The term comes from the rigorous terminology of the Meistersinger guilds of the 15th to 18th century who used it to refer to their songs and the songs of the predecessors, the minnesingers of the 12th to 14th century. In their work, a Bar is not a single stanza (which they called a Liet or Gesätz); rather, it is the whole song. The word Bar is most likely a shortening of Barat, denoting a skillful thrust in fencing. The term was used to refer to a particularly artful song – the type one composes in songwriters' guilds.
The AAB pattern does, however, describe each stanza in a Meistersinger's Bar, which is divided into two Stollen (A), which are collectively termed the Aufgesang, followed by an Abgesang. The musical form thus contains two repetitions of one melody (Stollen – 'stanzas') followed by a different melody (Abgesang – 'aftersong'). One such tune (Ton in Meistersinger terminology) by Hans Folz (c1437–1513) illustrates this:
Note that the B section is not necessarily the same length as each A section. The B section can also incorporate parts of the A section's phrase: in the above example, the final 14 notes of the B section match the final 14 notes of each A section (see also Rundkanzone). In this example, the 17 never-repeated notes starting the B section would have been called a Steg by the Meistersingers: literally, "bridge"; whence comes the term for a contrasting section in popular music.
Modern use
Composer Richard Wagner in act III of his opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, used the word Bar incorrectly as referring to a stanza of the prize song. This was based on his misreading of Wagenseil.[1] In addition, Bach's famous biographer Spitta in his monumental 1873–80 biography,[2] emphasized the role of Lutheran chorales, almost all of which are in AAB form, in what he considered the most mature of Bach's cantatas. Composer Johannes Brahms claimed the AAB form of the chorale "Jesu, meine Freude" generates larger formal structures in Bach's motet of the same name. Subsequent popularity and study of the use of AAB stanzas in Bach's and Wagner's works has led to wide adoption of the term Bar form for any song or larger musical form that can be rationalized to a three part AAB form with the first part repeating.
Such AAB forms may be found in works ranging from Lutheran chorales to "The Star-Spangled Banner" to songs by Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Bartok made use of the Bar form in the 20th Century, and most blues follow the pattern "A1A2B."
The German musicologist Alfred Lorenz, in his studies of Wagner, abstracted the concept of barform to include anything resembling an AAB structure at any level of scale:
"The essence of the Bar does not reside in the actual length, but in the distribution of its powers. Whether the Bar occupies 3 measures or 1,000 is irrelevant; it is always a regular Bar if [its] essence is fulfilled: a double appearance as against a single balancing occurrence of equal weight."[3]
Lorenz argues that this short-short-long structuring principle occurring at multiple scales at once gives Wagner's music its feeling of ever-present forward momentum.
See also
Ode, traditionally in AAB form (strophe, antistrophe, epode)
^Wagenseil, Johann Christoph (1697). De sacri rom. imperii libera civitate noribrgensi commentatio, appendix Buch von der Meister-Singer Holdseligen Kunst. Altdorf.
^Spitta, Phillip (1873–1880). Johann Sebastian Bach, 2 vols. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel.
^Alfred Lorenz, Das Geheimnis der Form bei Richard Wagner, vol. 1 (Berlin: Max Hesse, 1924-1933. Reprint, Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1966): 145, quoted and translated by Stephen McClatchie, Analyzing Wagners Operas: Alfred Lorenz and German Nationalist Ideology (Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 1998): 130-131
January 26, 2023
form, electronics, form, factor, form, german, barform, musical, form, pattern, contents, original, modern, also, referencesoriginal, editthe, term, comes, from, rigorous, terminology, meistersinger, guilds, 15th, 18th, century, used, refer, their, songs, song. For the electronics form factor see Bar form Bar form German die Barform or der Bar is a musical form of the pattern AAB Contents 1 Original use 2 Modern use 3 See also 4 ReferencesOriginal use EditThe term comes from the rigorous terminology of the Meistersinger guilds of the 15th to 18th century who used it to refer to their songs and the songs of the predecessors the minnesingers of the 12th to 14th century In their work a Bar is not a single stanza which they called a Liet or Gesatz rather it is the whole song The word Bar is most likely a shortening of Barat denoting a skillful thrust in fencing The term was used to refer to a particularly artful song the type one composes in songwriters guilds The AAB pattern does however describe each stanza in a Meistersinger s Bar which is divided into two Stollen A which are collectively termed the Aufgesang followed by an Abgesang The musical form thus contains two repetitions of one melody Stollen stanzas followed by a different melody Abgesang aftersong One such tune Ton in Meistersinger terminology by Hans Folz c1437 1513 illustrates this Note that the B section is not necessarily the same length as each A section The B section can also incorporate parts of the A section s phrase in the above example the final 14 notes of the B section match the final 14 notes of each A section see also Rundkanzone In this example the 17 never repeated notes starting the B section would have been called a Steg by the Meistersingers literally bridge whence comes the term for a contrasting section in popular music Modern use EditComposer Richard Wagner in act III of his opera Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg used the word Bar incorrectly as referring to a stanza of the prize song This was based on his misreading of Wagenseil 1 In addition Bach s famous biographer Spitta in his monumental 1873 80 biography 2 emphasized the role of Lutheran chorales almost all of which are in AAB form in what he considered the most mature of Bach s cantatas Composer Johannes Brahms claimed the AAB form of the chorale Jesu meine Freude generates larger formal structures in Bach s motet of the same name Subsequent popularity and study of the use of AAB stanzas in Bach s and Wagner s works has led to wide adoption of the term Bar form for any song or larger musical form that can be rationalized to a three part AAB form with the first part repeating Such AAB forms may be found in works ranging from Lutheran chorales to The Star Spangled Banner to songs by Schubert Schumann and Brahms Bartok made use of the Bar form in the 20th Century and most blues follow the pattern A1A2B The German musicologist Alfred Lorenz in his studies of Wagner abstracted the concept of barform to include anything resembling an AAB structure at any level of scale The essence of the Bar does not reside in the actual length but in the distribution of its powers Whether the Bar occupies 3 measures or 1 000 is irrelevant it is always a regular Bar if its essence is fulfilled a double appearance as against a single balancing occurrence of equal weight 3 Lorenz argues that this short short long structuring principle occurring at multiple scales at once gives Wagner s music its feeling of ever present forward momentum See also EditOde traditionally in AAB form strophe antistrophe epode Ternary form ABA References EditHarvard Concise Dictionary of Music entries on Bar form and minnesingers ISBN 0 674 37471 1 Encyclopaedia Britannica 2005 article on Bar form 1 A History of Western Music by Donald Grout ISBN 0 393 09416 2 Wagenseil Johann Christoph 1697 De sacri rom imperii libera civitate noribrgensi commentatio appendix Buch von der Meister Singer Holdseligen Kunst Altdorf Spitta Phillip 1873 1880 Johann Sebastian Bach 2 vols Leipzig Breitkopf amp Hartel Alfred Lorenz Das Geheimnis der Form bei Richard Wagner vol 1 Berlin Max Hesse 1924 1933 Reprint Tutzing Hans Schneider 1966 145 quoted and translated by Stephen McClatchie Analyzing Wagners Operas Alfred Lorenz and German Nationalist Ideology Rochester University of Rochester Press 1998 130 131 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bar form amp oldid 1007959616, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
