rssThe secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein
Chorales
2008, October 17
JSB Chorales
What is on JSBChorales?
The core of JSBChorales is the set of four-part harmonized chorales.
I have added a few other chorale-based pieces, but they are extra bonuses.
The two lists that contain everything on the site are:
the four part chorales
some (as in a few) organ chorales, chorale fantasias, embellished chorales.
If the piece is not on these two lists, it is not on the site. Unless I live to be 150 years old and have very little else to do, I doubt that most of the organ chorales will make it to the site.
Sets of the files are available in zipped format.
2008, September 30
Wedding Chorales
Three chorales with horns
At last, another group of four part chorales is uploaded. The three Wedding chorales, BWV 250, 251 and 252 all have two trumpets added to the four voices. The first horn doubles the soprano, and the second horn has a more difficult time adding counterpoint with lots of eighth notes, and even two 32nd notes at one point. Good luck to the second trumpet.
This page has links to download the midi files.
This page, down toward the bottom, has links to download the mp3 files.
Enjoy!
2008, August 31
Recuperation and Revision
Posted today: chorales from the motets. Completes chorales from known cantatas and motets.
Slowly the routine is returning to normal. My back injury is healing; the revision is slowly resuming. Today I uploaded the final set of chorales from known cantatas and motets. Also included in the upload is BWV 1.6 for the Annunciation, which I accidently left out of the chronology.
An mp3 file was also uploaded for BWV 157.5, somehow it got missed in the chorales for the Purification of Mary.
The second part of the revision is the set of four part chorales from BWV 250 to 438. So 217 down and 188 to go.
2008, May 26
Ninth chord
A revision of the analysis of the cross relation of April 22, 2008
Here is the original post with sound files of the parts.
Final revision of these measures on February 19, 2010
A dominant seventh chord is built of four scale degrees: the fifth as the root, the seventh scale degree as the third of the chord, the second scale degree as the fifth of the chord and the fourth scale degree as the seventh of the chord. The fourth scale degree resolves to the third scale degree, thus acting as a passing tone.
Listen to the progression: i V V7 i:
Here is a discussion of chords and seventh chords.
The dominant ninth chord adds the sixth scale degree as the ninth of the chord. In four part writing, one note must be omitted, usually the fifth of the chord, the second scale degree.
Pertaining to the omission of the root of chords, R.O. Morris says: "It seems to the author…that a chord from which the root has to be omitted ceases ipso facto to be that chord at all, and that no suport should be given to so paradoxical a method of classification."
So I have revised my speculation about the analysis of the phrase in BWV 114.7 with the cross relation; I have changed it to the analysis shown below. I think this unnecessarily complex, cumbersome and academic analysis highlights the fact that Bach wrote chiefly with melody in mind and was not concerned with the mental anguish of his students three hundred years later.
R.O. Morris, The Oxford Harmony Volume One, Oxford University Press, 1946.
ISBN 0 19 321491 1, p130
