The Credo in Bach’s B-minor Mass: Who Is the “I” of “I Believe”?
This article examines the way the musical structure of the Credo of Bach’s B-minor Mass qualifies the meaning both of the “I” of “I believe” and of the act of believing. As the Credo goes along, the “I” becomes increasingly inclusive, and those included become a community. Correlatively, “believing”...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Religion and the arts
Year: 2024, Volume: 28, Issue: 5, Pages: 555-576 |
| Further subjects: | B
B-minor Mass Credo
B J.S. Bach B listening as a spiritual practice B musical structure and semantics B meaning of “believe” B identity of “I believe” B non-devotional listening |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article examines the way the musical structure of the Credo of Bach’s B-minor Mass qualifies the meaning both of the “I” of “I believe” and of the act of believing. As the Credo goes along, the “I” becomes increasingly inclusive, and those included become a community. Correlatively, “believing” comes to mean not only affirming the truth of the narrative of divine actions but also coming into a relationship both with the agent of these actions and with other believers. Consequently, for listeners who include themselves in the “I,” the hearing of the Credo becomes a mode of spiritual practice; it has devotional as well as cognitive significance. The article also examines the meaning of the Credo for listeners who do not include themselves in the “I.” |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5292 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion and the arts
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685292-02805002 |
