Mass in b minor

The Mass in B minor (German: h-Moll-Messe), BWV 232, is an extended setting of the Mass ordinary by Johann Sebastian Bach. The composition was completed in 1749, the year before the composer's death, and was to a large extent based on earlier work, such as a Sanctus Bach had composed in 1724.

1. What period is Mass in B Minor?
2. Why did Bach write his B Minor Mass?
3. What genre is Mass in B Minor Bach?
4. Is Mass in B Minor polyphonic?

What period is Mass in B Minor?

Bach's Mass in B Minor (1733–38) was a monument of the preceding Baroque era. It was never intended to be performed as a whole within the liturgy, and its various movements date from different periods of Bach's life.

Why did Bach write his B Minor Mass?

Bach used the opportunity to work on the composition of a Missa, a portion of the liturgy sung in Latin and common to both the Lutheran and Roman Catholic rites. His aim was to dedicate the work to the new sovereign Augustus III, a Catholic, and by doing so to hope to improve his own standing.

What genre is Mass in B Minor Bach?

One of the Baroque period's most celebrated choral masterpieces, this Mass was Bach's last major work before he died. Bach composed his Mass in B minor around 1748–49, a year before his death in 1750.

Is Mass in B Minor polyphonic?

The rising soprano line "Kyrie eleison" means "Lord, have mercy upon us." This movement is set in B minor, key of passive suffering, which will be balanced by the key of D major in later movements. The entire mass is centered on these two keys. ... The entire movement has a polyphonic texture.