Mass in B minor

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mass-in-b-minor

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the composer?Johann Sebastian Bach
2. What is the composition period?Composed in stages between 1733 and 1750
3. What is Bach's Mass in B minor?It is a large musical work that tells the story of the Catholic Mass. It was written by Johann Sebastian Bach and is known for its beautiful singing and instruments. It is one of the most important pieces in Western classical music.
4. Why did Bach write the Mass in B minor over many years?Bach started writing parts of it in 1733 and added new music for almost twenty years. He kept improving and adding sections to make the whole piece stronger. The finished Mass shows how Bach grew as a composer.

Counterpoint: The art of combining two or more independent melodic lines simultaneously.
Fugue: A contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more parts, based on a subject that is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others.
Coloratura: An ornate style of singing characterized by elaborate runs, trills, and leaps.
Mass Ordinary: The parts of the Catholic Mass that remain the same throughout the church year (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei).