Department of Music
MUSC 82, Bach and Handel


NOTE: At this time Music 82 either is not being offered or is being taught by another instructor. This page does not provide current information about the course. Students should return to the Music Department homepage for current information.

Instructor: Professor David Schulenberg

Office Hours: Tues., 11-12; Thurs., 1-2; in Hill Annex 1

This course provides an introduction to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), two composers of the Baroque era (1600-1750) who are generally considered among the greatest in the history of European music. In this course we will examine the lives and cultural background as well as some of the most famous works of both composers, including Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Handel's Messiah. A complete list of music to be studied is included in the course calendar below.

The course is open to both music majors and non-majors. There is no prerequisite, and students are not expected or required to have any previous instruction or experience in music, music theory, or music notation. During the first weeks of the course, essential terms and concepts will be reviewed for the benefit of students with no previous formal training in music. Students who do possess some familiarity with musical notation or performance will have opportunities to apply their skills in the written work for the course.

Work for the course includes reading, listening, two short papers, two quizzes, and a final examination.

Listening to the assigned recordings is the most important work. Papers and examinations will be based primarily on the listening assignments. Assigned recordings are on reserve in the Music Library (in Hill Hall) and can be heard there. Music library recordings do not circulate and cannot be copied. Recordings of some of the works studied are readily available from local music stores. Purchase of recordings is not required.

Most reading assignments are from the texts listed below, which have been placed on reserve in the Music Library and have also been ordered at Student Stores. In the case of vocal works, students should also read the texts (lyrics), which are included in the packaging for each recording.

Malcolm Boyd, Bach (New York: Schirmer Books, 1997).

Christopher Hogwood, Handel (London and New York: Thames and Hudson, 1988).

Grades and attendance. The final grade will be based on the two papers (15% each), two quizzes (15% each), and final examination (30%). Class attendance and participation are worth 10%. Attendance is mandatory; unexcused absences and late work will result in a reduction in grade unless alternative arrangements are made ahead of time.

Music reference books. The Music Library possesses a large variety of reference works that will provide assistance with unfamiliar terms and names. Two standard works, both available in the library's Reference Room, are:

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980). The standard English-language music encyclopedia, especially notable for its biographies of composers, including detailed lists of their compositions.

The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, ed. Don M. Randel (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1986). Very thorough discussions of musical terms, but lacking composer entries.

A smaller music dictionary recommended for purchase is the Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music, ed. Don M. Randel (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978). Unlike the larger Harvard Dictionary, the Concise Dictionary includes composer entries.

Individual compositions by the two composers are often referred to by numbers: "BWV" numbers for Bach and "HWV" numbers for Handel. These numbers are drawn from the following German catalogues of the two composers' respective works:

Wolfgang Schmieder, Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke Johann Sebastian Bachs, 2d ed. (Wiesbaden): Breitkopf und Härtel, 1990).

Bernd Baselt, Händel-Handbuch, 5 vols. (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1978-).

Editions of music. In the nineteenth century, German scholars prepared collected multi-volume editions of the complete works (musical scores) of both Bach and Handel. These editions are now referred to as the Bach-Gesellschaft Edition (BG) and the Deutsche Händel-Gesellschaft edition (HG). Since the 1950s, new modern editions of both composers' works have been in progress. These editions are called the Neue Bach-Ausgabe (New Bach Edition, or NBA) and the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (Halle Handel Edition, or HHA).

The Music Library has all four editions on permanent reserve. To locate musical scores of specific works, it is necessary to find the volume and page numbers in the Schmieder or Baselt catalogue. One can also use the lists of works in New Grove Dictionary. Many musical works have also been published individually, but not all of these editions are as dependable as those in the two modern scholarly editions (NBA and HHA).

The course calendar below lists assignments and topics. The assigned recordings are those listed in the course's reserve list in the Music Library.


WEEK/ DATE  READING/    TOPIC/LISTENING
CLASS       WRITING

1 1   8/18              Introduction; Tour of Music Library
  2   8/20  H:11-29     GFH: Flute sonata, op. 1, no. 5, HWV 363b
2 3   8/25  H:30-48     GFH: Trio sonata, op. 2, no. 1, HWV 386b
  4   8/27
3 5   9/1   H:49-69     GFH: Giulio Cesare, HWV 17
  6   9/3
4 7   9/8
  8   9/10
5 9   9/15  B:1-33      JSB: Cantata Gottes Zeit, BWV 106
  10  9/17
6 11  9/22     QUIZ
  12  9/24  B:34-42,    JSB: Brandenburg Concerto no. 2, BWV 1047
              65-84
7 13  9/29
  14  10/1              GFH: Harpsichord Suite in E, HWV 430
8 15  10/6  B:86-101    JSB: Invention in F, BWV 779
  16  10/8              JSB: Prelude and Fugue in C Minor from
                             Well-Tempered Clavier, Pt. 1, BWV 847
9 17  10/13 B:43-61     JSB: Prelude and Fugue in E minor for organ,
           FIRST PAPER DUE   BWV 548 ("the Wedge")
  --  10/15             (Fall break)
10 18 10/20 B:102-37    JSB: Cantata Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 127
   19 10/22
11 20 10/27 QUIZ
   21 10/29  
12 22 11/3  H:90-139    GFH: Messiah, HWV 56
   23 11/5  H:140-77
13 24 11/10 B:141-47    JSB: Saint John Passion, BWV 245
   25 11/12
14 26 11/17
   27 11/19 B:184-92,   JSB: B-Minor Mass, BWV 232
              164-74
15 28 11/24 SECOND PAPER DUE
                        (Thanksgiving)
16 29 12/1
   30 12/3              review
      12/10 (8 a.m.)  FINAL EXAM

Reserve List (fall 1998)

BOOKS:

Winton Dean, The New Grove Handel. ML410.H13 D38 1983

Christopher Hogwood, Handel. ML410.H13 H57 1985

Malcolm Boyd, Bach. ML410.B1 B73 1997

Christoph Wolff et al., The New Grove Bach Family. ML410.B14 N48 1983

Christoph Wolff, The New Bach Reader. ML410.B1 D24 1998

WORKS OF HANDEL:

Flute sonata in G, op. 1, no. 5, HWV 363b
Score: M3.H22/v.27 (p. 19)
Recording: CD 866 v.1 (Camerata Köln; v.2 includes the
  original version in F for oboe, HWV 363a)

Trio-Sonata in B minor, op. 2, no. 1, HWV 386b
Score: M3.H22/v.27 (p. 92)
Recording: 17706 (L'Ecole d'Orphée)
  23100 (Pinnock)

Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17
Score: M1503.H135/G46/1973 (vocal)
  M1500.H36/G3/1985 (full)
Recording: CD 3850 (Jacobs)
  VC 87 (Eng. Nat. Opera--English text, other adaptations)
  CD 1874 (Sills--not recommended)

Suite No. 5 in E for Harpsichord, HWV 430
Score: M3.H22/v.2 (p. 32)
Recording: CD 2571 (Pinnock)
  CD 2017 (Black)

Messiah, HWV 56
Score: M2003.H14/M225 (Shaw)
Book: ML410.H13/L8/1992 (Luckett)
  ML410.H13/B95/1991 (Burrows)
Recording: CD 2190 (Christie)
  CD 6673 (McGegan)
  CD 4141 (Pearlman)
  CD 1288 (Parrott)
  VC 86 (Hogwood)

WORKS OF BACH

Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Cantata 106), BWV 106
Score: M2020.B16/S.106/1977 (Horn)
Recording: CD 4125/v.6 (Ricercar)
  CD 3885 (Gardiner)
  CD 4142/v.26 (Leonhardt)
  CD 1783/v.3 (Thomas)

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F
Score: M3.B1133/ser.7/Bd.2 (not the "Supplement")
Book: ML410.B13/B62/1993 (Boyd)
Recording: CD 1290 (Parrott)
  CD 398 (Goebel)
  CD 153 (Hogwood)
  CD 152 (Marriner)

Invention in F Major, BWV 779
Score: M3.B1133/ser.5/Bd.3
Recording: CD 2664
  CD 5433

Prelude and Fugue in C Minor from The Well-Tempered
  Clavier (Part 1), BWV 847
Score: M22.B11/W6/J6/1994/pt.1 (Jones)
Recording: CD 49 (Gilbert)
  CD 18 (Schiff--piano)
  19432 (Koopman)

Prelude and Fugue in E Minor ("Wedge"), BWV 548
Score: Score: M3.B1133/ser.4/Bd.5 (p. 94)
Recording: CD 5434 (Herrick)
  CD 138 (Ritchie)
  CD 632 (Richter)

Herr Jesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott (Cantata 127), BWV 127
Score: M3.B1133/ser.1/Bd.8
Recording: CD 4142/v.31

St. John Passion, BWV 245
Score: M2000.B15/J6/1973
  M2003.B12/J6/1981 (vocal score, with English text)
Recording: CD 295 (Herreweghe)
  CD 1047 (Kuijken)
  CD 4328 (Bruggen)
  VC 190 (Schreier, at Nikolaikirche, Leipzig)

B-Minor Mass, BWV 232
Score: M2010.B2/BWV 232/1988
Recording: CD 2159 (Herreweghe)
  CD 4327 (Hickox)
  CD 6735 (King)


Last updated 1/17/99.