Organ booklet

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Title page of the organ booklet

The little organ book by Johann Sebastian Bach is a collection of chorale- related organ pieces ( chorale preludes ), which he composed mainly during his tenure in Weimar from 1712 to 1717 ( BWV 599–644).

The individual movements in the collection are linked by high artistic standards and the idea of ​​usability both in church services and in instrumental and composition lessons. According to Christoph Wolff, characteristic of Bach's chorale movements in the Orgelbüchlein are : “Dense motivic structure and contrapuntal refinement (up to the strict canon) in connection with a bold and expressive musical language and subtle musical-theological interpretation of the text. Each movement achieves proportional balance, as manual and pedal parts elegantly combine to form an exemplary organ score. "

Emergence

Bach created the ninety-page, landscape-format book at the beginning of his Weimar period, i.e. around 1708, and already entered all the titles of the 164 planned chorales. In doing so, he not only determined which chorals he wanted to copy or set to music, but also whether they would each comprise one or two pages of six lines. As is customary in hymn books to this day, the order of the movements is that of the church year. About half of the entries are fair copies, i.e. copies of existing works.

He almost completely filled the first part, from Christmas to Easter, after which gradually larger and larger gaps appeared - apparently the very ambitious project gradually faded into the background, so that after 1726 he only added a single complete setting. The little organ book now includes “46 performed chorale preludes”, as an unknown scribe added to Bach's title.

Bach only added the title around 1720; it reads:

Organ = booklet
Wherein an approaching organist
Instructions are given on all kinds of things
Arth to perform a chorale,
bey also to be in the pedal studio
litiren in such a way
any chorals located on the pedal
tractiret is absolutely obligatory.

In 1739, when the third part of the keyboard exercise was being written, these movements were evidently too historical to go back to again; Bach's chorale adaptations from the later period are usually much larger.

Organ booklet project for "completion"

In the international organ booklet project, contemporary new compositions are collected that are intended to fill the “gaps” in the organ booklet. The composers should adhere to Bach's specifications in terms of scope, but are otherwise stylistically free. The project is curated by William Whitehead ; The patrons are Paul McCreesh and Dame Gillian Weir .

Overview of the individual sentences

Autograph no. BWV Title of the chorale Time signature key annotation
I. BWV 599  Now come, the Gentile Savior c A minor
II BWV 600 God by your goodness 3/2 F major
III BWV 601 Mr. Christ, the turned Son of God c A major
IV BWV 602 Praise be to Almighty God c F major
V BWV 603 Puer natus in Bethlehem 3/2 G minor
VI BWV 604 Blessed be you, Jesus Christ c C major
VII BWV 605 The day is so joyful c G major
VIII BWV 606 Up from heaven, that's where I come from c D major
IX BWV 607 The angels came from heaven 3/2 G minor
X BWV 608 In dulci jubilo 3/2 A major
XI BWV 609 Praise God, you Christians, all at once c G major
XII BWV 610 Jesus my joy c C minor
BWV 753 Jesus my joy c D minor fragment
XIII BWV 611 Christ we should already praise c D minor
XIV BWV 612 We Christians c G minor
XV BWV 613 Help me praise God's goodness c B minor
XVI BWV 614 the old year has passed c A minor
XVII BWV 615 There is joy in you 3/2 G major
XVIII BWV 616 I'll go there with Fried and Freud c D minor
XIX BWV 617 Lord God, now unlock the sky c 24/16 A minor
XX BWV 618 O Lamb of God, innocent c F major
XXI BWV 619 Christ, you Lamb of God 3/2 F major
XXII BWV 620 Christ who saves us c A minor
XXIII BWV 621 Since Jesus was standing on the cross c E- Phrygian
XXIV BWV 622 O man, weep greatly for your sin c E flat major
XXV BWV 623 We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ 3/4 G major
XXVI BWV 624 Help God to make it happen c G minor
XXVII BWV 625 Christ lay in the bonds of death c d- Dorian
XXVIII BWV 626 Jesus Christ, our Savior, who overcame death 12/8 A minor
XXIX BWV 627 Christ is risen c - c - c d-Doric 3 verses
XXX BWV 628 The holy Christian has risen 3/2 D major
XXXI BWV 629 The glorious day has appeared 3/2 d-Doric
XXXII BWV 630 Today the Son of God triumphs 3/2 D minor
XXXIII BWV 631 Come, God Creator, Holy Spirit c 12/8 G- Lydian Later version: BWV 667
XXXIV BWV 632 Lord Jesus Christ, turn to us c F major
XXXV BWV 633 Dearest Jesus, we are here c A major
BWV 634 Dearest Jesus, we are here c A major Variant of BWV 633
XXXVI BWV 635 These are the ten sacred commandments ¢ G minor
XXXVII BWV 636 Our father in the Heaven c D minor
XXXVIII BWV 637 Adam's fall is utterly corrupt c D minor
XXXIX BWV 638 It is salvation that we come here c D major
XL BWV 639 I call to you, Lord Jesus Christ c F minor
XLI BWV 640 I hoped in you, sir c E minor
XLII BWV 641 When we are in dire straits c G major Later version: BWV 668
XLIII BWV 642 Who only lets God rule c A minor
XLIV BWV 643 All people must die c G major
XLV BWV 644 Oh how fleeting, oh how void c G minor

expenditure

The organ booklet is available in various sheet music editions:

  • Griepenkerl / Roitzsch, vol. 5
  • Lohmann, Vol. 7
  • NBA , Vol. 1
  • Ed. Heinz-Harald Löhlein, BVK, 31999 (Documenta Musicologica, Series II, Vol. 11): Facsimile of the autograph
  • Edited by Ulrich Leisinger . Wiener Urtext Edition
  • Sven Hiemke (Ed.): JS Bach, Complete Organ Works , Vol. 7. Breitkopf & Härtel, 2011
  • George B. Stauffer (Ed.): JS Bach, The Complete Organ Works , Ser. I. Vol. 1A: Pedagogical Works. Standard Urtext. Vol. 1B: Pedagogical Works. Practical Urtext. Wayne Leupold Editions, 2012

literature

Web links

Commons : Organ booklet  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Christoph Wolff: Johann Sebastian Bach , 2nd edition 2007. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main, ISBN 978-3-596-16739-5