Kyrie eleison

We’ve had our three “open” rehearsals, and we have lots of new members and great energy in the room. This week we’ll take a deeper look at the two Kyrie movements and do a little dancing with the Pleni sunt coeli.

Chris Shepherd, the music director of the Worcester Chorus in Worcester, MA and the Desoff Choirs in NYC, has written some marvelous blog posts about the B minor. Here is a bit of what he writes about the opening Kyrie fugue subject:

“We see in this fugue subject the same kind of upward yearning that we saw in the opening four bars. If you following the upper notes of the subject, they form the same general outline as the first four bars at the opening of the piece.
There’s a new element here, though, which I think is included for theological reasons. Yes, the movement is upwards, but then there are the pairs of lower notes that interrupt the upward motion.

I’ve always felt that this gives the subject “two steps forward, one step back” kind of feel…In theological terms, it is the true sense of the Kyrie, “Lord have mercy”. The Lutherans put a great deal of emphasis on sin, so the meaning of the Kyrie is not just asking God for mercy, but also at the same time admitting one’s own need for mercy. In order to understand what this meant for Bach, we shouldn’t whitewash the depth of emotion attached to this cry for mercy. Even in the 2006 Lutheran Book of Worship, the admission of sin is pretty strong stuff:
“O Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities, with which I have ever offended you and justly deserved your punishment now and forever.”

So this idea of the lower notes representing the individual being pulled back down to their own sinfulness is a powerful one, even though we would prefer to think of the more cheerful idea of mankind reaching up towards God with the rising scale.” (http://dessoff.org/MusicDirectorBlog/page/4/)

First Rehearsal

We’re off to a great start – we began learning both Kyries, the Gloria, Et in terra pax, Gratias agimus tibi, and the Qui tollis. On Monday (Sept 16) we’ll sightread: Cum Sancto Spiritu and the entire Symbolum Nicenum [Credo, Patrem omnipotentem, Et incarnatus est, Crucifixus, Et resurrexit, Confiteor, Et expecto).

BTW, I’ve posted a page with some markings for the Kyrie- click on the image and it will grow.

Here’s a nice summation of the Symbolum Nicenum, by Peter Berquist:

“The Credo has an even more elaborate symmetrical construction. Two choruses open and two close the Credo; both pairs begin with a movement in stile antico (“Credo in unum Deum” and “Confiteor”) followed by a concerted movement with full orchestra (“Patrem omnipotentem” and “Et expecto”). These pairs of choruses frame two solo pieces, the duet “Et in unum Deum” and the aria “Et in Spiritum Sanctum.” These in turn frame the central part of the Credo, the choral triptych—“Et incarnatus,” “Crucifixus,” and “Et resurrexit”—which states the fundamental tenets of Christian belief: Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.”

And to close, a reminder of the work’s universality:

“The universal spirit of Bach which manifests itself in the B-Minor Mass produces… the paradox that one of the most Christian works in all of sacred music transcends and dissolves its confessional limits, serving instead the whole of humanity – non-Christians included.

“It may seem odd at first glance that as a Buddhist I have theologically come to terms with one of the most Christian works of European music history, Bach’s B-Minor Mass. The conciliatory spirit which manifests itself in this work nevertheless encouraged me to do so.”

-Yoshitake Kobayashi, Bach scholar (1987)