102 HIGH BAROQUE RELIGIOUS CHORAL MUSIC
motets were accompanied only
by continuo, whereas the grands
motets, such as those of Jean-
Baptist Lully, included soloists
and an increasing number of
instruments. They were less
common in Germany; the best-
known examples today are by
Heinrich Schütz and Bach. Bach’s
motets, which strongly influenced
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756–1791), were virtually the
only works of his to be regularly
performed after his death until
the Bach revival in the early
19th century. Each was arranged
for different sized choirs, and it is
unclear how they were used within
church services, although some
were written for funerals.
Other choral forms of the High
Baroque period include the anthem,
the Magnificat, and the madrigal.Performed as musical
theatre, with sets,
scenery, and costumes.Performed as a concert
piece without props.In later operas,
characters advance
the plot.Uses a singing narrator
to advance the plot.Characters move and
interact.Singers are static and
characters do
not interact.Plots are inspired by
stirring myths, history,
and literature.Takes religious text as
its subject matter.Oratorio Oratorio versus Opera Opera
The anthem was prevalent in
England, as a sectional dramatic
work placing instrumental sections
with solo passages, recitatives, and
full choruses. Purcell was a gifted
exponent of the form, and Handel
took it to even greater heights. His
four ceremonial anthems include
the renowned Zadok the Priest,
written for the coronation of King
George II in 1727.
The Magnificat, sung at vespers
and evensong, is the canticle (hymn)
of the Virgin Mary from Luke’s
Gospel, first set in the Renaissance.
Monteverdi and Vivaldi produced
important Baroque settings, but
Bach’s Magnificat for five parts
and orchestra is probably the best
known today.
Although the madrigal is more
usually associated with earlier
periods, this secular form for voicesand accompaniment continued to
be popular in the Baroque period.
The subtle word-painting that the
madrigal engendered influenced
other genres and is found in many
sacred choral works of the period.St. Matthew Passion
For a musician such as Bach who
was principally concerned with
church music, the Passion, which
set the biblical events from the Last
Supper up to the Crucifixion, was
an opportunity to use the dramatic
techniques of opera within a
religious setting. Bach wrote at
least three such works (only two
have survived); for its mastery of
emotion, imagination, and power
of expression make the St. Matthew
Passion a towering monument of
human creativity. It was written
to be performed either side of theUS_098-105_JS_Bach_Passion.indd 102 26/03/18 1:00 PM