Oboe talk today!

Mastering this instrument is almost unreasonably challenging, but the juice is worth the squeeze -- the baroque oboe, when played truly well, is one of the most rewardingly beautiful instruments.

Musical examples, as always, are courtesy of the Netherlands Bach Society. Check out their "All of Bach" project.

Referenced in today's episode:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trio I (2 oboes and bassoon) - performance by Netherlands Bach Society

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trio II (2 horns and 3 unison oboes) - performance by Netherlands Bach Society

Short documentary video on the baroque oboe, featuring NBS oboist Katharina Verhaar

Another cantata we referenced today: Vergnügte Ruh (BWV 170)

Scott Leger horn - youtube short - excerpt from Brandenburg 1 trio II

The three instrument families in this big baroque orchestra leads us to speculate that Bach represented three social classes: the royal elite (elegant strings, one leader), the aristocratic nobles (horns, for upper-class hunting expeditions), and the common people (reeds, as for outdoor bands or shepherding). Bach concludes the concerto with the elegant and grand menuet (note his spelling; not "minuet"). The French dance exudes class and status, though in this case, the hunters and even the common townsfolk are invited to participate in the great dance of strings, reeds, and horns.

In this episode we discuss the repeating refrain section, called the "menuet" section. There are three other parts of the complete structure to be discussed in our next two episodes.

Audio note: at 20:55-21:15, we recommend stereo listening, so that you can hear the two pitches/beats separated to the left (bottom pitch; slower beating) and right (higher pitch by perfect fifth interval; faster beating). The respective ratio is 2:3. As it gets slower, listen for two clicks on the left for every three on the right.

Menuet of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1

The "rule of three" is in full effect here, as Bach carries us along with this jaunty dance, rhythmic triplets and triple sets of musical sentences abounding with life and energy. This eloquent piece can be considered a precursor to the later "sonata form" of the Classical period, along with Bach's other Brandenburg concertos.

Performance of movement 3 of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society

A far far cry from the happy hunting horns of the first part, the second part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 is a bitter adagio. To modern ears, its aesthetic of dark gangster drama is less galant, and more "Godfather."

(Look at our past seasons to find episodes covering Brandenburg Concertos 3, 4, 5, and 6.)

Performance of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society

"Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King)

It's time for our yearly miniseries celebrating the famous Brandenburg Concertos! This year: Brandenburg 1.

The horn call has an undeniable power. Here, Bach uses it to great effect at the opening two measures of this rousing piece. We explore the baroque horn and its idiosyncrasies.

(Look at our past seasons to find episodes covering Brandenburg Concertos 3, 4, 5, and 6.)

Performance of Brandenburg 1 by the Netherlands Bach Society

-The second part of our look into Cantata 78, where we look at the opening chorus.

For an overview of this cantata and a deeper look at the wonderful duet and the rest of the parts, see the episode previous.

For this lamentation hymn about Christ's anguish used as ransom for our salvation, Bach chose to accompany the tune with a "lament bass." To start, he sets up this sad descending bass line as a repeated pattern under a varying texture (passacaglia). The stress on beat 2 of 3 is a Sarabande metric figure, reminding us of his more famous passacaglia "Crucifixus" in the B Minor Mass.

When voices enter, the tortured chromaticism is imitated and they herald the coming of the soprano melody, which would have been recognized by the churchgoers on that Sunday in 1724. Variations in musical texture always match the line of text currently being sung. In the many variations, the lamenting line can be in any instrument or voice, and may also be inverted and ascend in a sort of wailing prayer.

BWV 78 as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

In this year's Leaving Certificate for students in Ireland, the music exam consists of examples from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Irish composer Gerald Berry's Piano Quartet, and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Also in the exam is this chorale cantata composed in 1724 in Leipzig for a church service in which the biblical story of Jesus healing the lepers was read.

The hymn Bach based this work on was flexible enough for a dramatic span of affectations across the seven parts of the cantata. In this episode we will look at moments in the duet, and also speak to the other parts, through the final chorale.

The relative simplicity of the final chorale is defied by its several complexities. Its text is prayer-like, much like the other movements, with its first line reminiscent of the familiar saying "Lord, I believe; help me in my unbelief (weakness)." Even in relatively simple harmonization, the text is full of vivid emotion. Bach enjoys a chance for a militaristic trill near "Streit" (battle) and a Picardy third on the last note of hopefulness ("sweet eternity").

In the preceding recitatives and arias, the text painting is even more on-the-nose, as is the case with Bach. But while other cantatas have a single affectation, this one is always changing.

BWV 78 as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

Welcome to A Moment of Bach, where we sometimes zoom in so close that our targeted moment consists of only one note! But Bach leaves us no choice but to pick this moment from BWV 4, where the music screeches to a halt, almost cartoonishly fast. One thing's for sure: when ever the word "nichts" comes up, Bach can't resist giving us some interesting text-painting.

Performance of BWV 4 by Netherlands Bach Society, conducted by Rene Jacobs