Bach’s Major Vocal Works: Music, Drama, Liturgy

Every year, Johann Sebastian Bach’s major vocal works are performed to mark liturgical milestones in the Christian calendar. Written by a renowned Bach scholar, this concise & accessible book provides an introduction to the music & cultural contexts of the composer’s most beloved masterpieces, including the Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio, & St. John Passion.
 
In addition to providing historical information, each chapter highlights significant aspects—such as the theology of love—of a particular piece. This penetrating volume is the first to treat the vocal works as a whole, showing how the compositions were embedded in their original performative context within the liturgy as well as discussing Bach’s musical style, from the detailed level of individual movements to the overarching aspects of each work. Published in the approach to Easter when many of these vocal works are performed, this outstanding volume will appeal to casual concertgoers & scholars alike.

Markus Rathey is associate professor of music history at the Yale School of Music, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, the Yale Department of Music, & the Yale Divinity School. He lives in Hamden, CT.