Recordings at Bach’s Proportional Tempo
It is hard for me to describe how much joy applying the proportional method to Bach’s music has brought me. The best I can do is to show you an example, “Et incarnatus est” from the B Minor Mass. Most conductors use a tempo around 40 or 50 BPM, yielding a gentle, mysterious musical effect. However, this movement is from the section of the Mass called the Credo (meaning “I believe”). The title “Et incarnatus est” translates as “and it was a virgin [birth].” According to Luke 1:29, Mary was greatly troubled when the angel Gabriel appeared to her to announce the Virgin Birth. I know for sure, if I witnessed a supernatural being performing a miracle, I would be afraid; I’d be wondering what else they could do to me! Imagine my shock upon realizing the proportional tempo for this movement, 108 BPM, produces a driving, energetic effect, clearly expressing great surprise, and possibly fear as well. It is a completely different piece of music at this tempo. This realization not only transforms our understanding of this particular piece, but it also provides an inkling of what this biblical passage meant to Bach himself. Here is a synthesized version of “Et incarnatus est” at Bach’s proportional tempo.