Bach was just as careful in the choice of instruments for his particular effects as in the choice of stops in organ playing. Many of the instruments he used are now obsolete, and their intonation must have been very faulty. Yet if they had the particular tone colour he considered fitting he would not hesitate to employ them, to the exclusion of, or together with, the more manageable instruments such as the violin, viola, oboe, &c. Amongst the obsolete instruments he employed to accompany the voices in his cantatas and Passion music were violoncello piccolo,[60] viola da gamba,[60] taille,[61] viola d’amore,[60] cornet,[60] oboe d’amore,[62] oboe da caccia,[60] lituus,[60] violetta,[60] violino piccolo.[60]
Cantatas
Some of the cantatas are called solo cantatas; they consist of a series of movements usually founded on a chorale, for one or more solo voices, and contain no choruses, though occasionally a chorale is to be sung by the congregation.
The cantatas are often called by Bach “Concertos.” Thus “Bereitet die Wege” for fourth Sunday in Advent is entitled “Concerto à 9, 1 oboe, 2 violini, 1 viola, 1 violoncello, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, col basso per organo di J. S. Bach.”
Chapter IX
The Matthew Passion and B Minor Mass[63]
The Lutheran Services
It was Luther’s chief intention to make the congregation take more part in the service of the Church than they had formerly done. The first thing therefore was to diminish or abolish the use of Latin; and the people were made to sing what they could understand and appreciate.
Luther translated a number of excellent old church hymns, and made new tunes for them, being assisted in this work by friends. The newly arranged hymns were to take the place of the Graduals, Offertories, &c.