8/18/2019 How Does Bach Convey a Sense of Despair in Movements I and II of Cantata No

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Matt Green King Edward VI School1134

How does Bach convey a sense of despair in movementsI and II of Cantata No.48, ‘Ich elender Mensch”

 Throughout movements I and II of Bachs !antata" we see man# de$ningfeatures that show to us the element of des%air& from movement I" theseinclude'

 The use of minor (e#s throughout" for e)am%le *eginning in *ar 1 in Gminor" and modulating through other various minor (e#s such as" ! minorin *ar + and , minor at *ar 4-. Minor (e#s immediatel# indicate to us asthe audience that there is u%set within the music" unli(e if a %iece iswritten in a ma/or (e#. 0urthermore" the wide use of ornaments andaccidentals used once again reenhances the element and as%ect ofdes%air" for instance the use of fre2uent a%%oggiaturas" u%sets themelod# within the vocal line" as well as the use of sus%ensions and raised

notes" once again in the vocal %art. The use of false relations in *ars 4 "further reinstates the idea of des%air. e)t the use of e)tended andadded note chords alwa#s create an uneas# feel to us as the audience. The t#%e of chords we are e)%osed to within movement I includes minor+ths" minor 5ths 6*ar 778 and diminished 5ths. In terms of rh#thm andmetre" movement one e)%loits re%etition of rh#thms within the ritornello"which allows for us as the audience to aurall# relate to where a*out weare in the %iece" as well as this having a constant reminder of the idea ofdes%air. 0urthermore" the use of com%le) counter%oint" stretto and canon.6*ar 348.

 This theme of des%air is also seen throughout movement II of the !antata. The idea of (e#s and modulation is e)%lored much further" %assingthrough a wider range of (e#s more fre2uentl# 6E* minor to 0 minor8ma(ing the %iece more tonall# am*iguous. 9 lot of these (e#s e)%loredoften are not related" creating an unnerving atmos%here and feeling to the%iece which evidentiall# su%%orts the idea of des%air" for e)am%le theenharmonic modulation to E at *ars 1: 11 on the word ;gift< translatingto ;%oison< in English. This is also a form of word %ainting. This idea ofword %ainting is seen fre2uentl# throughout the %iece" and is esta*lishedwithin the $rst *ar with the word ;Schmer=< meaning ;%ain