I apologize for not appending these comments sooner to the discussion of
the "liturgical" merits of Bach's B-minor Mass.

That the Mass is an anomaly is granted. No Ordinary of the Mass that takes
nearly three hours to perform can be seriously considered for liturgical
use. Despite its largesse making the Mass liturgically improbable, the Mass
remains essentially a "liturgical" composition.  And I want to suggest that
listening to the Mass as a liturgical artifact makes for a much more
interesting piece than simply as a performance of ordinary interest.

Bach's nuance of tone, tenor, textures, and color at given times
accompanying certain words and phrases makes it abundantly clear that HE,
Bach, at least, understood that the composition is necessarily and foremost
a liturgical composition. Must one know these nuances to appreciate the
magnificence of the work? Obviously not. Yet, knowing the drama of the
Credo, the solemnity of the Sanctus, the piety of the Agnus Dei, and other
such features certainly enhances the musical experience.

Many of Bach's nuances can be found in other Mass compositions from
Palestrina to Haydn, from Mozart to Dvorak. Take, for example, the Sanctus.
This angelic hymn is comprised of two elements: The first, the angelic hymn
of praise to God for all eternity is from the OT and echoed in Revelation;
and the second, the blessedness that opens the vaults of heaven to "the
One who comes in the Name of the Lord," is introduced in the Psalms and
find their fulfillment of Christ's entry into Jerusalem to embark on his
Passion. The first part is entirely otherworldly, while the second part
contributes to the remembrance of Christ's opening the doors to the kingdom
of heaven by his self-given sacrifice.

There is much more involved than the most fundamental landscape I paint
above, but, in order to appreciate Bach's masterpiece for what it truly is,
it is more than "helpful" to know what the individual parts mean, and how
they are deployed spiritually, to accomplish in its entirety the sublime
and sacred solemnity they elicit.

Stephen Heersink
San Francisco
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