Bach

Bach

1. Movement 1

   • Ritornello form with shortened repetitions of opening 12 bars with chorale melody in between
   • Ritornello form characterised by minor keys, sequences and discords, created by and through suspensions
   • Continuo and figured bass
   • Hemiola at end of main sections and tierce de picardie on final cadence
   • Angst and words are reflected in suspensions

2. Movement 2

   • Syllabic word setting that reflects the natural rhythms of the text
   • Text flows at a faster rate
   • Declamatory style of singing with detached melodic fragments to highlight sighs
   • Angular melodic lines with tortured leaps eg diminished 7th bar 2 on Misery
   • Extreme dissonance minor 9th sop and bass bar 2
   • Accompaniment purely supportive so words can be appreciated
   • Modulates to several keys. Foreign Emajor on strongest poison bar 10

3. Movement 3

   • Diminished 7th beat 2 bar 2 allows for unexpected modulations to G minor bar 2 and Ab major bar 6
   • Expected perfect cadence in Bb major is changed by the introduction of Ab at the end of the melody, thus sparking off a series of anguished suspensions. Eg Gb against F bar 9

4. Movement 4

   • Technique of re-using melodic fragments, eg bars 23-24 is from bars 5-6
   • Quaver bass heard almost throughout
   • Modulates to dominant Bb major at end of fist section, then to C minor (relative minor) and other related keys before returning to tonic Eb major at bar 78-79