Orgelbüchlein

Orgelbüchlein
Title page of the Orgelbüchlein.

The Orgelbüchlein ("Little Organ Book") was written by Johann Sebastian Bach during the period of 1708–1714, while he was court organist at the ducal court in Weimar. It was planned as a set of 164 chorale preludes (smaller-scale compositions based on chorale melodies) spanning the liturgical year; however, Bach only completed forty-six chorale preludes and left less than two measures of a forty-seventh. The chorale preludes in this collection constitute BWV 599–644 within Bach's total compositional output. The Orgelbüchlein is at the same time a collection of organ music for church services, a treatise on composition, a religious statement and a pedagogical manual.

A further step towards perfecting this form was taken by Bach when he made the contrapuntal elements in his music a means of reflecting certain emotional aspects of the words. Pachelbel had not attempted this; he lacked the fervid feeling which would have enabled him thus to enter into his subject. And it is entering into it, and not a mere depicting of it. For, once more be it said, in every vital movement of the world external to us we behold the image of a movement within us; and every such image must react upon us to produce the corresponding emotion in that inner world of feeling.

Philipp Spitta, 1873, writing about the Orgelbüchlein in Volume I of his biography of Bach

Here Bach has realised the ideal of the chorale prelude. The method is the most simple imaginable and at the same time the most perfect. Nowhere is the Dürer-like character of his musical style so evident as in these small chorale preludes. Simply by the precision and the characteristic quality of each line of the contrapuntal motive he expresses all that has to be said, and so makes clear the relation of the music to the text whose title it bears.

Albert Schweitzer, Jean-Sebastien Bach, le musicien-poête, 1905

Contents

History and purpose

Orgel-Büchlein
Worrine einem anfahenden Organisten
Anleitung gegeben wird, auff allerhand
Arth einen Choral durchzuführen, an-
bey auch sich im Pedal studio zu habi-
litiren, indem in solchen darinne
befindlichen Choralen das Pedal
gantz obligat tractiret wird.
Dem Höchsten Gott allein' zu Ehren,
Dem Nechsten, draus sich zu belehren.
Autore
Joanne Sebast. Bach
p. t. Capellae Magistri
S. P. R. Anhaltini-
Cotheniensis.

Title page of autograph of the Orgelbüchlein

The title page of the autograph score reads in English translation:[1]

Little Organ Book
In which a beginning organist receives given instruction as to performing a chorale in a multitude of ways while achieving mastery in the study of the pedal, since in the chorales contained herein the pedal is treated entirely obbligato.

In honour of our Lord alone
That my fellow man his skill may hone.

Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, Capellmeister to his Serene Highness the Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen

Compositional style

The chorale preludes of the Orgelbüchlein share several common stylistic features,[3] which are the distinguishing traits of what may be called the "Orgelbüchlein-style chorale:"

  • The chorale melody, embellished to varying degrees or unembellished altogether, is in one voice (excepting BWV 615, In dir ist Freude, in which the melody is broken up into motives and bounces between several voices).
  • The melody is in the soprano voice (except for BWV 611, Christum, wir sollen loben schon, in which it is in the alto voice, and the canonical preludes BWV 600, 608, 618, 619, 620, 624, 629 and 633/634).
  • The pieces are written in four-voice counterpoint, except for BWV 599, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, and BWV 619, Christe du Lamm Gottes, which are written in five voices; and BWV 639, Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, which is written in three.
  • The pieces span exactly the length of the chorale melody; there are no introductions or codas.

Contents

First page of In dulci jubilo from autograph manuscript
Second page of In dulci jubilo from autograph manuscript

The chorale preludes of the Orgelbüchlein fall into the seasons of the liturgical year:

Advent:

  • BWV 599 — Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland
  • BWV 600 — Gott, durch deine Güte (or Gottes Sohn ist kommen)
  • BWV 601 — Herr Christ, der einge Gottes-Sohn (or Herr Gott, nun sei gepreiset)
  • BWV 602 — Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott

Christmas:

  • BWV 603 — Puer natus in Bethlehem
  • BWV 604 — Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ
  • BWV 605 — Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich
  • BWV 606 — Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
  • BWV 607 — Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar
  • BWV 608 — In dulci jubilo
  • BWV 609 — Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich
  • BWV 610 — Jesu, meine Freude
  • BWV 611 — Christum wir sollen loben schon
  • BWV 612 — Wir Christenleut

New Year:

  • BWV 613 — Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen
  • BWV 614 — Das alte Jahre vergangen ist
  • BWV 615 — In dir ist Freude

Feast of the Purification:

  • BWV 616 — Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
  • BWV 617 — Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf

Lent:

  • BWV 618 — O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig
  • BWV 619 — Christe, du Lamm Gottes
  • BWV 620 — Christus, der uns selig macht
  • BWV 621 — Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund
  • BWV 622 — O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß
  • BWV 623 — Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ
  • BWV 624 — Hilf, Gott, daß mir's gelinge
  • BWV Anhang 200 — O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid (fragment)

Easter:

  • BWV 625 — Christ lag in Todesbanden
  • BWV 626 — Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, der den Tod überwand
  • BWV 627 — Christ ist erstanden
  • BWV 628 — Erstanden ist der heil'ge Christ
  • BWV 629 — Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag
  • BWV 630 — Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn

Pentecost:

  • BWV 631 — Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist
  • BWV 632 — Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend
  • BWV 634 — Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
  • BWV 633 — Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (distinctius)

Preludes based on catechism hymns:

  • BWV 635 — Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot
  • BWV 636 — Vater unser im Himmelreich
  • BWV 637 — Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt
  • BWV 638 — Es ist das Heil uns kommen her

Miscellaneous:

  • BWV 639 — Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
  • BWV 640 — In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr
  • BWV 641 — Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein
  • BWV 642 — Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
  • BWV 643 — Alle Menschen müssen sterben
  • BWV 644 — Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig

Editions

The Orgelbüchlein was originally passed from teacher to student and was not published in its entirety until Felix Mendelssohn edited an edition. Notable editions have been made by Robert Clark and John David Peterson, Quentin Faulkner, Albert Riemenschneider, and Albert Schweitzer.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Geck 2005, p. 91
  2. ^ Stinson 1991, pp. 3–10
  3. ^ Williams 2003, p. 236

References

External links


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