bar ritornello theme in E flat

majorVery similar to the B1 sectionThis time there are more extended melismas

on the word “Streite” (“fight”). This word painting captures the ongoing battle with evil

A dominant pedal note is sustained on the word “stehet” (stand)

Dal Segno means that, after section B2, the music returns to the symbol in bar one and concludes with the opening 12 bar ritornello