J.S. BACH ORGELBÜCHLEIN BWV 599–644 STEPHEN FARR Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) 1
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J.S. BACH ORGELBÜCHLEIN BWV 599–644 STEPHEN FARR 1. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599 [1:16] 17. In dir ist Freude, BWV 615 [3:08] Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Orgelbüchlein BWV 599–644 2. Go, durch deine Güte oder Goes 18. Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, Sohn ist kommen, BWV 600 [1:12] BWV 616 [1:53] 3. Herr Christ, der ein’ge Goes Sohn oder 19. Herr Go, nun schleuß den Himmel auf, [2:31] Herr Go, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 601 [1:25] BWV 617 4. Lob sei dem allmächgen Go, BWV 602 [0:54] 20. O Lamm Goes, unschuldig, BWV 618 [3:34] Stephen Farr organ 5. Puer natus in Bethlehem, BWV 603 [0:54] 21. Christe, du Lamm Goes, BWV 619 [1:24] Organ by Tobias Heinrich Goried Trost, 6. Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 604 [1:41] 22. Christus, der uns selig macht, BWV 620 [2:12] Stadtkirche, Waltershausen, Germany 7. Der Tag der ist so freudenreich, BWV 605 [1:52] 23. Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund, BWV 621 [1:18] 8. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, 24. O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß, BWV 606 [0:43] BWV 622 [5:39] 9. Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar, 25. Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ, daß du BWV 607 [1:15] für uns gestorben bist, BWV 623 [1:02] 10. In dulci jubilo, BWV 608 [1:24] 26. Holf Go, daß mir’s gelinge, BWV 624 [1:38] 11. Lobt Go, ihr Christen, allzugleich, 27. Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 625 [1:15] BWV 609 [0:46] 28. Jesus Christus, unser Heiland 12. Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 610 [2:48] [der den Tod] BWV 626 [1:07] About Stephen Farr: 13. Christum wir sollen loben schon, 29. Christ ist erstanden, BWV 627 [4:07] ‘[...] rock steady rhythmic playing, crisp arculaon and commanding BWV 611 [2:40] overview. His approach is refreshingly unfussy and quirk free, and 30. Erstanden ist der heilge Christ, BWV 628 [0:50] he draws on an unfailingly interesng palee of tonal colours’ 14. Wir Christenleut [habn jetzund Freud], Gramophone BWV 612 [1:28] 31. Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag, BWV 629 [1:06] 15. Hel mir Gos Güte preisen, BWV 613 [1:08] ‘[...] Farr’s playing needs no musicological jusficaon; 32. Heut triumphieret Goes Sohn, BWV 630 [1:35] it sparkles and seduces in equal measure’ 16. Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, BWV 614 [2:24] Classical Ear 33. Komm, Go Schöpfer, heiliger Geist, BWV 631 [0:46] 34. Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend, BWV 632 [1:15] 35. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 634 [1:53] 36. Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 633 [2:40] 37. Dies sind die heilgen zehn Gebot, BWV 635 [1:26] 38. Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV 636 [1:16] 39. Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt, BWV 637 [1:26] 40. Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, BWV 638 [1:07] 41. Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 [1:50] 42. In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr, BWV 640 [0:57] 43. Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein, BWV 641 [1:55] 44. Wer nur den lieben Go läßt walten, BWV 642 [1:38] 45. Alle Menschen müssen sterben, BWV 643 [1:36] 46. Ach wie nichg, ach wie flüchg, BWV 644 [0:43] Total playing me [79:02] J.S. Bach: Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599–644 infancy, but among those born in Weimar atude that earned him four weeks in prison. the greatest events in all music’, adding were Wilhelm Friedemann (1710–1774) that it constutes ‘the diconary of Bach’s Between 1708 and 1717, Bach worked and Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714–1788), But while the Italian influence was to have musical language.’ Although this parcular in Weimar, inially as court organist, then both of whom went on to illustrious a profound impact on the development of ‘diconary’ was anything but a dry (from 1714) as Konzertmeister. This was musical careers. Bach’s musical language, the greatest reference book, Bach’s handwrien tle near the start of his career: it’s easy to organ music to come from the Weimar page (wrien about five years aer he forget that Bach was a young man in Bach’s Weimar years were extremely years was quintessenally German rather le Weimar) suggests that his main his 20s and early 30s during his me in important in the development of his than Italian, inspired by – and anchored purpose was to produce a set of pieces the city. Famously, his tenure in Weimar organ music and, more generally, his in – Bach’s Lutheran roots, specifically the for teaching: did not end well: in 1717, aer falling engagement with Italian music, parcularly church chorales (hymn-tunes) that were out with his employer Duke Wilhelm Vivaldi and Corelli: his organ transcripons at the heart of the Lutheran liturgy. The Lile Organ Book Ernst, the hot-headed Bach was arrested of Vivaldi concertos (BWV 593, 594 and Orgelbüchlein (Lile Organ Book) BWV In which a student of the organ receives and spent a month (from 6 November 596) date from 1713–14, encouraged by 599–644 was almost enrely wrien in instrucon on performing a chorale in to 2 December 1717) jailed in a fortress his then co-employer, the tragically Weimar (three of the 46 pieces were a multude of ways while achieving to cool his heels. He may have le the short-lived and extremely musical Duke added later), though the original scheme mastery in the study of the pedals, Weimar court under a cloud, but had Johann Ernst (1696–1715) who had was much more ambious. The since in the chorales contained herein the pedals are treated enrely obbligato. already been appointed to a new post acquired copies of music by Italian autograph manuscript is unusual in as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold in containing many more blank staves composers during his studies at Utrecht In honour of our Lord alone Cöthen. His years in Weimar saw the University. The other Weimar concerto than filled ones, since Bach set out to That my fellow men their skill may hone. producon of a great deal of keyboard transcripons for organ (BWV 592 and write 164 chorale sengs. We know music, including some of the preludes 595) are based on concertos by the young just how many he planned because Wrien by Johann Sebasan Bach, and fugues that later became part of Duke himself. Aer Johann Ernst’s death, the manuscript includes the tles of Kapellmeister to his Serene Highness the The Well-Tempered Clavier, and, from the court was ruled solely by his brother the tunes he intended to use, wrien Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen. 1714 onwards, a number of church Wilhelm Ernst (a Lutheran so fanacal at the top of pages that are otherwise cantatas, including Himmelskönig sei that he would only permit those who empty. Bach may not have realised the Russell Snson’s study of the Orgelbüchlein willkommen BWV 182 (for Palm Sunday) could demonstrate an understanding whole of his grand scheme, but the 46 (1999) proposes a broader purpose for and Erschallet, Ihr Lieder BWV 172 (for of Lutheran theology to serve in his pieces in the collecon are an these chorale preludes, though sll one Whitsunday). On the domesc front, Bach army). He was a man whose judgement extraordinary tesmony to his genius, which is essenally pedagogical, describing had married his first wife Maria Barbara Bach quesoned openly in 1717 aer bringing the greatest creave imaginaon it as ‘a composional trease, a collecon (1684–1720) in 1707, and during their Johann Wilhelm Drese had been appointed to his treatment of chorale melodies. of liturgical organ music, an organ method, years in Weimar, they started a family. It as Kapellmeister (in succession to his Albert Schweitzer – organist, humanitarian and a theological statement. These four was a grim inevitability of the me that father), a post Bach himself had applied and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize – idenes are so closely intertwined that three of the children she bore died in for – and it was Bach’s furious and defiant described the Orgelbüchlein as ‘one of it is hard to know where one leaves off and another begins.’ All true, but there’s exceponal promise as a keyboard player, Schumann and Brahms. It was Brahms, Composions on Corales [!] (Psalm-Tunes) a further dimension which raises these and was probably one of the ‘organ students’ indeed, who paid the greatest compliment edited from the Original Manuscripts by sengs to a level of greatness to which Bach had in mind. In other words, Bach to the Orgelbüchlein by drawing on its Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. In his preface, organ chorale preludes, let alone may well have reconceived the Orgelbüchlein techniques and structures as a blueprint Mendelssohn wrote that the ‘44 Short teaching pieces, do not usually aspire: as a collecon of teaching pieces once he for his own final work, the set of Eleven Preludes ... not only bear [Bach’s] name, this is highly emoonal music, almost realised that at least one member of his Chorale Preludes Op. 122. As Snson but most evidently the marks of his genius.’ every bar permeated with Bach’s fervour own family was likely to benefit from them. demonstrated in his book on The Recepon Bach’s rehabilitaon in the nineteenth and faith. His basic musical material was of Bach’s Organ Works from Mendelssohn century owed much to Mendelssohn’s the melodies of the chorale tunes Though the pieces in the Orgelbüchlein to Brahms (2006), Brahms studied this devoon to his music (most famously, themselves, but he also took the are widely contrasted in mood, there are music in considerable depth, analysing perhaps, his rediscovery of the St Mahew meaning of their sung texts to some common features.