March 30, 2013 - Easter Vigil

Messiah: "Oh Death, Where is Thy Sting?" - G.F. Handel
Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 532: "Fugue"
                                                                               - J.S. Bach

Hymns: #180 Unser Herrscher, #187 Straf mich nicht, 
              #192 Vreuchten

The postlude for the Easter Vigil and the Easter Day services is the fugue from J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 532. This prelude and fugue is one of Bach’s early compositions and shows the composer as a young virtuoso heavily influenced by the music of Italy. The fugue is boisterous and flashy with a subject composed primarily of sixteenth notes. The fugue winds through a number of keys and when it returns to the home key of D major Bach then ends with a pedal cadenza. To me, this fugue manages to combine elements of playfulness and power. Bach teases us with the motive broken up in little pieces and then eventually gives a longer line that gives us the meat of the fugue. As the piece grows we get full chords that punctuate the more active melodic line and help to propel the piece forward. I picked this piece for the Easter because I think that the lightness is a nice contrast to the thick Romantic music that I have programmed through Lent, but also to contrast the loud full hymns and anthems for the morning. The joyful energy of this youthful composition seemed to be an appropriate choice. I also like the idea of tying this year together with last year. Last year during Lent I explored the compositions of J.S. Bach, programming a different piece for each service during Lent. It seemed fitting to play one of his compositions on Easter this year as well.   

The anthem for this service is taken from Handel’s Messiah. “Oh Death, Where is Thy Sting?” Although this recitative and aria do not refer to Christ but to us it seems like an appropriate selection for this service. The question asked by the alto and tenor is a reminder that just as Christ overcame death, so too will we overcome death. This duet goes directly into the chorus “But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.” The alto solo starts the piece and is quickly answered by the tenor. The two dance around almost as though they are taunting death. They then move on to explain that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. The two soloists seem to agree on this point because they end on a unison “c” and are then answered by the full chorus.