Johann Michael Johann Christoph Bach Complete Organ Music Stefano Molardi 1642-1703 1648-1694 Complete Organ Music

Johann Christoph Bach Johann Christoph Bach Johann Christoph Bach 71. Herr Christ, der einig 1. Praeludium E-flat 2’11 Aria Eberliniana, theme & variations Aria variata Gottes Sohn 1’36 2. Fuga in E-flat 4’17 20. Aria 1’12 46. Aria 0’58 72. Dies sind die heiligen 3. Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder 1’39 21. Variatio 1 1’06 47. Variatio 1 0’45 zehn Gebote 0’58 4. Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, 22. Variatio 2 0’59 48. Variatio 2 0’42 73. Wo Gott zum Haus nicht Variatio 1 2’40 23. Variatio 3 0’55 49. Variatio 3 0’41 gibt sein Gunst 1’36 5. Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, 24. Variatio 4 0’54 50. Variatio 4 0’50 74. Wenn mein Stündlein Variatio 2 3’49 25. Variatio 5 0’54 51. Variatio 5 0’48 vorhanden 1’48 26. Variatio 6 0’55 52. Variatio 6 0’49 75. Mit Fried und Freud ich Johann Michael Bach 27. Variatio 7 0’49 53. Variatio 7 0’56 fahr dahin 1’05 6. Nun komm, der Heiden 28. Variatio 8 0’52 54. Variatio 8 0’52 Heiland 1’31 29. Variatio 9 0’58 55. Variatio 9 0’55 Johann Michael Bach 7. Meine Seele erhebt den 30. Variatio 10 0’56 56. Variatio 10 0’46 76. Komm her zu mir, Herren, Versus 1 1’28 31. Variatio 11 1’06 57. Variatio 11 0’48 spricht Gottes Sohn 2’21 8. Meine Seele erhebt den 32. Variatio 12 0’51 58. Variatio 12 1’01 77. Der du bist drei in Einigkeit 2’58 Herren, Versus 2, 3 2’12 33. Variatio 13 0’54 59. Variatio 13 1’08 78. Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr 3’26 9. Herr Christ, der einig 34. Variatio 14 0’51 60. Variatio 14 0’49 79. Mag ich Unglück nicht Gottes Sohn 1’30 35. Variatio 15 0’52 61. Variatio 15 0’49 widerstahn 3’46 10. Nun freut euch, 80. Dies sind die heilgen lieben Christen gmein 2’48 36. Ach Gott vom Himmel 62. Nun lob mein Seel den Herrn 1’02 zehn Gebot 2’24 11. Nun freut euch, lieben Christen sieh darein 1’22 63. Nun freut euch lieben Christen 1’13 81. Auf meinen lieben Gott 4’16 gmein/Es ist gewißlich 37. Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen 1’50 64. Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herrn 2’00 82. Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren 2’15 and der Zeit 2’54 38. Aus tiefer Not 2’11 65. Wenn wir in höchsten 83. Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt 2’10 12. Gott hat das Evangelium (I) 2’40 39. Ein feste Burg 1’26 Nöten sein 1’47 84. Warum betrübst du dich, 13. Gott hat das Evangelium (II) 4’03 40. Ich dich hab ich gehoffte Herr 2’18 66. Durch Adams Fall 1’18 mein Herz 2’37 14. Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ 2’46 41. Vater unser im Himmelreich 1’57 67. Es ist das Heil uns kommen her 0’56 85. Von Gott will ich nicht lassen 3’23 15. 3’13 42. Es woll uns Gott genädig sein 0’59 68. Ich ruf zu dir Herr Jesu Christ 1’45 86. Er spricht der Unweisen 16. Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, 43. Allein zu dir Herr Jesu Christ 1’25 69. Auf meinen lieben Gott 1’55 Mund wohl 1’24 der den Tod überwand 3’02 44. Wir glauben all an einem Gott 1’15 70. O Herre Gott, 17. O Herre Gott, Vater 45. Wir glauben all an dein göttlich Wort 1’43 in Ewigkeit Versus 1 1’33 einem Gott (II) 1’26 18. Christe, aller Welt Heiland, Versus 2 1’15 19. O Gott, heiliger Geist, Versus 3 1’34 Johann Christoph Bach 110. Wenn wir in höchsten Johann Christoph Bach 1642-1703 – Johann Michael Bach 1648-1694 87. Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn 1’40 Nöten sein, Versus 1 0’56 Complete Organ Music 88. Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr 1’10 111. Wenn wir in höchsten 89. Herr Jesu Christ dich Nöten sein, Versus 2 1’16 One of the most important members of the , Johann Christoph exercised a zu uns wend 0’47 112. Wenn wir in höchsten major influence on the musical education of his nephew, Johann Sebastian. He was born 90. Liebster Jesu wir sind hier 1’25 Nöten sein, Versus 3 0’40 in Arnstadt in 1642, becoming organist at the castle chapel in his hometown before 91. Wo Gott der Herr nicht 113. Ich ruf zu dir, moving to , where Johann Sebastian was born and grew up. He continued bei uns hält 2’06 Herr Jesu Christ (I) 1’51 to live in Eisenach until his death in 1703, which meant that he never got to see the 92. Erhalt uns Herr bei 114. Ich ruf zu dir, completion of the new grand organ he had designed for the Church of S. Georg. deinem Wort 1’12 Herr Jesu Christ (II) 3’31 While a certain number of Johann Christoph’s vocal compositions have come down 93. Kommt her zu mir 1’19 115. Ach Gott, vom Himmel to us, many of them later performed by his nephew in Leipzig, his extant keyboard 94. Wär Gott nicht mit sieh darein 1’45 works are very few. They comprise a prelude and fugue, and three cycles of variations uns dieser Zeit 1’43 116. Komm, Gott Schöpfer, on chorales. The ‘free’ pieces reveal an inventive spirit, fantasy and a certain skill 95. Ach Gott und Herr 1’42 heiliger Geist 2’13 in handling counterpoint and the use of affetti, all of which won him considerable 96. Jesu der du meine Seele 1’33 acclaim within the Bach family. Carl Philipp Emanuel was full of praise for him, 97. Erbarm dich mein o Heere Gott 1’48 Johann Christoph Bach describing him as a “composer of depth” in the ‘cantabile’ galant style, accomplished 98. Ach Herr mich armen Sünder 2’23 117. An Wasserflüssen Babylon 3’15 on the organ as well as the harpsichord and skilled in the way he dealt with individual 99. Gott sei gelobet und 118. Wenn Gott vertraut, voices (“not less than five independent voices…”). gebenedeiet 1’01 hat wohl gebaut 2’56 Johann Christoph was unquestionably an important representative of the musical 100. Jesus Christus unser Heiland 1’52 tradition of central Germany, which had absorbed the influence of Italian-style 101. Wie schön leuchtet Johann Christoph Bach melody and affetti and also shared a predilection for the Partita, as favoured by der Morgenstern 1’04 Sarabanda variata Frescobaldi. Another great musician from the same school was Johann Pachelbel, 102. Ich dank dir lieber Herre 1’07 119. Sarabanda 0’53 who was a friend and colleague of Johann Christoph during the years in which they 103. Aus meines Herzens Grunde 0’42 120. Variatio 1 0’54 worked together in Eisenach (1677-78). Pachelbel was also to become the master of 104. Ich dank dir schon 0’55 121. Variatio 2 0’54 another Johann Christoph, the older brother of Johann Sebastian who provided his 105. Christ der du bist der helle Tag 1’52 122. Variatio 3 0’39 younger sibling with a home in Ohrdruf following the death of their parents. This 106. Warum betrübst du 123. Variatio 4 0’53 musical milieu was to offer the young orphan an important framework and some dich mein Herz 2’12 124. Variatio 5 0’51 noteworthy models for his own work as a composer. 125. Variatio 6 1’14 Chromatism is one of the main features of the compositions that have down to us Johann Michael Bach 126. Variatio 7 0’56 by Johann Christoph. The handling of colour was part of the affetti that were typical 107. Wo Gott der Herr nicht 127. Variatio 8 0’46 of the work of Frescobaldi and Monteverdi, and before them of Gesualdo and the bei uns hält 2’00 128. Variatio 9 0’52 Neapolitan school of the early baroque period. In particular in the Prelude and fugue 108. Wenn mein Stündlein 129. Variatio 10 1’02 in E flat major the use of chromatism invests the composition with pathos, suggesting vorhanden ist 3’12 130. Variatio 11 0’50 that it should be played as a “fuga grave”, in the words of J.G. Walther, cousin of J.S. 109. In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr 2’05 131. Variatio 12 0’54 Bach, in his Musicalisches Lexicon, published in Leipzig in 1732. Outstanding among the set of variations is the Aria Eberliniana, based on an aria “pro dormente Camillo” that is thought to have been composed by Daniel Eberlin, Stefano Molardi organ Volckland-Organ 1732-37 at the Cruciskirche in Erfurt (Thuringia), Germany

Recording: September 2016, Cruciskirche, Erfurt, Germany Sound engineer: Simone Bellucci Cover photo: Simone Bellucci, detail of the Volckland-Organ at the Cruciskirche in Einfurt, Germany. p & © 2017 Brilliant Classics the chapel master at the Eisenach court, and thus a colleague of Johann Christoph. Johann Christoph Bach 1642-1703 – Johann Michael Bach 1648-1694 Variation No.9 contains some interesting, indeed surprising chromatism. And the Opera completa per organo same is true for the Aria variata in which the chromatic element features at the end of the piece. The Sarabanda variata is based on a simple chaconne bass that is somewhat Una delle personalità più importanti della famiglia Bach, che ha fortemente reminiscent, even in key, of the famous Goldberg Variations. influenzato la formazione musicale di Johann Sebastian, è senz’altro lo zio di For the most part simple in structure, Johann Christoph’s chorales are largely quest’ultimo, Johann Christoph, nato ad Arnstadt nel 1642, ivi attivo in qualità di contained in the 44 Choräle zum Präambulieren. However, a few others are to be organista presso la cappella del castello, per poi trasferirsi ad Eisenach, località in cui found elsewhere (An Wasserflüssen Babylon, Wenn Gott vertraut, hat wohl gebaut, il piccolo Sebastian è nato e cresciuto. J. Christoph mori proprio ad Eisenach nel 1703 (tracks 117, 118), while the lovely Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder (tracks 3-5) features prima di vedere completato il nuovo grande organo, da lui progettato, della chiesa in an early edition of G. W. Körner’s Der neue Organist, published in Leipzig (no di S. Georg. Conserviamo di lui un certo numero di composizioni vocali (peraltro date). The 44 Choräle would mostly appear to be frameworks for improvisation. In successivamente eseguite a Lipsia dal nipote J. Sebastian), ma al contrario possediamo fact for these recordings I have added embellishments, along with diminutions and un esiguo numero di composizioni per tastiera, che comprendono un preludio e fuga, varied combinations of stops. tre cicli di variazioni ed elaborazioni di corali. I brani “liberi” testimoniano inventiva, fantasia ed una certa abilità nel contrappunto Considered a dedicated, skilful composer, Johann Michael Bach (1648-1694) was e nell’uso degli “affetti”, giustificando la grande considerazione che J. Christoph the brother of Johann Christoph, from whom he took over the position as organist ebbe all’interno della famiglia Bach, in cui lo stesso C. Ph. Emanuel si espresse in at Arnstadt Castle. His daughter Maria Barbara was later to become the first wife termini lusinghieri, definendolo “profondo compositore”, abile sia all’organo che of Johann Sebastian, and thus also mother of Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp al clavicembalo, nel raffinato uso delle singole voci (“non meno di cinque voci Emanuel, two of the most representative European musicians of the second half of indipendenti…”), e dallo stile cantabile e galante. In effetti Johann Christoph è the 1700s. Like those of his brother, Johann Michael’s compositions for the organ un importante rappresentante della scuola della Germania centrale, così intrisa di also reveal elements of counterpoint and melody, features that were also typical of cantabilità e di “affetti” derivati dall’Italia, come anche la predilezione per la forma Pachelbel. Indeed, it is difficult to attribute certain manuscript scores to one or the della Partita, di frescobaldiana memoria. Allo stesso modo era Johann Pachelbel, altro other with total conviction. At all events, the only extant organ works by Johann grande compositore della Germania centrale, amico e collega di Johann Christoph Michael are his organ chorales. These, along with those composed by Pachelbel, bear negli anni in cui lavoravano insieme a Eisenach (1677/78). Oltretutto Pachelbel sarà eloquent witness to the style developed within the Thuringian school. There are 24 anche maestro di un altro J. Christoph, fratello maggiore di J. Sebastian, che ospiterà of these chorales, based on the usual structure with the initial voices in pre-imitation, quest’ultimo nella sua casa a Ohrdruf dopo la morte dei genitori. Questa vicinanza followed by the exposition of the chorale melody in cantus firmus. Most of them “parentale” e musicale offrirà dei notevoli modelli durante l’apprendistato del giovane belong to the Neumeister manuscripts kept at Yale University in New Haven, a Sebastian, il quale farà sicuramente tesoro della musica imparata in famiglia. collection that famously also contains several chorales written by Johann Sebastian. In Una delle caratteristiche principali della musica (superstite) di J. Christoph è fact it also comprises various other chorales that are hard to attribute with certainty, certamente il cromatismo, elemento “affettivo” molto intenso, sfruttato da diversi though it is reasonable to suggest that they were composed by Johann Michael (Ich compositori quali Frescobaldi, Monteverdi e prima ancora da Gesualdo e dalla ruf zu dir, tracks 113-114), or within the Thuringian area. An important case in point scuola napoletana del primo barocco. In particolare nel Preludio e fuga in mi bemolle is the Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein (track 115), a work that was previously maggiore il cromatismo rende la composizione “pathetica” da suonarsi come “fuga attributed to Johann Michael and is now believed to be by J. H. Buttstedt, which is grave” secondo la definizione data da J. G. Walther, cugino di J. S. Bach, nel suo why it has been included in this recording. Musicalisches Lexicon, pubblicato a Lipsia nel 1732. © Stefano Molardi Riguardo al set di variazioni spicca sicuramente l’Aria Eberliniana, basata su Translated by Kate Singleton un’aria “pro dormente Camillo” presumibilmente composta da Daniel Eberlin, maestro di cappella presso la corte di Eisenach e collega di J. Christoph. La variazione n. 9 contiene interessanti e sorprendenti cromatismi. La stessa cosa vale per l’Aria variata in cui l’elemento cromatico è posto a chiusura del brano. La Sarabanda variata si basa su un semplicissimo basso di ciaccona, che assomiglia, anche nella tonalità, alle celebri Variazioni Goldberg. I corali di J. Christoph sono per lo più di semplice fattura e contenuti nei 44 Choräle zum Präambulieren, mentre pochi altri sono presenti in altre fonti (An Wasserflüssen Babylon, Wenn Gott vertraut, hat wohl gebaut, (tracks 117, 118), mentre il bellissimo Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder (CD 1, tracks 3-5) è contenuto in un’antica stampa di G. W. Körner dal titolo Der neue Organist, edita a Lipsia (senza data). I 44 Choräle sembrano essenzialmente degli schemi su cui improvvisare: nel presente progetto discografico sono stati aggiunti abbellimenti, diminuzioni, usando variegate combinazioni di registrazione.

Johann Michael Bach (1648-1694), fratello di Johann Christoph, di cui fu successore in qualità di organista al castello di Arnstadt, viene descritto come un compositore attento e preparato. Sua figlia Maria Barbara sarà la prima moglie di Johann Sebastian e madre di Wilhelm Friedemann e Carl Philipp Emanuel, due dei più rappresentativi musicisti europei del secondo ‘700. La musica per organo di Johann Michael risente anch’essa, come quella del fratello, di elementi contrappuntistici e ORGAN SPECIFICATIONS cantabili al tempo stesso, tipici anche di Pachelbel, tanto che in diversi casi, nelle Disposition der Volckland-Orgel 1732-37 – Cruciskirche, Erfurt (Thuringia) fonti originali, appare difficile attribuire certi brani all’uno o all’altro. Ad ogni modo i soli pezzi per organo che ci rimangono di J. Michael sono corali per organo, Hauptwerk c, d-c3 Brustwerk C, D-C3 che rappresentano la più importante testimonianza, insieme a Pachelbel, dello stile Principal 8' Principal 4' e della scuola organistica in Turingia. La maggior parte di questi corali (ben 24), Quintatön 16' Quintatön 8' basati secondo la consueta struttura con le voci iniziali in pre-imitazione, seguite Viola di Gamba 8' Gedackt 8' dall’esposizione della melodia del corale in cantus firmus, sono contenuti nella Gemshorn 8' Flaut douce 8' cosiddetta “collezione Neumeister” (Ms presso la Yale University, New Haven), Bordun 8' Nachthorn 4' divenuta celebre grazie al fatto che essa contiene anche parecchi corali elaborati da Traversière 8' Quinte 3' Johann Sebastian. Tale collezione contiene anche diversi altri corali che sono in realtà Octave 4' Octave 2' di difficile attribuzione, ma che possono essere ascrivibili a J. Michael Ich( ruf zu dir, Quinte 3' Terz 1D/f' tracks 113-114) o all’area della Turingia, come nel caso di Ach Gott, vom Himmel Sesquialtera Mixtur 4f. sieh darein (track 115), di J. H. Buttstedt e precedentemente attribuito a J. Michael, Octave 2' unica eccezione all’interno del presente CD. Mixtur 4f. © Stefano Molardi Cymbel 4f. Pedal C, D-C1 Vox humana 8' Principal 16’ Violone 16’ Glockenspiel Subbaβ 16’ Tremulant Oktave 8’ Octave 4’ Ventilzug Posaune 16’ Manualschiebekoppel II/I Pedalkoppel an Hauptwerk Stimmung: Kirnberger II Born in Cremona, Stefano Molardi is an organist, Molardi has also conducted various instrumental and vocal concerts in Italy, musicologist, harpsichordist and conductor Hungary, France, Germany, Austria, Spain and the USA, including works such as who studied under various eminent musicians Bach’s St Matthew Passion (Ferrara, church of S. Cristoforo alla Certosa), Bach’s St. such as E. Viccardi, D. Costantini, E. Kooiman, John Passion and Magnificat (Ferrara), the Mozart Requiem (Festival dell’Aurora in C. Stembridge, H. Vogel and L. F. Tagliavini, Crotone), operas such as Ademira by Lucchesi (1784), performed at the Teatro Dovisi as well as Michael Radulescu, with whom he in Bibbiena, Mitridate by Porpora (1730-36) at the Teatro Caldéron in Valladolid, specialized at the Hochschule für Musik (now the Vivaldi’s Il Farnace and Il Giustino at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, and the Musikuniversität) in Vienna, and with whom he Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and other concerts in Bilbao, Oldenburg, now plays as basso continuo at the Académie Bach Rheingau, Cremona (Festival Monteverdi), Paris, Nantes, Munich, Innsbruck, in Porrentruy, Switzerland. London, Montpellier, Schwetzingen, Dachau, Miami, Istanbul, Valencia, Zaragoza, Winner of numerous national and international Fukuoka, Tokyo etc. organ competitions, including those of Pasian di Since 2013 he has been director of the Accademia Barocca Italiana, the orchestra Prato (Udine) in 1998, Viterbo (1996), Bruges that took over from I Virtuosi delle Muse. That same year he also recorded J.S. Bach’s and the Paul Hofhaimer award in Innsbruck, he complete organ works in 15 albums released by Brilliant Classics, an accomplishment has established a brilliant career as a soloist and that met with major international acclaim, including a 5 star rating from the in chamber ensembles, taking part in concerts magazine ‘Musica’ and from the BBC Music Magazine in London. throughout Italy, Europe, Brazil and the USA. He In 2015 Brilliant Classics also released his recording of the complete organ has played in many of the world’s most famous venues, including the Walt Disney works of J. Kuhnau, which was long-listed in 3/2015 by the ‘Preis der deutschen Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Sala São Paulo in Brazil, the Musikverein in Vienna, Schallplattenkritik’ in Germany. the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Jordan Hall in Boston, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. As an organist he is invited to hold concerts and master classes in important festivals in Italy, Europe, the USA and Japan. In 2009 he performed the complete works for the organ by F. Liszt and C. Franck in Lugano. He teaches organ at the Lugano Conservatoire in Switzerland and at the Trapani Conservatoire in Sicily, and also holds master classes and seminars on baroque performance in Italy and abroad (Lugano, Seville, Dresden, Nürnberg, Tokyo). He has recorded for the Tactus, Christophorus and Deutsche Grammophon labels. For the Swiss recording label Divox, between 2003 and 2010 he was the soloist in 4 albums devoted to Claudio Merulo’s organ music, playing with I Virtuosi delle Muse baroque orchestra, which he also conducted from 2005 to 2013, to critical acclaim of magazines such as ‘Amadeus’, ‘Early Music’ and ‘Crescendo’. These recordings have earned widespread international praise, including the 5 rating from Diapason, 5 star rating from Goldberg, 5 star rating and album of the month nomination from Amadeus. He has also recorded for SWR in Germany, MEZZO in France, Radio Thanks to France and Radio Suisse Romande. Silvius von Kessel, Martin Schwabenhaus