The Study Of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sacred Music In The Field Of Acceptance History

From the perspective of reception theory,this paper takes the religious music work of Johann Sebastian Bach—the St Matthew’s Passionas an example to study Bach’s religious music.The thesis chiefly regards the "horizon of expectation" which has been put forward by Hans Robert Jauss in his reception theory as the cardinal methodology,and elaborates on the acceptance of the work in the 18 th and 19 th centuries.Therefore,on this basis,it is concluded that if music receivers in different periods held various horizons of expectation,their attitudes towards the same musical work would be different,such as their understandings and receptions to religious and dramatic factors.Finally,it arouses the reflection of "how to treat Bach’s sacred music works".The thesis contains four chapters.In the first chapter,the development of reception theory in the field of western music history is described,andthen the reception theory ofJauss and his important methodology— "horizon of expectation" which is the main methodology of this paper are described in detail.In the second chapter,the acceptance of the St MatthewPassion as a functional music in the 18 th century is discussed from three aspects,that is,the religious culture of Leipzig,Germany,the musical activities of Thomaskircheand the audiences of first generation.The third chapter discusses the acceptance of the St MatthewPassion as an absolute music in the 19 th century from three facets which contain the romantic trend of thought and German national revival,"Bach Revival Movement" andFelix Mendelssohn’s repetition of the St MatthewPassion.In the last chapter,reflections are made on this phenomenon from the perspective of music history and the field of acceptance history.