Magnificat (Bach)
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The Magnificat in D major, BWV 243, is one of the major vocal works of Johann Sebastian Bach. It was composed for an orchestra and choir of five voices. The text is the canticle of Mary, mother of Jesus as recounted by Luke the Evangelist (see Magnificat for more). It is also one of the two large works Bach composed in Latin; the other being his Mass in B minor, which also shared its use of a five-voice choir.
Bach composed an initial version in E flat major in 1723 for the Christmas Vespers in Leipzig which contained several Christmas texts. During the years he removed the Christmas-specific texts to make it suitable for year-round performance, as well as transposing it to D major, providing better sonority for the trumpets in particular.
The work is divided into twelve parts which can be grouped into three movements, each beginning with an aria and completed by a choir. Its performance lasts approximately thirty minutes. The indented parts below indicate the removed Christmas texts.
- Choir — "Magnificat“
- Aria (Soprano I) — "Et exsultavit spiritus meus“
- A. Choral motet — "Vom Himmel hoch“
- Aria (Soprano II) — "Quia respexit humilitatem“
- Choir — "Omnes generationes“
- Aria (Bass) — "Quia fecit mihi magna“
- B. Choir — "Freut euch und jubiliert“
- Duet (Alto, Tenor) — "Et misericordia“
- Choir — "Fecit potentiam“
- C. Choir — "Gloria in excelsis Deo“
- Aria (Tenor) — "Deposuit potentes“
- Aria (Alto) — "Esurientes implevit bonis“
- D. Duet (Soprano, Bass) — "Virga Jesse floruit“
- Choir (Soprano I/II, Alto) — "Suscepit Israel“
- Choir — "Sicut locutus est“
- Choir — "Gloria Patri“
