What is a “motet”? The term shares its root with the French “mot” – “word”. It’s a composition which lays emphasis on its text. Eminently occasional, texts were assembled to suit a particular purpose, such as a feast, wedding or funeral. They were sourced from the Bible or from hymns, usually in Latin. Musically, they were set in contrapuntal style to several sung parts, ranging from small scale compositions with 2 or 3 lines to monumental multi-choir works. Motets in general, including Bach’s, could be performed in different ways – a cappella, with instruments doubling all or some of the upper parts, or just with harmonic support on the basso continuo line.
When used in church services, motets provided a focal point for the choir and the community, which made the genre attractive to many composers over the centuries. By Bach’s time, the service focal-point role had transitioned to the cantata. Motets, while not entirely out of use, were falling out of favor. It’s interesting to observe how Bach “modernizes” the typical motet style by setting them to texts in German, and by incorporating his incredible skill at writing counterpoint – essentially rendering them a contemporary product in an old-fashioned vessel.
Bach’s motets do not conform a cohesive set. Rather, each one served a different purpose or occasion. There are 7 surviving motets (BWV 225-231) but according to certain sources, there could have been many more, composed for the choir of St. Thomas’ School in Leipzig.
“Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied”, BWV 225, is a large-scale work for double choir, in 3 sections, with text by Johann Gramann from 1530. The occasion for it could have been the birthday of the Elector Augustus II of Saxony, King of Poland, but it’s likely that Bach used the piece at other times too, as we have records of a New Year’s performance on January 1st, 1727. The text celebrates the use of song to praise God – and Bach gives it his all, creating a rich and diverse tapestry of texture and color. Mozart heard the piece in 1789 during a visit to Leipzig, and was so impressed (he noted experiencing the “most profound reverence”) that he prepared a full copy of the score and stated that the piece “ought to be scored for full orchestra”.
The piece opens with a first section in 3/4 time, scored in counterpoint for 8 independent parts, i.e. double choir (SATB/SATB). The text comes from Psalm 149, verses 1-3. The “sing” exhortation is given in two ways – as long melismas and as short syllables. The musical material moves back and forth between the two choirs, with individual voices coming together on occasion only to diverge a few bars later.
The second section, in 4/4 time, is antiphonal in nature, with each choir performing alone in alternating fashion. Choir I sings a chorale with text by Johann Gramann (dating from 1530) which paraphrases Psalm 103 (13-16). After each line of the chorale, Choir II interpolates a choral “aria” on text by an unknown poet. This antiphonal nature gives this section a more contemplative character, contrasting with the initial jubilant mood.
The final section uses text from Psalm 150 (verses 2 and 6), which goes back to the concept of praise. For the first two lines, the choirs continue delivering the text antiphonally, coming together only for the very last invocation. At that point, the meter switches to a festive 3/8, and the 2 choirs come together as one to sing a brilliant 4-part fugue on the very last verse (“Let all that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah!”).
