Mozart shows us the kind of music we might hope to hear in heaven.
But it is Bach, making music in the Castle of Heaven, who gives us the voice of God—in human form.
But it is Bach, making music in the Castle of Heaven, who gives us the voice of God—in human form.
— John Eliot Gardiner
In the final movements of The Mass in B-Minor by J. S. Bach (1685-1750), the composer intentionally contrasts large choruses with more intimate arias, with a miniature chiasm around the Benedictus:
| Sanctus – six-part chorus with full orchestra Hosanna – double chorus with full orchestra Benedictus – tenor aria with chamber orchestra Hosanna – double chorus with full orchestra Agnus Dei – alto aria with limited orchestra Dona Nobis Pacem – four-part chorus with orchestra |
Only the last two movements remain to be considered in this, our final installment of “B Minor Basics”: the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) aria and the Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) chorus.
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