⟪The Israelites in the desert, Wq 238 H 775⟫by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) who was the second son of Johann sebastian Bach was what he composed at the early stage of his office after he became the principal of Johanneum school in Hamburg and ...
⟪The Israelites in the desert, Wq 238 H 775⟫by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) who was the second son of Johann sebastian Bach was what he composed at the early stage of his office after he became the principal of Johanneum school in Hamburg and the church music director as Teleman’s successor in 1768. The music was successful works as a pious oratorio which was the starting point by mediatory role linking Broque and Classic eras for “the religious music concert oratorio” genre to be settled. This oratorio was produced in 1 November, 1769 and performed for the first time in the same year, which was composed of two parts. Its production and performance was commissioned by City Hall for the worship music for the dedication of the church building of Armenhaus Lazareth-Kirche according to the scenarios of Daniel Schiebeler (1741-1771), the archbishop of Hamburg. This oratorio was also performed 1777 under the conduct of Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) who was renowned for his reformation of opera.
It is noticeable that this oratorio reflects Bach’s personal opinion on the purpose and subject of the music performance and the host. In 14 September 1774, while expressing the interdenominational charactersitics, Bach stated in Hamburger Correspondenten [No. 147] that “this oratorio is [...] the works ready for the performance for praising God at all times in and outside the churches [...] as well as religious organizations similar to Christianity without any conflict.” These comments by Bach, which was the reflection of the spirit of the age, is considered as the influence of Enlightenment in the pre-classical period.
The dramatic life of the Israelites in the desert refocuses on the life of audiences. Thus it can be viewed as the pious homiletic works that can be observed through musical preaching, making them look back their life.
The verses which were extracted from the Old Testament have the characteristics of the stage effect suitable for directing drama. They are also poetic and have verbose but unrestricted form and structure reflecting the spirit as “the storm and furious wave” which is the musical language of Bach when he expressed his emotion.
This oratorio is characterized as being similar in form and structure with numbered operas, and as the plot development which is as dramatic as secco-recitative (the music which is companied by one musical instrument like cembalo and is sung as if someone were saying) and da capo aria (the ABA form of solo music present in operas of 18th century), which leads audiences to experiencing the musical climax of ample emotions by means of detailed expressions of the contents of the verses and definitive presentations of abundance and strength in music.
The scene in which the Israelites were facing death with hunger in the desert was described by means of lament theme (the motive in which the four same notes in their perfect 4 interval descend) and the descending half note. It is also described by the chorus in which Moses, the leader, was viewed as the cause and the result of the ailment as he had pushed the Israelites into the desert, the deadly place, and God was degraded as a powerless God.
Contrastingly at the later stage there came a chorus in which the marvelous God was praised who caused the water to flow out of the rock and the suffering to go away. In so doing Bach (C. P. E Bach) used the short melody of the homomorphic progression and simple homophone technique easy to understand rather than possesses the counterpointing characteristics. While coming out of Baroque frame, he presents by means of making clear and simple motives the modernity of music (which does not refer to modern times but to classical era) which is the characteristics of Vienna classicalism. The aria shows the typical uniqueness of Bach’s sensitiveness by taking advantage of da capo aria and other formulae which are similar to it. Aron makes the complaining Israelites fall a sleep with the recital (the song that is recited in the same notes) and sings the aria of comfort for them.
The second Israelite woman, while missing her days as the slave in Egypt, grieves due to the nostalgia on her life in Egypt. But in the end she sings not only her gratitude of the Savior’s elimination of the curses and His restoration of all things but also the blessings of those who have Him.
The first Israelite woman sings her gratitude of the dew fallen down that revived the flowers and restored the humans because it was God’s reply for her repentance and prayer.
These arias have the rhythmic structure of orderly descending melodies and leaping, triplets (the three notes bound in one with the same length under the number ‘3’), and are coloratura (the fabulous melody with ornamental technique which is often heard in opera solo), which are in the form of da capo aria or dal segno aria. Bach touched the hearts of his audiences by the structure of the secular Aria which nevertheless had the melodies with stability and ampleness in emotions.
The accompagnato (the midway between secco recitative and aria which has the sentimental accompaniment of orchestra) of Moses the mediator who asks God for forgiveness on behalf of the complaining Israelites at a glance strives to go back to the responsory of old times (the songs sung in turn between the solo and the chorus group). And the aria of the desperate prayer of Moses seeking for God’s mercy makes the climax in his beseeching monologue as the descending bassoon solo is played in turn. The accompagnato of Moses who prophesies the blessings of entering Canaan as the gift of those who believe and the Savior who will come as the Prince of peace, presents the unified principles of recitative succeeded from Vienna Classicalism as the new innovation of music, by means of repetition of the frequent changes in harmony and the unification of the descending motives.
Just as the world was to come as the new era of peace, and the thirst of the land and the Israelites were to be satisfied, the prophecy was fulfilled and the Savior came and the Great Commission for evangelism to the disciples was pronounced in recitative. After this, the oratorio wraps up with the chorus expressing the love of God’s words and the eagerness of pleasing the Lord by good fruits and the determination to possess the hearts toward God through the commitment of the church.
The dotted form of symphony which starts with the appearance of Moses is like the French overture, and the finishing chorus is like the miniature of opera since it is similar to the finale of the masters. Choral, represents the effect of musical preaching and is understood as the tradition from the congregational style of the typical churches. The frequent changes in dynamics used in the chorus and recitative, the frequent pauses, chromatic, the frequent uses of the secondary chords and altered chords, and the bold use of dissonant chords and modulations are presented as the substances of Bach’s expression of musical languages.
‘The Israelites in the desert’, which is Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s heritage of church music, will be reassessed not only as the worship music in the churches but also as the public religious and arts music for meditation which transcends the boundaries between the denominations with understanding amid musical diversity to enhance the faith by praise and to communicate with each other who lives as Christians in the multi-cultural ultra-modern ages.