Bach extensively used 'parody technique' in the Mass in B Minor, which involved re-using existing music with new words, a common practice in his era.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach viewed the Mass as a historically durable form, with its Latin text and choral emphasis making it less prone to fashionable changes than other musical genres.
Composition History
J. S. Bach did not compose the Mass in B Minor from scratch; he compiled it from two shorter, separate pieces and adapted movements from his existing cantatas.
Interpretation
This recording by The Sixteen and The Symphony of Harmony and Invention follows Bach's fundamental performing ethos, using the best available forces, rather than strictly adhering to the 'one-voice-per-part' theory.
Performer Biography
James Bowman, a soloist on this recording, had never recorded Bach's Mass in B Minor before this project.
Recording & Production
The recording of the Mass in B Minor took place in April 1994 at St Augustine's Church, Kilburn, London.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Mass in B Minor may have been intended by Bach as a musical legacy to his family, as he was keenly aware of his musical heritage and had compiled a family tree.
