He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried.
In a minor key throughout, until last few bars. G minor.
The nature of the chromatic, descending, ground bass sets the mood of the whole chorus.
The melodic lines, eg, the first vocal entries, reflect the overall mood. They descend conjunctly in their own parts, but also each part comes in - in a descending fashion.
Tessitura of text at the very end is very low, as is about Christ being buried.
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Melody and Rhythm
Vocal melody at the start uses short, descending phrases.
Falling descending figure.
Second melodic idea (A) uses chromatic intervals, bar 13. G to A# - in soprano - augmented 2nd, awkward rising interval. Repeated intervals in altos.
2nd time the alto has: 'etiampronobis': long phrases for the altos. Overlapping Ground bass, goes against typical use of it - not in typical 4 bar phrases.
Writing is very chromatic which conveys the mood.
Awkward shapes in soprano part, for example: bar 37.
Irregular phrases which overlap.
Long phrases apart from the beginning.
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Tonality and Harmony
E minor
Ground bass descends chromatically - results in some chromatic chords.
Harmonises the bass line differently on sme occassions.
Bar 2: uses a diminished 7th.
When soprano first comes in, it's a suspension.
In the 1st vocal entry (sopranos), there is a 7-6 suspension, gives poignancy to the harmony. Example: bar 7: alto: a 4-3 suspension.
Bach sometimes alters the harmonisation of his bass, for ex: when he chooses to uses an E major chord rather than an E minor, the tonic chord.
In bar 24, moves from B major (major chord V), expected to unexpected minor chord.
False Relations: Bars 25-26, between sopranos and bass. G natural to G#.
G major in last few bars, foreshadowing the resurrection. Changes direction of ground bass to change key: uses an augmented 6th chord on syllable 'se' - resolves out.
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Texture
Melody and Accompaniment: in instrumental, chordal and homophonic.
Imitation in vocal entries, sequential movement. In imitation, the intervals don't have to be exactly the same - the overall shape is what matters.
Imitative and contrapuntal texture in 'A'. (bar 13).
Bar 29: homophonic passage.
Figure D: still imitative texture, tenors and basses are inverted versions of sopranos and alris. Same shapes but in contrary motion.
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Writing for instruments and relationships between
Flutes, play tear drop figures.
String chords.
Strong bass repeated.
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Structure
Structured through repetitions of ground bass, heard 13 times.(like the number of Jesus' disciples).
Bars 1-4: ground bass instrumental introduction.
Bar 5: vocal melody comes in.
Bars 9-12: repeating ideas with alterations in voice.
Bar 13: longer phrases, vocal phrases overlap with ground bass figure.
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Compositional Devices
Ground bass
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How is this movement a product of its time?
Audience would've recognised descending chromatic ground bass - popular for the time and for lamenting feel of the time.
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