List of masses, passions and oratorios by Johann Sebastian Bach

Masses, Passions, Oratorios is the subject of the second series of the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (NBA, New Bach Edition),^[1] a publication of Johann Sebastian Bach's music from 1954 to 2007. In the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (BWV, catalogue of Bach's compositions) masses, passions and oratorios refers to two chapters:

• Chapter 3: Messen, Messensätze, Magnificat (Masses, Mass movements, Magnificat), original range: BWV 232–243
• Chapter 4: Passionen, Oratorien (Passions, Oratorios), original range: BWV 244–249

In the BWV, as in Series II of the NBA, the group thus also includes Bach's Magnificat and separate mass movements.

Further the second series of the NBA, as well as the 1998 updated edition of the BWV (BWV^2a), group some new additions to the BWV catalogue with the masses, passions and oratorios (e.g. Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater), and regroup some compositions that were formerly associated with other genres in the masses, passions and oratorios group (e.g. BWV 11, published as a cantata in the 19th century, added to the group as an oratorio).

Also various items in the BWV Anhang (BWV Anh., appendix to the BWV), or even unmentioned in the BWV (BWV deest, lacking a BWV number) are associated with this group, for instance the motet Der Gerechte kömmt um, BC C 8, arranged, probably by Bach, from the Tristis est anima mea motet attributed to Johann Kuhnau. Such compositions or movements usually have a Bach Digital Work (BDW) page at the www.bach-digital.de website.

Masses, Mass movements and Magnificat

Mass with all usual sections

• BWV 232 – Mass in B minor

Kyrie–Gloria Masses

• BWV 232^I, early version – Mass for the Dresden court (1733), re-used as part I of the Mass in B minor
• BWV 233 – Missa in F major
• BWV 234 – Missa in A major
• BWV 235 – Missa in G minor
• BWV 236 – Missa in G major

Cantata based on BWV 232^I

• BWV 191 – Cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo

Separate Mass movements

• BWV 232^II, early version – Credo in G major (1748–49?)
• BWV 232^III, early version – Sanctus for six vocal parts (1724)
• BWV 233a – Kyrie in F major (alternative version of Kyrie from BWV 233)
• BWV 237 – Sanctus in C major
• BWV 238 – Sanctus in D major
• BWV 239 – Sanctus in D minor (doubtful)
• BWV 240 – Sanctus in G major
• BWV 241 – Sanctus in D major (arrangement of Sanctus from Johann Caspar Kerll's Missa superba)
• BWV 242 – Christe eleison in G minor (composed by Bach for a mass by Francesco Durante, BWW Anh. 26)^[2]

Latin Magnificat

• BWV 243 – Magnificat in D major
• BWV 243a – Magnificat in E-flat major, early version of BWV 243, containing four Latin and German interpolations related to Christmas

German Magnificat cantatas

• BWV 10 – Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (German Magnificat)
• BWV 189 – Meine Seele rühmt und preist on a German paraphrase of the Magnificat text, attributed to Melchior Hoffmann.^[3][4]
• BWV Anh. 21 – Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (Kleine Magnificat), by Melchior Hoffmann.^[5][6][7]

Other

• BWV 1081 – Credo intonation in F major for a Mass by Giovanni Battista Bassani, BDW 1267
• BWV 1082 – Bach's copy of the Suscepit Israel of Antonio Caldara's Magnificat in C major.^[8]
• BWV 1083 – Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, Bach's adaptation of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater
• BWV Anh. 24 – Kyrie and Gloria in A minor from "Missa Sancti Lamberti" by Johann Christoph Pez; Bach copied its Kyrie in Weimar, adding a line different from the original continuo; Its Gloria was copied without modification in Leipzig.^[9]
• BWV Anh. 25 – Kyrie–Gloria Mass in C major^[8] (sometimes attributed to Johann Ludwig Bach,^[10] copied & performed by J. S. Bach c.1740-1742).
• BWV Anh. 26 – Mass in C minor: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project (by Francesco Durante; see above Christe eleison in G minor, BWV 242)
• BWV Anh. 27 – Sanctus in F major by Johann Ludwig Krebs.^[8]
• BWV Anh. 28 – Sanctus in B major^[8] (composer unknown).
• BWV Anh. 29 – continuo part for a Mass in C minor^[11]
• BWV Anh. 30 – Magnificat in C major for SSAATTBB choir and orchestra attributed to Antonio Lotti, and later to Pietro Torri (copied by Bach around 1742)^[12][13]
• BWV Anh. 166 – Missa super cantilena "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr": Kyrie–Gloria Mass in E minor composed in 1716 by Johann Ludwig Bach,^[14] previously attributed to Johann Nicolaus Bach,^[15] with part scores written out by J. S. Bach and others for performance in 1729, and a small addition (5 bars) by J. S. Bach at the beginning of the Gloria.^[16][14] The text of the Gloria is partly in German: it intersperses the Latin text of the Gloria with, as cantus firmus, all four stanzas of "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr" (which is itself a paraphrase of the Gloria), a Lutheran hymn by Nicolaus Decius and Joachim Slüter.^[14]
• BWV Anh. 167 – Kyrie–Gloria Mass in G major for double SATB choir and orchestra, possibly by Johann Ludwig Bach or Antonio Lotti.^[17][8] One of its 18th century manuscript copies is partially in J. S. Bach's handwriting.^[18] Published and performed as J. S. Bach's in 1805.^[19]
• BWV Anh. 168 – Kyrie (and German Gloria) composed by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, BDW 1479
• BWV deest – Bach's transposition from D minor to E minor and colla parte orchestration for the first two movements of Palestrina's Missa Sine nomine a 6, to be performed in Leipzig in the early 1740s as a Kyrie–Gloria Mass for SSATTB choir, and an orchestra consisting of cornets, trombones and continuo.^[20][21][8]

Passions and Oratorios

Passions composed by Bach

• BWV 244 – St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion)
  • BWV 244b – St Matthew Passion, early version(s)
• BWV 245 – St John Passion (Johannes-Passion), various versions, including:^[22]
  • St. John Passion, 2nd version, with opening chorus "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" (1725), BDW 0308, containing:
    • BWV 245a – Aria "Himmel reiße, Welt erbebe"
    • BWV 245b – Aria "Zerschmettert mich, ihr Felsen und ihr Hügel"
    • BWV 245c – Aria "Ach, windet euch nicht so, geplagte Seelen"
  • St. John Passion, Bach's last revision (1749), BDW 0310
• BWV 247 – St Mark Passion (Markus-Passion) (libretto is extant; although the music is lost much of it is reconstructable based on associated compositions)
• BWV deest – Weimarer Passion (lost, music partially recuperated in other compositions), BDW 1533

Passions by other composers with movements by Bach

• BWV 246 – St Luke Passion (Lukas-Passion) by an unknown composer and librettist, includes one movement by Bach:
  • BWV 246/40a Chorale "Aus der Tiefen rufe ich", BDW 0312
• BWV deest – St Mark Passion (attributed to Keiser), surviving in various (pasticcio) versions, with three movements associated with Bach:
  • BWV 500a – Chorale "So gehst du nun, mein Jesu, hin", BDW 0571
  • BWV 1084 – Chorale "O hilf Christe, Gottes Sohn", BDW 1270, and earlier version BDW 1677
  • BWV deest – Chorale "O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid", BDW 1679, and earlier version BDW 1678
• BWV deest – Passion oratorio Wer ist der, so von Edom kömmt (pasticcio), with three movements associated with Bach:
  • BWV 127/1 (variant) – Chorus "Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott", BDW 0155
  • BWV 1088 – Arioso "So heb ich denn mein Auge sehnlich auf", BDW 1274
  • BWV deest – Chorus "Der Gerechte kömmt um", also as separate motet (BC C 8),^[23] BDW 1532

Other vocal compositions associated with Passion music

• BWV 244a – Trauermusik Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt (funeral cantata), music lost but largely reconstructable based on BWV 244b and 198
• BWV 200 – Aria "Bekennen will ich seinen Namen", arranged by Bach from a Passion oratorio by Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, BDW 0250

Spurious

• BWV Anh. 169 – Passion text Erbauliche Gedanken auf den Grünen Donnerstag und Charfreitag über den Leidenden Jesum by Picander, not set by Bach (apart from some movements of the St Matthew Passion)

Oratorios and associated cantatas

• BWV 248 – Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium), consisting of six cantatas composed for the Christmas season of 1734–1735:
  • BWV 248^I – Cantata Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
  • BWV 248^II – Cantata Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
  • BWV 248^III – Cantata Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
  • BWV 248^IV – Cantata Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben
  • BWV 248^V – Cantata Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen
  • BWV 248^VI – Cantata Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben
• BWV 248^VIa – textless cantata, model for BWV 248^VI, BDW 0315
• BWV 249 – Easter Oratorio (Oster-Oratorium), also known by its incipit Kommt, eilet und laufet
  • BWV 249a – Secular cantata Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen
  • BWV 249b – Secular cantata Verjaget, zerstreuet, zerrüttet, ihr Sterne
• BWV 11 – Ascension Oratorio (Himmelfahrts-Oratorium), previously known as Cantata Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen

References

1. The New Bach Edition, Series II: Masses, Passions, Oratorios at the Bärenreiter website
2. Boyd, Malcolm (1999). Oxford Composer Companions: J.S. Bach. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 299. ISBN 0-19-866208-4.
3. Cantata BWV 189 Meine Seele ruhmt und preist at www.bach-cantatas.com
4. Georg Melchior Hoffmann: Meine Seele rühmt und preist at www.carus-verlag.com
5. Spitta 1884, p. 374 ff.
6. Frederick Hudson and Alfred Dürr. "An Investigation into the Authenticity of Bach's ‘Kleine Magnificat’" in Music and Letters XXXVI (3), 1955 – pp. 233-236
7. Andreas Glöckner. "Die Leipziger Neukirchenmusik und das 'Kleine Magnificat' BWV Anh. 21" in Bach-Jahrbuch 1982, pp. 97-102
8. Kirsten Beißwenger (ed.) Werke zweifelhafter Echtheit, Bearbeitungen fremder Kompositionen (Volume 9 of Series II: Masses, Passions, Oratorios from the New Bach Edition). Bärenreiter, 2000.
9. Mass, a BWV Anh. 24 / Anh. III 167‑>; BNB I/P/6 at www.bach-digital.de
10. Missa (Kyrie and Gloria), C BWV Anh. 25; BNB I/An/1 at www.bachdigital.de
11. Mass, c BWV Anh. 29; BNB I/An/2 at www.bach-digital.de
12. Magnificat in C BWV Anh. 30; BNB I/An/7 at www.bach-digital.de
13. Magnificat in C major BWV Anh 30 at www.bach-cantatas.com
14. Mass in E minor, BWV Anh 166 at www.bach-cantatas.com
15. Geiringer, Karl and Irene. The Bach Family: Seven Generations of Creative Genius, footnote p. 117. New York: Oxford University Press, 1954.
16. Missa (Kyrie and Gloria), e JLB 38; BWV Anh. 166; BNB I/B/18 at www.bachdigital.de
17. Missa, G BWV Anh. 167; BNB I/An/3 at www.bach-digital.de
18. D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 659 at www.bach-digital.de
19. Alfred Dörffel. "Statistik der Concerte im Saale des Gewandhauses zu Leipzig" p. 3, in Geschichte der Gewandhausconcerte zu Leipzig vom 25. November 1781 bis 25. November 1881: Im Auftrage der Concert-Direction verfasst. Leipzig, 1884.
20. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Missa sine nomine a 6 at www.bach-cantatas.com
21. Missa sine nomine (arr. of Kyrie and Gloria, copy of the following movements) at www.bach-digital.de
22. The New Bach Edition – Revised Edition
23. Morton, Wyant (1992). Questions of authenticity in three motets attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach (Thesis) (PDF). University of Arizona. pp. 11–25.