gest of all
arpeggio-preludes, consists essentially of the gradual unfolding of a
scheme of harmony in which rhythmic and melodic organization is reduced to
a minimum. Only in the first line does the incisive initial figure persist
a little longer in the new accompaniment than in the original solo, but on
the last page it reappears and pervades the whole orchestra, even the drums
thundering out its rhythm at the climax where the holding-notes of the
trumpet span the torrent of harmony like a rainbow.

Deeper still is the thought that underlies the transformation of two
movements of the great violin-concerto in D minor (unfortunately lost
except in its splendid arrangement for clavier) into parts of the church
cantata, _Wir muessen durch viel Truebsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen_. In
both movements the violin is replaced by the organ an octave lower, the
orchestral accompaniment remaining where it was. This treatment, with the
addition of new and plaintive parts for wind instruments, turns the already
very long and sombre first movement into an impressive idealization of the
"much tribulation" that lies between us and the kingdom of heaven. The slow
movement is still more solemn, and is arranged in the same way as regards
the instruments; but from the first note to the last a four-part chorus
sings, to the words of the title, a mass of quite new material (except for
the bass and for numerous imitations of the solo-part), treated with every
variety of vocal colouring and a grandeur of conception which is not
dwarfed even by the _Passion according to St Matthew._

4. The four short masses, the Christmas oratorio and the B minor mass,
contain every variety of adaptation from earlier work. The four short
masses are indeed obviously compiled for use in a church where the
orchestra was small. Only four movements in the whole collection are not
traceable to other extant works; all the rest comes from church cantatas.
The adaptations are not always significant; no attempt, for example, is
made in the G minor mass to conceal how unfit for a _Kyrie eleison_ is the
tremendous denunciatory chorus, _Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben_.
But the F major and G major masses are very instructive; and the A major
mass, except for the damage done to the instrumentation, is a work that no
one would conceive to be not original. The Kyrie is one of Bach's most
individual utterances and could surely never have fitted any other text,
but