9 am - 4 pm
CLARA LICHTENSTEIN RECITAL HALL (view map
)
555, Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Symposium
The musical-theological planning, structure, and Composition of J. S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio.
Prof. Don Franklin, University of Pittsburgh (Chair)
Lecture: The Musical Planning and Structure of the Christmas Oratorio
In composing the Christmas oratorio in the fall of 1734, Bach took on a compositional challenge that at first glance appears remarkably different from that he addressed in the Matthew Passion seven years earlier: namely, how to achieve unity in a work comprised of six separate cantatas performed on six consecutive feast days (Christmas to Epiphany). In describing how Bach addressed the challenge, the paper will illustrate 1) the extent to which Bach drew on procedures used in the Passion; and 2) how the overall form of the work can be seen as one of Bach's most innovative large-scale structures.
Prof. Martin Petzoldt, University of Leipzig
Lecture: The Theological Planning and Structure of the Christmas Oratorio
After surveying the theological structure of the libretto, the paper will explore its implications for Bach's setting of the text. Particular attention will be paid to: 1) the liturgical function of the oratorio; 2) the disposition of the biblical text in light of contemporary biblical-theological commentaries; 3) the significance of the assignment of additional texts to soloists and choir; and 4) the selection and function of the chorale verses.
Prof. Kerala J. Snyder, University of Rochester
Lecture: Buxtehude's Lübeck Abendmusiken: Oratorio on Five Afternoons
Bach timed his famous trip to Lübeck in the fall of 1705 to coincide with the Abendmusik season, when Buxtehude presented the five acts of an oratorio on the last two Sundays of Trinity and the second, third, and fourth Sundays of Advent. Although most, if not all, of Buxtehude's music for these concerts is lost, much information about its musical character can be gleaned from existing librettos, reports, and the music of the contemporary Hamburg opera and of his successors as organist of St. Mary's Church in Lübeck. As we mark the 300th anniversary of Bach's walk from Arnstadt to Lübeck, there is ample evidence to suggest that his memories of the Abendmusiken helped to shape his composition of the Christmas Oratorio nearly thirty years later.
Prof. Stephen Crist, Emory University
Lecture: The Arias in Bach's Christmas Oratorio: Origins, Transformations, and Forms
Each of the six cantatas in the Christmas Oratorio includes two arias. Only one was newly composed; the other eleven arias are based on sources that include three congratulatory cantatas for members of the Electoral House in Saxony (BWV 213, 214, and 215). After first reviewing the current state of knowledge about the origins of the arias in the Christmas Oratorio, the paper will focus on the eight arias with extant models, examining in detail the changes of text, scoring, and tonality made when they were incorporated into the larger work. The paper will conclude with observations about the ways in which Bach deployed the conventions of aria form in the Christmas Oratorio.
