Work on the Neue Bach Ausgabe stimulated research into J. S. Bach's copies and arrangements of other composers' works. The Acroma missale by Giovanni Battista Bassani, published 1709, is a collection of six four-voice settings of the Ordinary with instrumental accompaniment, contained in sixteen part-books. Bach's arrangement differs from the original in two important points: (1) it is written as an eight-part score and (2) only the first four sections of the Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, and Sanctus with Osanna I) are present. Bach includes in his settings the intonation words of the Credo (which were omitted by Bassani, except in Mass No. 3), and in the case of Mass No. 5 this is a lengthy setting that could be regarded as a separate little (thus far unknown) composition. Analysis of watermarks and handwriting establishes Bach's son Gottfried Heinrich as the copyist and dates the different pieces to the period between 1735 and 1747. However, questions about the reason and purpose of Bach's copying of this unoriginal work remain largely unanswered.

Works: J. S. Bach: Sechs Messen von Bassani (Mus. ms. 1160).

Index Classifications: 1700s

Contributed by: Mirna Polzovic