J.S. BACH COMPLETE ORGAN MUSIC Liner notes CD1 and reflects the influence of Georg Böhm and the tastes The majority of the recordings made using the Trost of central and southern Germany. The cantus firmus (on organ in Waltershausen consist of trio sonatas that were the pedal) alludes to death, but with serenity not originally conceived as compositions for the organ. reminiscent of the chorales from the Orgelbüchlein Only No.6 was deliberately composed for the collection, (BWV 616 and 617) on the Canticle of Simeon, with while many derive from other trios. Sonatas Nos. 2, 5 subdivision of the phrases and imitations of the and 6 are homogeneous, in that they share common individual elements. The BWV736 version in D major, features: the structure of the first movement in the which was composed later, also expresses serenity, concerto style, for instance, with alternating solo and though the way it is constructed is different, in that the ensemble parts; and that of the third movement in the chorale, played by the pedal, emerges from the weft in style of the fugue. Bach had envisaged the collection for triplets of the upper voices. his son Wilhelm Friedemann, introducing some The partita O Gott, du frommer Gott BWV767 (and remarkably innovative developments in form and Sei gegrüßet BWV768) appears to be a series of content, and in general adhering to the style of the variations on a chorale often used in the Thuringian sonata and the Italian concerto. That said, however, the (Buttstett) tradition. It was probably intended as a focus is largely on the keyboard, with the pedal generally collection of material that could be alternated with the ‘simplified’ in the themes (with respect to compositions canto. One feature that distinguishes it from similar for strings) to create a moderately concertante effect, pieces by Buxtehude is the presence of the harmonised while the slow tempi present details that vary chorale at the beginning and at the end. The eight considerably, to the extent that some of them are variations that follow reveal the influence of both almost galanti (No.3). Pachelbel and Böhm, and the cantus firmus is in fact The first movement of the Trio Sonata BWV525 has developed in various different ways: bicinium (No.1), no tempo indications, but is cantabile , with a simple figurations in ascending and descending semiquavers ABABA form and recapitulations typical of the (Nos. 3 and 5), basse de trompette (No.6), chromaticism composer’s maturity. The different themes are variously with unusual harmonies (No.8) and echo (No.9). In this combined and inverted. The second movement is last form, apart from the dialogue between the melancholy, a grieving Siciliana, divided into two parts keyboards, the use of different tempi is also particularly with ritornelli and with the second part presenting an interesting: the final Andante expresses the inverted version of the main theme. Lastly the third Transfiguration before the Resurrection (Presto) in movement, binary in form like the second, is marked keeping with the text of the chorale. ‘Vivace’, with the head of the violin theme developed in Outstanding among the great preludes and fugues leaping intervals, with an inversion in the second part. are those comprising BWV543 (which possibly dates The bass also takes part, but in a simplified form well back to the Weimar period, with major solo sections on suited to the pedalboard. the manuals and the pedals typical of Pachelbel and In BWV526 the first movement is concerto-like in Buxtehude in both the prelude and at the end of the form, with alternations of the ensemble and solo parts fugue) and BWV541 , in the style of the Italian concerto, and fugues. The overall expressive impact is very with the pedal playing rhythmical motifs typical of the different from that of BWV525, because the themes are timpani. This latter composition may have been used for distinct and recognisable and the form evident. The taut the Dresden audition by Wilhelm Friedemann in 1733, harmonies exploit the expressive resources of the C though Bach also adopts various elements of the minor key (long Orgelpunkt with chromatic harmonies northern organ tradition, such as the initial solo passage and long trills). The structure of the second movement (cf. BWV543), typical of his earlier compositions (cf. does not appear to be as clear and symmetrical as its Toccata in G major for harpsichord BWV916). The theme counterpart in BWV525, but it is distinctly cantabile and of the fugue features repeated notes in the Italian style, freely inspired in character. Particularly worthy of note is in a manner reminiscent in form of the fifth movement the final cadenza on the C minor dominant (by means of of the BWV596 concerto and the BWV21 cantata. E flat), also found in many Vivaldi concertos and in BWV537. There is practically no division between this movement and the start of the third, which is a proper fugue in the early style alla breve with two themes, the second more rhythmical, lively and modern in style. The lovely colours of the Trost organ come to the fore in the series of chorales BWV 735 and 736 and the Partita BWV767. There are two different versions of the Valet will . Distinctly cantabile and motet-like in form, the first ( BWV735 ) was written during the Arnstadt period 1 95105 Bach Complete Organ Works CD2 death, in relation to the Canticle of Simeon ( BWV 616 This CD also comprises two trio sonatas. BWV527 begins and 617 ). with an Andante that is full of distinctive and BWV720 , on the other hand, belongs to the fantasia interrelated thematic ideas: triplets, demisemiquaver genre, in which the chorale becomes a way of rests, descending lines, and pedal notes that imitate the constructing a virtuoso concerto piece that showcases plucking of strings. The third movement is very much a the performer’s skill and the sound range of the sonata in the Italian style in which the elements have instrument. In fact, Ein feste Burg was written for the been unified in an ingenious whole featuring repeated inauguration of the Mühlhausen organ in 1709, to which notes on the pedal, its central part containing a vortex of Bach had added new registers, some of which are triplets that create a succession of new episodes mentioned in the score. BWV721 is a chorale relating to comprising many and varied harmonies and rhythms. the theme of penitence and conversion, in which the The Trio Sonata BWV528 is unique in its four-part impact of the text is expressed by means of repeated form. The first movement derives from the BWV76 chords reminiscent of the ‘imitatio tremula organi’ effect cantata (the symphony that opens the second part, with in S. Scheidt’s Tabulatura nova of 1624, and the the oboe d’amore, viola da gamba and continuo); the ‘trembling of the Israelites’ in Kuhnau’s first Biblical Andante is a far-reaching cantabile piece made up of Sonata. short musical phrases that embody plenty of intervals For Bach, the Weimar period was a time of great and harmonic progressions. Minuet-like in form, the Un creative energy and deep reflection regarding poc’allegro tempo is actually quite rapid and concise, composition. Italian music was becoming highly with a use of triplets (even in the pedal, in the central influential, not least on account of Prince Johann Ernst’s part) similar to that of the second movement of the interest in the instrumental works of Vivaldi, Corelli and BWV527 trio sonata. The initial theme expands the Albinoni. The transcriptions of the Italian concertos descending chromatic series E – D sharp – D – C sharp – (especially those by Vivaldi) for both the harpsichord and C, which is common in other pieces written in E minor the organ bear witness to the wide circulation of such (cf. Toccata BWV914 and Bruhns’ Praeludium in E music at court; indeed, in all likelihood the prince minor). himself commissioned his teachers, Walther and Bach, One of the outstanding examples of the great to write them, and Bach in particular showed remarkable miscellaneous pieces is the Praeludium et Fuga BWV532 . skill in reworking the material in concerto form. The The prelude derives from the combination of different Concerto BWV596 derives from Vivaldi’s Op.3 No.11 elements: the southern German improvisation and (RV565, Amsterdam 1711), originally conceived for two toccata style, unique its use of the pedal right from the violins and cello. It is a perfect example of Bach’s outset, a Pachelbel-like episode (bars 5–9) with mastery in adapting the voice of string instruments for Orgelpunkt and figurations in precise semiquavers, and the keyboard, just as the colour of the orchestra is the dotted rhythm of the French Ouverture. In the long captured in the astounding interplay of the organ alla breve section, in the manner of Corelli, there is a manuals. Conceived in the style typical of northern development of elements in three-voice counterpoint Germany, with solos in the manual and pedalboards, the using the pedals that suggests it was conceived during Prelude and Fugue BWV550 also probably date back to the Weimar period (1713–1717): progressions, echoes the Weimar period. The theme of the fugue, with its and remarkable inventiveness. The last bars of the ‘broken’ chords, creates an increasingly dense structure Adagio introduce an episode in the Italian style featuring that is reminiscent of the great Bruhns’ Praeludium in G ‘hardness and ligature’, with the double pedal, major. Neapolitan Sixth, dissonance and intense expressiveness. The virtuoso, exuberant theme of the Fugue is highly developed, in many respects typical of the Thuringian organ tradition.