Re Cantata 198 and other funeral music!
Bach's TRAUER ODE for the Funeral of Queen Christiane Eberhardine of Poland/Saxony. Performed at a special Memorial Service, the University Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, on October 17th, 1727 with Bach himself at the harpsichord
Libretto by Gottshed (a known opponent of operatic music in general, he made an exception for 198 however!!).
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Robert,
To enable readers fully appreciate the "theatrical-italian style" and history of "Bach's" cantata 198, you'll have first to discover and disclose the funeral music (and its composer) that accompanied King George I to his last home (Berggarten Mausoleum, Hannover, Saxony) June 1727!
George I's favorite, Handel (responsible or at least blamed for the scandalous quarell between Bordoni and Cuzzoni that interrupted Bononcini's Astianatte on June the 6th, 1727, ending the season) must have been in the company of the King, escaping to Hannover for the last time(suffered a stroke June 9th, died June 11th, was buried the 14th).
"Bach" next is on record 25 August 1727 at the inauguration of Leipzig town council (Ihr Tore zu Zion, BWV 193, hardly suitable for the occasion).
After Queen Christiane's Leipzig funeral October 17th, Handel/Bach returned to London in time for his Riccardo primo, re d’Inghilterra (Richard the First, King of England; HWV 23), premierered London on 11 November 1727.
In the meantime he was commissioned to write(!!) -(original source ple-e-ease!!)- four new anthems for the coronation of King George II, October the 4th, 1727: Another crossing is perhaps possible- July or September-yet uncomfortable-and his presence at the coronation is not on record..
Telemann's "influence" in all above is very likely. Telemann's control of "the industry" at the time is well known whereas his identity still remains a mystery!
The Royal Academy of Music was closed in 1728.
Regards!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i150-...eature=related
The monochord and how to play it.
Cantata 198 and BWV 193 are, ofcourse, not the only works by Bach/Handel that clearly show his italian theater music (opera) early learning, influences and preferences, obvious in all his compositions (by others or his own) but they outrank the rest because, as funeral music, they were both much too "light", too "theatrical" if not bohemian for the occasion and the relative tastes of the average north european listener of his time (and they propably still are).
This inherent "problem", obvious in all his music, did not escape the attention of the Leipzig council in 1722 when a new cantor was needed to take the place of Kunau at Thomaskirche: Fears were expressed at the time that Bach's music would be too theatrical for their ideal cantor but employed him nevertheless:
Handel/Bach was "well connected" already. He accepted the post even if it was for him a step downwards in the social scale, and he had little respect for his employers who maintained the same opinion of him and his music to the end:
When the decision was taken to destroy "Bach" for "Handel" in 1750 Councillor Stieglitz expressed the opinion, ten days after Bach’s "death": The school needs a Kantor, not a Kapellmeister.*
BUT
The "within the box" myth of "Bach's" biography fails to explain to satisfaction his -ultimately italian- influences and wants readers to believe he, the idol of german "baroque-church" or "sacred" music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo1x-62WmrI spend the rest of his life in a second rate post, practically unknown for almost thirty years there (and the next fifty or so, the hot potato of his double life hard to touch) , depressed, while giving his famous alter ego, Handel, all sorts of names (his "celibacy" even interpreted as homosexuality-Orpheo) for his choice to "survive" in London for eight more years.
Well, evil clowns have controlled music all along and musicologists can be no exception!
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Robert,
Your "music" is the exact opposite of Handel/Bach's but somehow I don't believe that playing the same monotone on your monochord- while evading each and every issue raised -will get you thru the gate to Zion**
Regards.
*Text in italic by Guido De Winne, 2004.
**Meaning Paradise at the time (to avoid any misunderstanding) whereas "Tore" (ie gate) has in the meantime been often interpreted as "tears".
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