Johann Christian Bach, Requiem Mass & Weekly Roundup

Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of J.C. Bach

   Johann Christian Bach (J. C. Bach) was the eleventh and youngest son of the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Like his father and most of his siblings, J. C. Bach was endowed by his creator with an impressive musical talent.  His compositional style bore more resemblance to that of his classical late eighteenth century contemporaries Joseph Haydn and Mozart (who was also his friend) than it did to the baroque compositions of his father, who was fifty years old when when Johann Sebastian was born.
     The clip below is from is from J. C. Bach's Requiem Mass, which he composed at the age of 22 when he was a student in Italy (where he also converted to Catholicism).
     

Weekly Roundup of Posts

“St. John Fisher and Religious Freedom” St. John Fisher was the only English bishop to resist King Henry VIII’s plan to turn the Catholic Church in England into a possession of the crown. Not a bad example for us today, as we again are faced with a state intent on swallowing absolutely everything else. [here]

“Forgiveness Reveals The Power Of The Gospel” In the aftermath of the horrific massacre at a historic African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, we see that Love informed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ overcomes hate. [here]

“In Defense Of Catholic Education” As the world around us becomes ever more insane, the need for education that is truly Catholic is greater than ever. [here]

“We Are Blind To Ourselves” God knows us better, much better, than we know ourselves, and his Church is just what we need. [here]

“‘Real Funny Jokes About Abortion?’ Dispatches From The Culture Of Death Part Two” Come on, laugh! You’re not one of those anti-choice nuts, are you? [here]

Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (Celtic Woman) & Weekly Roundup

I love this piece - as perfect an expression of Joy as we can hope to find in this world, and of course focused on our one true source of Joy, Jesus Christ.  He is Risen, Alleluiah, Alleluiah!

As an added bonus (no purchase necessary), below please see the Weekly Roundup of the past week's posts from Principium et Finis and Nisi Dominus.

“What Is The Liturgy Of The Hours?” The second installment of my series on the Divine Office as a devotion for busy lay people.

“Are We Collaborators In The Culture Of Death?” Hillary Clinton says religious believers need to change their beliefs in order to facilitate more abortions.  But that's not as surprising as the fact that millions of Catholics will vote for her anyway.

 “A Church Is Much, Much More Than A Building” Instead of closing Churches that have been at the center of people's lives for generations, maybe we should try to re-fill them . . . 

“Peace, Baby!” A Vatican congregation decides, after nine years of study, to leave the Sign of Peace where it is, but they do agree that something should be done.

“St. Joseph The Worker Invites Us All To Work For God’s Kingdom” It may have been instituted to counter the communists' May Day, but the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker has a lesson for everyone.

J.S. Bach - Sinfonia, Oratorio

Here's some joyful music for the Easter Season, the Sinfonia from J.S. Bach's Easter Oratorio.
The Lord is Risen, alleluia, alleluia!

"So Now My Jesus Has Been Taken Prisoner" - Bach, St. Matthew Passion

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and Passion Sunday, the beginning of Holy week.  Now we start to focus more directly on the suffering and death of Jesus, as in this clip from Bach's St. Matthew Passion: "So now my Jesus has been taken prisoner . . . "

Dirck van Baburen, The Arrest of Christ

(My final music clip for Lent is “O Sacred Head SoreWounded” from Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, on the Nisi Dominus blog) 

Opening of Bach's St. Matthew Passion

El Greco's Christ Carrying the Cross

As the Season of Lent nears its end, we start focusing more closely on Jerusalem, and the Passion of Jesus Christ. One of the great artistic reflections on the suffering and death of Our Lord is J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion.  Here is the beginning of Bach's musical meditation on Matthew's Gospel account . . .

Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart) - King's College, Cambridge

There has been a long dispute between the partisans of J.S. Bach and Mozart as to who is the greatest composer of all time.  There is also a strong pro-Beethoven contingent, and I would gladly award him the bronze medal without a second thought, but as far as I'm concerned, Bach and Mozart are the most giant of musical giants.

There is an element of the apples/oranges dilemma here, because their musical geniuses and personalities were so different. My personal preference is for Wolfgang the boy-genius from Salzburg, partly for musical reasons, partly for purely subjective reasons, and partly (my apologies to my Protestant friends out there) because he was Catholic (even if a sometimes erratic one). That's not to say that Bach didn't compose some magnificent Sacred Music: he wrote some of the best, which I have posted on more than one occasion.  As a Lutheran, however, I don't see how he could have matched Mozart's stunning tribute to the Real Presence in the Eucharist, Ave Verum Corpus:

Motet, Hallelujah! J.S Bach

From our friend J.S. Bach, Hallelujah!

J.S. Bach, Ascension Oratorio

The joyous opening to Bach's Ascension Oratorio.  It's a beautiful performance, but the equally beautiful painting used in the Youtube clip is actually a depiction of the Transfiguration.  To make amends, I'm posting this Ascension painting first:

And now for Bach:

J.S. Bach - Sinfonia, Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 / Philippe Herreweghe

The opening Sinfonia from J.S. Bach's Easter Oratorio.  He is Risen! Alleluia!

J.S. Bach. St. Matthew Passion. "O sacred head, sore wounded"

Over this past Lent I have been posting clips from Mozart's Requiem and J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion that complement the penitential focus of the liturgical season.  Here is the final selection before we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord:

Bach - St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 (Karl Richter, 1971) - 9/22

"So now my Jesus has been taken prisoner . . . "

J. S. Bach - Matthaus Passion - Erbarme dich

Another spine-tingling selection from J.S. Bach's St. Matthew's Passion.

Bach - St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 (Karl Richter, 1971) - 1/22

The Lenten composition, from J.S. Bach.  Just listen . . .

Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring

Tomorrow we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the beginning of his public ministry.  What better song of joy than this wonderful piece by J.S. Bach, as performed by the Edinburgh Singers?