The Chorale Cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach are outstanding examples of his ingenuity. The existing data on the Chorale Cantatas are distributed throughout numerous volumes by many scholars. They have written much about the cantatas in general but not so much specifically about the chorales in them. In this thesis, the emphasis is on the chorales and Bach's treatment of them in the Chorale Cantatas. An historical approach to the cantata and the chorale is given as a preliminary to the treatment of the chorale in the chorale cantata. This was done that the reader might have a better understanding of them. The necessary material for this thesis was gathered from dictionaries, music lexicons, books, articles and the music principally in the Bach-gesellschaft edition. The material is organized according to the following plan: 1. The Church Cantata and its origin; the development of the Church Cantata in Germany; the use of the cantata in the worship service. 2. The Chorale, its origin and development; its changes as a result of the Reformation; its use in church services, and its use in musical composition. 3. Bach's treatment of the Chorale in musical forms. 4. Bach's treatment of the words of the Chorales in the Chorale Cantatas.

Johann Sebastian Bach's chorale preludes are varied and artistic not only in the treatment of chorale melodies, but also in the accompaniments of those chorale melodies. This study examines the accompaniments of Bach's long chorale preludes, focusing on identifying the various types and the characteristics that make them unique. This study investigates the two broad categories of accompaniments depending on whether the motives are chorale-derived or independent of the chorale. While the chorale prelude accompaniments in the first large group are closely related, the accompaniments of the chorale preludes in the second group stand independently and illustrate the vast range of Bach's compositional skill. Both groups demonstrate Bach's interest in expanding his predecessors' models, a trait that can be traced throughout all of Bach's compositional history.

The chorale Wie schðn leuchtet der Morgenstern was popular from its very outset in 1589. That it has retained its popularity down to the present day is evident by its continually appearing in hymnbooks and being used as a cantus in organ compositions as well as forming the basis for other media of musical composition. The treatment of organ compositions based on this single chorale not only exemplifies the curiously novel attraction that this tune has held for composers, but also supplies a common denominator by which the history of the organ chorale can be generally stated.

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Thesis (M.M.)--Boston University

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In this study I examine the genesis and compositional purpose of Mendelssohn's seven chorale cantatas which include "Christe, du Lamm Gottes" (1827); "Jesu, meine Freude" (1828); "Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten" (1829); "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" (1830); "Vom Himmel hoch" (1831); "Wir Glauben all an einem Gott" (1831); and "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh’ darein" (1832). I also re-examine the widely held belief that Mendelssohn's chorale cantatas were juvenilia, functioning only as compositional exercises to better learn the style of J.S. Bach. My examination includes a stylistic analysis of each cantata that shows a direct deviation from an imitation of Bach's musical syntax and form to a re-creation of the chorale cantata genre using nineteenth-century idioms. My approach to analysis is modeled after that of James Garratt, who has done a great deal of research on Mendelssohn's psalm settings. These works, like the chorale cantatas, have also been criticized for being compositional exercises that imitate Palestrina's musical syntax and form. Garratt believes that by using a literary method called translation theory, one can gain an unbiased assessment and evaluation of compositions that are based on pre-existent models. I have applied the tenets of translation theory as the foundation for my analysis to determine if the chorale cantatas were imitations of Bach's model or re-creations of the genre. This approach provides, as Garratt states, "a means of differentiating between the degree of affinity that links the works of Mendelssohn...and [his] models." The stylistic analysis also illustrates how the chorale cantatas are exemplars of Mendelssohn's compositional style. Unique characteristics such as Mendelssohn's frank religious convictions; his perceptive and creative treatment of chorales; his understanding of Baroque forms and styles; and his remarkable contrapuntal prowess are all beautifully exemplified in the chorale cantatas. I conclude that instead of being regarded as archaic, compositional exercises, Mendelssohn's chorale cantatas can and should be viewed as seminal works in his sacred choral-orchestral output.

Diss.--Berlin, 1994. / Bibliogr. p. 193-204.

In this study the liturgical usage of the organ is investigated within a post-modern society. It focuses specifically on the church services of the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth with regards to the functionality of the organ during morning and evening services. The objectives of the study are to demonstrate the current situation of musical worship in the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth. Furthermore it serves as a way to indicate any deficiency in the field, which would need to be addressed. In order to achieve these objectives, both a qualitative and quantitative study is undertaken. The qualitative study investigates existing literature regarding the church service and its music. The quantitative study comprises an analysis of self-administered questionnaires that was handed over for completion by the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth. The results obtained were electronically processed to percentages and graphic illustrations. In this mini-treatise it is argued that the usage of other music instruments (in the form of music worship groups) during church services could possibly lead to a change in the liturgical function of the organ. It was found that the usage of the organ in the Dutch Reformed Congregations of Port Elizabeth was mainly retained during morning services. During evening services however, the usage of other music instruments was in the majority, which resulted in a decrease of organ usage. It was further discovered that a large group of organists are not involved with music worship groups. Training of organists in a contemporary style of music worship will therefore serve as a significant purpose to fulfil this deficiency.