A stylistic comparison of two cantata settings based on the chorale 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland' by G. P. Telemann and J. S. Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and George Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) were contemporary German Baroque composers who wrote cantatas for the Lutheran Church Service. Both Bach and Telemann composed settings of the chorale "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland." This study compares the cantata settings by analyzing the music and investigating the historical context in which they were written. Because both cantatas use "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" as the cantus firmus in the opening movement and because the texts for both cantatas are virtually identical, they provide a rare opportunity for a comparison of the styles of Bach and Telemann.;Performance practice is investigated in this study only to the extent that it is applicable to the performance settings of the cantatas under consideration. Guidelines for preparing performances of each cantata are given based on historical information. The dissertation concludes with a summary of the findings. Strong similarities were found in the two cantata settings, but, dissimilarities also exist. These findings may help to explain the reasons why Bach cantatas are performed more frequently than those of Telemann.;The following questions are among those considered: (1) How does each composer treat the chorale melody? (2) Are the solo voices used in similar fashion? (3) Are there any overall tonal schemes that would suggest similar compostitional attitudes?...