-A N A L Y S I SEs ist das heil uns kommen her Bach Chorale Harmonization No. 4
#### 4 œ & 4 œ
œœ œ œœ œœ n œœ
6
œ œœœ œœ œœ
j œ œœœ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ ? #### 4 œ 4 (E:)
œ œ
U
I
V6
V7
I
viiJ`7`/IV
V7`/IV
IV I
(IV:) V7
IV I
V6
U
#### 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & 4 œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ ? #### 4 œ 4
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ# œœ œ œ
ii``viiK`6` I6
V
I
#### 4 & 4 œ œ œœ œœ
V6
œ œœœ œ œ œ I
V^4
V
I IV|I
œ nœ œ œ œœœ œ
12
œ ? #### 4 œ 4
IV6
(ii:)
œœ V7`/IV
6
%3
œœœ œ œ
IV
œœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ
IV|I
V^4
I6
V/V|I
j œ # œj œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ .. œœ œ 6
I
vi V/V|V 7
I6
V7
U
œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ nœ œ œ œ œ
I
IV
4 4 (B:)
U
œ œœ œœ
nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ #œ œ
œ œ œœ # œœ
œ œ œœ# œ œ œœ œ œ œ
IV
œœ œ œ .. œ œ 44 œœœ œ œ
œœ œ œœ œœ # œ œ
vi```ii^4 viiK`7`/ii ii V/ii I viiK7 i V VII v`````i^4
œœ œ œ œ
U
6
ii6
V
V
IV6
I
V
V6`/V V (E:)
œ œ œ œ j .. œ œ œ œœ œ œ J œ œ # œ œ .. œœ œ œ œ I
V
I
V$2`/IV|V$2
I
4 4 4 4
-C O M M E N T A R Y-
(1) The tonicization of the subdominant works nicely as a predecessor to the V6 . I think it is worth noting how often Bach
includes a passing tone with an accidental in order to further make the listener aware of the new tonal center. It may be worth pointing out that the first half of beat 4 in measure could be analyzed as a bVII chord in EMajor (IV in the key of IV)
(2) Harmonically, this is a very strange area. Starting at measure 9, we tonicize F#minor, which is a ii chord in the home key
of E Major. We see something odd at the fermata as Bach acts like he will tonicize the ii again. Instead, he moves back to the I chord. I believe each voice plays a role to support this abrupt harmonic change: The soprano is a common tone, the alto is part of a chromatic line from F# down to D#, the tenor is moving stepwise (and somewhat sequentially with the D, C# | C#, B gesture) and the bass is in the process of repeating the leap of a 4th gesture (F# to C# followed by E to B). We can also think about the chromatic-thirds relationship that some modern composers have used to change harmonies that are a third away from one another (C#Maj to EMaj). We could even look at this harmonic exchange through a Neo-Riemannian lense. Perhaps post-Bach composers would move from C#Maj to EMaj via a parallel and then leading tone exchange? (Learn more about Neo-Riemannian theory at the Wikiepdia address below). As we head into the final two measures, listen to the harmonic ambiguity that this abrupt harmonic exchange creates.
(3) Most theory classes teach that follwing a V chord, the harmony can change to some type of I or some type of VI chord.
There are also some instances where the V chord can become a pivot chord and then a I in the dominant key area or something. One thing that Bach often does is he moves from V to a IV chord in 1st inversion. Here is an excellent example of how Bach uses this progression, which leads to a surprise not only harmoincally but also contrapuntally. Look how the V to IV6 exchange creates the same type of bass motion that we would see in a deceptive cadence (V-vi). Bach uses this idea to ascend by step up to the tonic before the final cadential material occurs. I think it is useful to study how Bach is using harmonic inversions to create interesting bass lines.
Neo-Riemannian Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Riemannian_theory
-student harmonization#### 4 œ œ œ œ & 4 œœœ œœ œ
18
œœœ œ œ œœœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ
œœ œ œœ œ œœ n œœ
vi
ii
œœœ œœœ œ œ œœ œ œœ ? # # # # 4 œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œœœ œœ (E:)
23
&
####
? ####
I6
V^4
vi6
V
I
I6
ii7
V
(A:)
V^5
vi6
ii
a œœ
œœ
œ œ
˙ ˙
œ œ
˙ ˙
IV
(E:) IV
œœœ œ œ œ œ œ #œ
V
(B:)
^5
I
V^5`/ii
œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœ V7
I6
iiK6
V7
Here is my harmoniziation of this melody. I have included a few markings for points of voice exchange. You may note how most of them involve the soprano and bass. It is very easy to set these up as the bass usually is the first voice to be written in after the melody. I think this exercise (of harmonizing a melody and then comparing your harmonies to Bach's) is an excellent way to understand how to balance harmonic considerations with different melodic lines (thinking vertically and horizontally). For the most part, there is nothing 'out there' about these chords. They simply make sense with the melody that we are trying to harmonize, and we are simply creating interest with the various melodic lines.