Most of these works are now dispersed. The Church Cantatas were divided between his elder sons after their composer's death. Wilhelm Friedemann had the larger share because, being organist at Halle, he could make use of them. Later, circumstances compelled him to part with them gradually. I know of no other collection of Bach's larger choral works. There exist, however, eight or ten Motets for double chorus, but they are dispersed in various hands.[309] In the collection bequeathed by the Princess Amalia of Prussia to the Joachimsthal Gymnasium at Berlin there are some of Bach's vocal compositions.[310] Their number is not considerable, but among them are the following:
| 1. Twenty-one Church Cantatas.[311] In one of them, set to the words, Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde,[312]
the composer introduces a bell obbligato. From that fact we may conclude that the Cantata was not composed in the period of Bach's maturity,[313] for the use of bells is of doubtful taste. |
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| 2. Two Masses for five voices with instrumental accompaniment.[314]
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| 3. A Mass for double chorus, the first being
[pg 141]
accompanied by Strings and the second by wind instruments.[315]
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| 4. A Passion, for double Chorus,[316] the text by Picander.[317] |
| 5. A Sanctus, for four voices and instrumental accompaniment.[318]
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| 6. A Motet, for four voices, Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir.[319]
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| 7. A Motet for five voices, Jesu, meine Freude. |
| 8. Four Motets, for eight voices in double chorus:
(a) Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin dei dir.(b) Der Geist hilft unserer Schwachheit auf.(c) Komm, Jesu, komm.(d) Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied.[320]
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| (a) Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin dei dir. |
| (b) Der Geist hilft unserer Schwachheit auf. |
| (c) Komm, Jesu, komm. |
| (d) Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied.[320]
|
| 9. A detached four-part fugal chorus, Nimm was dein ist, und gehe hin.[321]
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| 10. A bucolic Cantata, with Recitatives, Aria, Duet, and Chorus. A note is prefixed to it.[322]
On the MS. of the last-named Cantata and of the Mass for double chorus (No. 3
supra) there is a note by Kirnberger analysing the skill and merit of the compositions.
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