In questa seconda parte confrontiamo due letture del Domine Deus, Koopman e Richter, per ascoltare come lo stesso testo possa danzare o essere composto, a seconda di chi lo interpreta. E poi seguiamo la musica nel suo momento più struggente: quando il Figlio glorioso, cantato nella luce di Sol maggiore, scivola silenziosamente verso l’ombra dell’Agnello immolato, un’ombra che ci porta dritti dentro il Qui tollis peccata mundi.

Buona visione.

A Duet for Three - Part Two

The Trinitarian mystery of the Domine Deus in the Mass in B minor

A near-invisible detail in the autograph score, a single bar written differently in the part sent to Dresden: that’s all it takes for Bach to tell his musicians everything they need, without wasting a drop of ink.

In this second part we compare two readings of the Domine Deus - Koopman and Richter - to hear how the very same text can dance or stand composed, depending on who’s interpreting it. Then we follow the music to its most poignant moment: when the glorious Son, sung in the light of G major, slips silently into the shadow of the slain Lamb, a shadow that carries us straight into the Qui tollis peccata mundi.

Enjoy the video.

In questo appuntamento con le nostre Pillole di Musicologia, entriamo nel cuore del Domine Deus, il quinto movimento del Gloria, collocato esattamente al centro di una struttura a nove movimenti. Una posizione che, come vedremo, non è casuale: Bach costruisce l’intera Messa ponendo sempre la figura di Cristo come asse portante di ogni grande sezione.

Parleremo delle due voci che dialogano alternandosi nei ruoli del Padre e del Figlio, del flauto traversiere che ricama melodie sopra di loro e di una domanda apparentemente semplice che nasconde implicazioni filologiche, acustiche e teologiche tutt’altro che banali: uno o due flauti?

E poi faremo qualcosa di insolito: ascolteremo lo stesso brano in due esecuzioni a confronto Karl Richter e Ton Koopman, per capire concretamente cosa significhi oggi suonare Bach in modo storicamente informato, e perché questa scelta cambi radicalmente il carattere della musica.

A Duet for Three

The Trinitarian mystery of the Domine Deus in the Mass in B minor

At the heart of the Gloria of Bach’s Mass in B minor lies a piece that, at first glance, presents itself as an elegant galant-style duet for soprano and tenor. But the closer one looks, the more it reveals a theological and compositional depth of extraordinary complexity.

In this instalment of our Musical Insights series, we enter the heart of the Domine Deus, the fifth movement of the Gloria, placed at the exact centre of a nine-movement structure. A position that, as we shall see, is far from coincidental: Bach constructs the entire Mass by always placing the figure of Christ as the load-bearing axis of each of its great sections.

We will explore the two voices that dialogue while exchanging the roles of Father and Son, the traverso flute that embroiders melodies above them and an apparently simple question that conceals philological, acoustic and theological implications of quite another order: one flute or two?

And then we will do something unusual: we will listen to the same piece in two contrasting performances, Karl Richter and Ton Koopman, to understand concretely what it means today to perform Bach in a historically informed way, and why this choice radically transforms the character of the music.

In questo video, il cornista Sergio Notarangelo ci introduce alla scoperta del corno da caccia, lo strumento naturale privo di valvole che Bach sceglie per uno dei momenti più solenni della Messa in Si minore BWV 232: l’aria del Quoniam tu solus Sanctus.

Attraverso esempi pratici e cenni storici, ci illustra la meccanica di questo affascinante strumento, il ruolo delle ritorte e degli armonici naturali, e ci svela perché Bach decise di affiancare il corno solista a due fagotti e al basso continuo, creando un colore timbrico unico per esaltare la maestà e la dignità reale di Cristo.

Un viaggio tra la tradizione venatoria del Seicento francese, i virtuosi della corte di Dresda e il genio teologico-musicale di Johann Sebastian Bach.

Buona visione!

The Hunting Horn and the Royal “Quoniam tu solus Sanctus”

Sergio Notarangelo guides us through the discovery of the modern horn’s ancestor, exploring hunting signals, royal symbolism, and virtuosity in J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor.

Welcome to a new episode of La Bottega Barocca (The Baroque Workshop), our series exploring the secrets of historical performance practice and period instruments.

In this video, natural horn player Sergio Notarangelo introduces us to the corno da caccia (baroque hunting horn)—a valveless instrument chosen by Bach for one of the most sublime and majestic moments in the Mass in B minor BWV 232: the aria Quoniam tu solus Sanctus.

Through practical demonstrations and historical insights, he explains the mechanics of this fascinating instrument, the use of crooks and natural harmonics, and reveals why Bach chose to pair the solo horn with two bassoons and continuo. This unique orchestration creates an unmistakable tonal color designed to highlight the royal majesty and dignity of Christ.

Join us on a journey spanning 17th-century French hunting traditions, the virtuosi of the Dresden court, and the theological-musical genius of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Enjoy the video!

In questo nuovo appuntamento video dedicato alla Messa in si minore di Johann Sebastian Bach, ci addentriamo nel cuore del Gloria per analizzare una delle sue pagine più monumentali e severe: il Gratias agimus tibi.

Esploreremo insieme come Bach abbandoni il virtuosismo e il lirismo di stampo operistico italiano per abbracciare l’oggettività solenne dello stile antico. Attraverso una conduzione contrappuntistica straordinariamente densa, scopriremo il profondo legame strutturale e teologico che unisce questo coro al movimento conclusivo dell’intera opera, il Dona nobis pacem. Un vero e proprio “ponte” musicale che ci svela come la pace, nella visione bachiana, non sia una supplica mossa dal dubbio, ma una certezza che nasce e si alimenta solo attraverso il rendimento di grazie.

Buona visione e buon ascolto!

Gratias agimus tibi

A Theological Bridge Between Peace and Gratitude

Dear friends and listeners,

In this new video installment dedicated to J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, we delve into the heart of the Gloria to analyze one of its most monumental and rigorous movements: the Gratias agimus tibi.Together, we will explore how Bach moves away from the virtuosity and lyricism of the Italian operatic style to embrace the solemn objectivity of the stile antico. Through an extraordinarily dense contrapuntal texture, we will uncover the profound structural and theological connection linking this choir to the final movement of the entire work, the Dona nobis pacem. This musical “bridge” reveals how, in Bach’s vision, peace is not a supplication born of doubt, but a solemn certainty that arises and is nourished solely through thanksgiving.

Enjoy the video and happy listening!

👉 Ascolta qui l’esecuzione diretta da Andrea Marcon

The Laudamus Te: Virtuosity According to Bach

How the Leipzig Kantor transforms acrobatic agility into the purest prais

In the Laudamus Te of the Mass in B minor, Bach overturns the secular concept of technical display. Here, the acrobatic agility required of the voice (and the solo violin that accompanies it) is not an end in itself, nor is it a concession to the soloist’s vanity, but rather aims to place at the Creator’s disposal that excellence and talent received as a gift.

👉 Listen here to the performance conducted by Andrea Marcon

The Warp and the Weft of the “Et in terra pax”

How the polyphonic mechanics of the fugue work

In this video, we will look at how Bach constructs the transition between the brightness of the Gloria in excelsis Deo and the intimate and contemplative dimension of the Et in terra pax. After analyzing the beginning of the piece, we will focus on the fugato that develops the second part of the page. This will be an opportunity to explain, in a simple way, how a fugal exposition works - the musical genre that, in our imagination, we most closely associate with the figure of Bach.

An Explosion of Joy: A Journey into Bach’s Gloria

From the trumpets and timpani of earthly kings to the royal splendor for the King of Heaven.

In this video, we will analyze the extraordinary architecture of this section, uncovering the perfect nine-movement symmetry that Bach deeply connects to Trinitarian symbolism. The core of our journey, however, will focus on the sonic opulence of trumpets and timpani. We will explore the political and liturgical significance of these royal instruments—symbols of 18th-century absolute power that the composer elevates to praise the Sovereign of Heaven , even repurposing musical themes originally written to celebrate the Kings of Saxony. Finally, we will shed light on the dramatic fate of Bach’s manuscripts, which were divided upon his death between his sons Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel—a historical turn of events upon which the very survival of this masterpiece depended.

The Bach Paradox: A Lutheran and the Catholic Mass

Why did the ultimate composer of the Reformation dedicate the final years of his life to the monumental Mass in B minor? A perspective bridging history and spirituality.

What drives an orthodox Lutheran to write a Catholic Mass? To understand Johann Sebastian Bach’s final spiritual testament, we must strip away confessional divides and return to the Greek root of the word “Catholic”: Katholikos, meaning “universal.” In this post, we explore how Bach took a millenary liturgical structure—one defended by Martin Luther himself as the common heritage of all Christianity—and transformed it into a timeless cathedral of sound. An intimate portrait of a man who, sensing his approaching death, chose to commit his masterpiece to eternity.

Dietro la severità della scrittura polifonica si cela una fitta rete di rimandi simbolici fondati sulle regole della retorica musicale settecentesca.

Visita il nostro sito web discantovocalensemble.com

e fai una donazione al Progetto Bach 2026/27

The Architecture of the Sacred in Kyrie II

Symmetries and Cryptograms in the Mass in B Minor

In this new installment, we analyze the Kyrie II from the Mass in B Minor, a movement positioned in stark contrast to the dialogic linearity of the preceding Christe Eleison. With this piece, Bach leads us into the formal rigor of the Stile Antico, entrasting the entire architecture to a fugue for chorus and orchestra, where the instruments systematically double the human voices.

Behind the apparent severity of the polyphonic writing lies a dense network of symbolic references based on the rules of 18th-century musical rhetoric.

Visit discantovocalensemble.com

to donate to our Bach Project 2026/27."

all’interno della nostra rubrica La Bottega Barocca, inauguriamo oggi un nuovo filone di approfondimento intitolato “L’Architettura della Voce”, uno spazio interamente dedicato ai solisti che daranno vita alla monumentale Messa in Si minore di Johann Sebastian Bach per il nostro progetto 2026/27.

Il primo contributo video è affidato ad Arianna Stornello, soprano specializzato nel repertorio antico. Con lo spartito della grande Messa accanto a sé come un “nume tutelare”, Arianna ci confida il suo personale e devoto approccio a un autore che ama definire, con affetto, “il marziano” per la sua capacità di superare i codici puramente umani della melodia ed esprimersi attraverso vere e proprie architetture numeriche — quelle che Franco Battiato chiamerebbe “le meccaniche celesti”.

Dalla sfida tecnica di adattare alla voce femminile una scrittura originariamente pensata per le voci bianche dei fanciulli, fino alla commovente descrizione del Dona nobis pacem come una visione del Paradiso, questo video ci offre uno sguardo intimo e profondo sull’arte del canto bachiano.

Buona visione!

The Architecture of the Voice: Bach’s Universe According to Arianna Stornello

The soprano soloist takes us behind the scenes of the Bach Project 2026/27, discussing “celestial mechanics” and the awe of the Mass in B minor.

Dear friends of Discanto,

Within our series The Baroque Workshop, today we launch a new dedicated feature titled “The Architecture of the Voice”—a space entirely focused on the soloists who will bring Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor to life for our 2026/27 project.

Our first video contribution comes from Arianna Stornello, a soprano specialized in early music. With the score of the great Mass by her side as a “guardian spirit,” Arianna shares her deeply personal and devotional approach to a composer she affectionately calls “the Martian.” She reflects on his unique ability to transcend purely human melodic codes, expressing himself instead through numerical architectures—what the Italian songwriter Franco Battiato would define as “celestial mechanics.”

From the technical challenge of adapting a vocal line originally written for young boy choristers to a mature female voice, to her moving description of the Dona nobis pacem as a vision of Heaven, this video offers an intimate and profound look into the art of Bach’s vocal music.

Enjoy the video!

Scopriremo come la riforma luterana e l’eredità della Devotio Moderna abbiano plasmato un’idea di musica non come spettacolo, ma come orazione e trasformazione interiore. Marco ci svela il parallelo affascinante tra Bach e Beato Angelico: due artisti che hanno saputo trasformare il rigore tecnico in uno spazio sacro dove l’umano incontra l’infinito.

Un viaggio tra fede e contrappunto, per capire perché questa Messa sia, a tutti gli effetti, la Summa Theologica della musica occidentale.

Bach and the “Summa” of the Sacred: A Dialogue between Music and Art

From Devotio Moderna to Fra Angelico: Marco Bugatti leads us into the spiritual heart of the Mass in B Minor.

In this new installment of The Baroque Workshop, we shift our perspective to look “inside” J.S. Bach’s music through the eyes of art history and spirituality. Together with Marco Bugatti, singer of the Discanto Vocal Ensemble and art historian, we explore the deep roots that make the Mass in B Minor a universal masterpiece.

We will discover how the Lutheran Reformation and the legacy of Devotio Moderna shaped an idea of music not as entertainment, but as prayer and inner transformation. Marco reveals the fascinating parallel between Bach and Fra Angelico: two artists who transformed technical rigor into a sacred space where the human meets the infinite.

A journey through faith and counterpoint, to understand why this Mass is, in every respect, the Summa Theologica of Western music.

Oggi abbiamo il piacere di ospitare Anna Maria Barbaglia, fagottista che collaborerà con il Discanto Vocal Ensemble e Consort per il nostro progetto Bach 2026-2027.

In questo video, Anna Maria ci introduce alle affascinanti sonorità del fagotto barocco, mostrandoci una fedele copia di un modello francese Prudent del XVIII secolo. Dalla “dulciana” rinascimentale fino alle evoluzioni del periodo classico e moderno, scopriremo come questo strumento sia passato dall’essere un solido sostegno per il basso continuo a diventare un protagonista virtuosistico nelle mani di giganti come Vivaldi e Mozart.

Buona visione!

History and technique of a fascinating instrument

Anna Maria Barbaglia guides us through the evolution of the bassoon: from the ancient dulcian to the challenges of the Mass in B Minor.

Dear friends of Bottega Barocca,

We continue our journey toward J.S. Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor. Today, we are pleased to host Anna Maria Barbaglia, an esteemed bassoonist who will collaborate with the Discanto Vocal Ensemble and Consort for our Bach 2026-2027 project.

In this video, Anna Maria introduces us to the fascinating sounds of the Baroque bassoon, showing us a faithful copy of an 18th-century French Prudent model. From the Renaissance “dulcian” to the evolutions of the Classical and modern periods, we will discover how this instrument transitioned from being a solid support for the basso continuo to becoming a virtuosic protagonist in the hands of giants like Vivaldi and Mozart.

Enjoy the video!

siamo abituati a pensare a Johann Sebastian Bach come al “Grande Architetto”, il maestro supremo del contrappunto e del rigore formale. Ma se vi dicessi che in lui viveva anche un profondo spirito teatrale?

Sebbene Bach non abbia mai composto un’opera, la sua musica è intrisa di una drammaturgia sacra straordinaria. Lo vediamo nelle Passioni e lo ritroviamo qui, nella monumentale Messa in Si minore, specialmente nelle arie e nei duetti.

In questo video, ci addentriamo nel cuore del Christe Eleison. Incastonato tra le due colonne di granito dei Kyrie, il Christe rappresenta un’oasi di lirismo. Bach sceglie consapevolmente lo stile galante e la retorica dell’opera napoletana per dare un volto umano alla preghiera.

Bach ci suggerisce che Dio non è solo una figura trascendente e inscrutabile, ma una presenza accessibile all’affetto dell’uomo. Qui, l’eros operistico diventa il mezzo per comprendere l’agape, l’amore divino.

Vi auguro una buona visione e un buon ascolto con l’esecuzione diretta da Andrea Marcon.

Beyond Counterpoint: The Soul’s Song in the Christe

An analysis of the soprano duet: when the rhetoric of love turns into prayer.

Dear friends,

we often think of Johann Sebastian Bach as the “Great Architect,” the supreme master of counterpoint and formal rigor. But what if I told you that a profound theatrical spirit lived within him too?

Although Bach never composed an opera, his music is steeped in an extraordinary sacred dramaturgy. We see it in the Passions and find it again here, in the monumental Mass in B Minor, specifically in the arias and duets.

In this video, we dive into the heart of the Christe Eleison. Nestled between the two granite pillars of the Kyrie movements, the Christe represents an oasis of lyricism. Bach consciously chooses the style galante and the rhetoric of Neapolitan opera to give a human face to prayer.

Bach suggests that God is not just a transcendent and inscrutable figure, but a presence accessible to human affection. Here, operatic eros becomes the means to understand agape, divine love.

Enjoy the video and the music, in this performance conducted by Andrea Marcon.

Insieme ad Anna Scolamiero, entriamo nel cuore della prassi esecutiva barocca per svelare uno dei suoi misteri più affascinanti: il Basso Continuo.

Spesso lo spartito di un clavicembalista barocco sembra incompleto, costellato da piccoli numeri sotto la linea del basso. Ma quei numeri non sono semplici cifre: sono un codice, un’ossatura armonica che lascia al musicista la libertà dell’improvvisazione e dell’interpretazione.

Buona visione in questa nostra bottega barocca!

🇬🇧 English Version

Beyond the Score: The Numerical Codes of Basso Continuo

How numbers transform into harmony inside the Baroque workshop.

Welcome back to our journey toward Bach 2026.

This week, our “Musicology Insight” takes us to a truly magical setting: the workshop of master builder Carlo Mascheroni, where we are surrounded by the visual and acoustic beauty of extraordinary harpsichords. Together with Anna Scolamiero, we dive into the heart of Baroque performance practice to reveal one of its most fascinating mysteries: Basso Continuo.

To the untrained eye, a Baroque harpsichordist’s score often looks incomplete, dotted with small numbers beneath the bass line. But those numbers are more than just digits—they are a code, a harmonic backbone that grants the musician the freedom of improvisation and personal interpretation.

In this video, we will explore:

• The difference between a modern accompanist and a Baroque “continuista.”

• A practical demonstration using Pachelbel’s famous Canon.

• How the harpsichord and organ will share their roles in our upcoming performance of the Mass in B Minor.

Enjoy this deep dive into our Baroque workshop!

In questi tre mesi abbiamo lavorato intensamente, studiando le fondamenta di quest’opera e il contesto in cui è nata. Oggi, quel cantiere sta finalmente diventando realtà.

Perché un crowdfunding? Voglio essere molto onesto con voi. Questa produzione sta prendendo vita grazie al sostegno di partner privati e committenti coraggiosi. Le istituzioni, per ora, sono rimaste a guardare. Ma noi crediamo che la cultura non debba essere un privilegio di pochi, bensì un’offerta preziosa destinata a tutto il nostro territorio.

Per raggiungere l’eccellenza che un capolavoro del genere richiede — coinvolgendo solisti e strumentisti di alto livello — abbiamo bisogno di una comunità che si faccia custode di questa bellezza.

Come puoi partecipare alla costruzione: Il tuo sostegno può prendere tre forme diverse, ognuna fondamentale:

• Il 5x1000 (Sostegno a costo zero): Basta una firma e il nostro Codice Fiscale (91133390152) nella tua dichiarazione dei redditi. È un modo per dire “io ci sono” senza alcun impegno economico.

• Donazione tramite il nostro Sito: Che lanceremo a breve, per chi desidera contribuire anche con un piccolo gesto simbolico tramite PayPal.

• Bonifico Bancario: Per un sostegno più strutturato. Essendo il Discanto una APS, la tua donazione è detraibile per il 30%.

👉 IBAN: IT98D0844033150000000405404

BCC Carate Brianza - filiale di Giussano

Intestato a: Discanto Vocal Ensemble APS

Causale: “Erogazione liberale Progetto Bach 2026/27”

⚠️ IMPORTANTE: Ricordati di indicare il tuo codice fiscale per la detrazione.

Grazie per aver scelto di abitare questa cattedrale insieme a noi. Senza il vostro aiuto queste pagine resterebbero solo carta; con voi, diventeranno suono.

Buona musica.

PLANT A SEED OF BEAUTY

Subtitle: Support the Bach Project 2026/27

There is an image that has stayed with me since the very beginning of this journey: the Mass in B Minor not merely as a musical score, but as a cathedral. An immense structure, built of counterpoints that intertwine like Gothic arches, envisioned by its architect, Johann Sebastian Bach, to uplift the spirit of all who hear it.

Over the past three months, we have worked intensely, studying the foundations of this masterpiece and the context in which it was born. Today, that construction site is finally becoming a reality.

Why crowdfunding? I want to be very honest with you. This production is coming to life thanks to the support of private partners and courageous patrons. For now, public institutions have remained on the sidelines. Yet, we believe that culture should not be the privilege of a few, but a precious gift for our entire community.

To achieve the excellence that such a masterpiece demands—involving top-tier soloists and instrumentalists—we need a community that acts as a guardian of this beauty.

How you can join the construction: Your support can take three different forms, each one fundamental:

• The “5x1000” (Zero-cost support): For those filing taxes in Italy, a simple signature and our Tax Code (91133390152) is all it takes. It is a way to say “I am here” without any personal financial commitment.

• Donations via our Website: Launching soon, for those who wish to contribute even a small symbolic gesture via PayPal.

• Bank Transfer: For more structured support. As “Discanto” is a registered APS (Social Promotion Association), your donation is 30% tax-deductible. (Only for Italian donators)

👉 IBAN: IT98D0844033150000000405404 Bank: BCC Carate Brianza - Giussano Branch Account Holder: Discanto Vocal Ensemble APS Payment Reference: “Erogazione liberale Progetto Bach 2026/27”

⚠️ IMPORTANT (Only for Italian donators): Please remember to include your Tax Code (Codice Fiscale) for tax deduction purposes.

Thank you for choosing to inhabit this cathedral with us. Without your help, these pages would remain mere paper; with you, they will become sound.

Enjoy the music.

🇬🇧 English Version

The Regal Sound

Calogero Contino and the secrets of the Baroque trumpet

Welcome to a new installment of “La Bottega Barocca”. In this episode, trumpeter Calogero Contino guides us through the history and mechanics of an instrument that defined an era: the natural trumpet. From the intricate physics of the harmonic series to its historical ties with the aristocracy — still preserved in the ceremonial colors of its cords and tassels — we explore how this “naked” instrument becomes a powerful voice of both spirituality and triumph. An essential look into the heart of Bach’s musical language.

In questo video entriamo nel cuore di quel linguaggio, usando come porta d’ingresso le prime battute del Kyrie I della Messa in Si minore. Vedremo come Bach costruisce il suo “discorso” retorico: dall’esordio accordale con le tre invocazioni del Kyrie eleison — figura dell’epizeuxis, la supplica insistente — fino al soggetto della fuga, dove il saltus duriusculus e la suspiratio trasformano ogni nota in una parola precisa.

E capiremo perché eseguire quella musica in legato romantico non è una scelta stilistica — è tradire il testo.

Music as Oration

Rhetoric, symbols and affections in Bach’s secret language

Bach’s music is never an end in itself. It is a language — precise, codified, built to move the listener’s affections just as an oration moves its audience.

In this video we enter the heart of that language, using the opening bars of the Kyrie I from the Mass in B minor as our way in. We will see how Bach constructs his rhetorical “discourse”: from the chordal exordium with its three invocations of Kyrie eleison — the figure of epizeuxis, the insistent supplication — to the fugue subject, where the saltus duriusculus and the suspiratio transform every note into a precise word.

And we will understand why performing that music in Romantic legato is not a stylistic choice — it is a betrayal of the text.

Inside the Baroque Sound

Daniele Arzuffi and the secrets of the Baroque oboe

In this episode of La Bottega Barocca, Daniele Arzuffi — oboist of Discanto Consort — gives us a close look at the characteristics of the Baroque oboe: how it is built, how it is played, and what sets it apart from the modern instrument. A way to start listening to Bach’s music with different ears.

Inside the Kyrie I - The play of voices

Counterpoint explained in color

In the previous episodes we told the story of how Bach came to Leipzig. Then we stepped closer to the music: the four-bar gateway. Today we go one step further. We enter the first Kyrie — the most complex, the most “Bachian” — and we try to understand how counterpoint works. What a fugue is, how the voices chase and overlap each other, why this technique was considered the highest form of compositional art. We will follow the voices directly on the score, each one in a different colour — so you can see them moving as you listen. No technical jargon. Just the right words to understand what is happening.