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Contents:
DDD Total Time = 74.45 / Recorded: Das Münster zur Schönen Unserer Lieben Frau,April 1995 In his necrology sonnet, Georg Philipp Telemann -- by many of his contemporaries higher regarded than Bach -- not only considered his friend's outstanding organ play, but also his "art" of composition: "Departed Bach! Long since thy splendid organ playing / Alone brought thee the noble cognomen, "The Great," / And what thy pen had writ, the highest art displaying, / Did some with joy and some with envy contemplate." (excerpt from Poem in Praise of Bach, 1751) John Mattheson in his book Der Vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739) understands the term toccata to mean: "Intonazioni, Arpeggi, senza e con battute, Arioso, Adagio, Passagi, fughe, Fantasie, Ciacone, Capricci etc." Johann Sebastian Bach's famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565, a juvenile stroke of genius, its authenticity paradoxically questioned now and again, was probably written between 1704 and 1708. The work offers a number of different possible interpretations so that Bach could demonstrate in all nuances his skill as organist as well as the abilities of his instrument, much in the way of what Mattheson calls a "Gespiele": adagio, presto, unisono passages, further a chordal movement construction which includes up to nine parts, lightning fast scales and arpeggios, tremolos, sections of recitative in dialog or free form, a virtuoso solo in the pedal. Amidst this north German, but absolutely non-academic organ toccata, a fugue is inserted. Its subject seems to be derived from the unisono motif at the beginning of the toccata. The fugue itself ends unexpectedly with the deceptive cadence of a fermata, followed by the entrance of an expressive recitative, which leads to a plagal final cadence: a dramatic condensation in molto adagio. Presumably, the Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major BWV 564 was written during Bach's stay in Weimar (1798-1717). The sequence of the three movements is reminiscent of the form of the Italian concerto grosso. The introduction of the toccata consists of two parts: a rapid scale passage makes up the first twelve bars, followed by a solo in the pedal also lasting for twelve bars, probably the most difficult one ever written by Bach. The subsequent concerto movement is based on two subjects developed from the introduction. The adagio with its harmonic and melodic expression could certainly appear in a concert – much like a solo violin, which lifts its cantilena above a continuo background. The immediately following Grave surprises us with its chromaticism, which shows traits of the chordal toccata style associated with north Germany, but is also reminiscent of Frescobaldi; A minor leads back to the tonic C major and thus prepares the harmonic ground for the entrance of the fugue. The fast fugue in 6/8 time with its subject, its homophony and its clear disposition of tonality does not necessarily set a "learned" tone, but rather a cheerful one. At first the coda starts splendidly with a scale passage in demisemiquavers, then a short C major chord puts an unexpected end to the piece. The Toccata and Fugue in F major BWV 540 is among Bach's most monumental organ works. The toccata is supposed to have been written after 1714, the fugue before 1731. It is suspected, that Bach joined both parts afterwards. The organ in Weißenfels, where Bach performed concerts from time to time, offered the required pedal compass up to f1 – quite uncommon for the 18th century. Remarkable is the pedal point sustained over 54 bars of the toccata, first in the tonic, later in the dominant, as well as the subsequent large-scale solo in the pedal. The concerto movement exhibits a seven-part structure. Rightly so Hermann Keller expresses his rapture as follows: " At the beginning the extensive linear construction of the two voices in canon, the proud calmness of the solos in the pedal, the piercing chord strokes, the fiery upswing of the second subject, the bold modulatory shifts, the inwardness of the three minor movements, the splendour of the end with the famous third inversion of the seventh chord, who would not be enthralled by that?" The opposing subjects of the double fugue, which are derived from the toccata motifs, are first performed separately and then linked with each other. In the third section of the fugue this combination of subjects appears five times. The Prelude and fugue in D major BWV 532, at the latest composed in Weimar in 1710, is among those works written by the young virtuoso, Johann Sebastian Bach, in order to show off his skills as organist, especially his outstanding pedal playing. The prelude consists of multiple sections: scales and chordal fanfares as well as dotted rhythms at the beginning -- related to the French type of overture -- and the recitative-like finale, full of dissonance, frame a strictly four-part alla-breve middle section, which has been tuned to a glorious festiveness unique to the D major key. In Neu-Eröffnetes Orchester (Hamburg 1713) Mattheson characterized the key of D major as ideal "for the learning of funny, warlike and cheerful things". The fugal subject, copied from a model used by Johann Pachelbel, heightens the basic mood to an almost dance-like happiness. One of Bach's contemporaries possibly had this fugue in mind when he wrote:" With his two feet he could perform such musical passages on the pedals, which even for the more skilful pianoforte player would be difficult enough to play with five fingers." The Fantasy and Fugue in G minor BWV 542 are probably connected with Bach's application for the position of organist at the Jacobi church in Hamburg in 1720. Recitative, declamatory outbursts, contrasted by two strictly four-part movements of imitation, mark the bold air of the fantasy kept in "stylus phantasticus". Incessantly modulated, chromaticism appears as a basic principle of composition, and through long sections a tonal centre is no longer detectable. The fugal subject, to which an obbligato counterpoint is added, was likely known as a Dutch folksong ("Ick ben gegroet") and has been interpreted as Bach's musical bow to Jan Adam Reinken, who was present at the performance in Hamburg: Bach's reverence for his Hortus musicus – a collection of "Sonaten, Allemanden, Couranten, Sarabanden et Graven" for 2 violins, violas and basso continuo – which was published in 1687. The Hamburg composer and musicographer Johann Mattheson speaks of the fugue in his Große General-Baß-Schule without mentioning the composer, which also indicates that this composition possessed a certain degree of fame within the musical world and that the composer at this time was well known in Hamburg. In this fugue dramatic tension is created not only by the contrast between descending scales and ascending leaps inherent in the subject, but also through the use of a carefully considered harmonic change and a counterpoint shaped by syncopes. Bach had most likely composed the Chorale Prelude "An Wasserflüssen Babylon" BWV 653b in Köthen in 1720; it may have been inspired by his visit with Reinken in Hamburg. According to historical records Bach spent half an hour improvising this chorale. The individual choral lines of this church hymn appear, solistically contrasted, in the upper voice. Using the first notes of the melody Bach creates a refrain, which runs through the other four voices – two in the pedal – as a sort of motif. The extremely ornate movement is filled with the sensation of gentle grief also reflected in the first stanza of the text in the hymn book:
The Chorale Prelude "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" BWV 659 is taken from the collection of Achtzehn Choräle:
The cantus firmus appears hidden within the coloration of the upper voice. Anticipating, the middle voice imitates it simultaneously and gradually. The splendid sounding embellishment of the cantus is never just a concomitant, but instead made part of the movement's overall polyphony with the help of the strict counterpoint of the other voices. Organ booklet/in which a novice organist/receives instruction to perform a chorale/in various different ways/while also improving his study of the pedal/for the pedal contained/in the chorales/is treated obbligato./To the honour of God in the Highest,/to anyone, to learn from it./ Author/ Joanne Sebast: Bach/p.t. Capellae Magistro/ S.P.R. Anhaltini-/Cotheniensis. Since 1713 Bach had been working on this collection in Weimar. It was to include 164 choral arrangements organized according to the church year. Bach worked out 46 chorales in more detail, while of 117 only the title was written down. The chorales from Advent to Easter survived almost in their entirety.
Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar BWV 607:
The spacious scale passages, at times stretching across 3 octaves, are supposed to symbolize the hovering of the angels.
Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich BWV 605:
Unrestrained jubilation is expressed in the middle parts. This piece is reminiscent of the musical imagery portraying the rocking of a child ("Kindlein-Wiegen"). The bass descending step by step – the rhetorical figure of the katabasis – refers to the descending of the Son of God ("Gottes Sohn").
In dulci jubilo BWV 608:
The song In dulci jubilo with its altogether four stanzas survived in this German-Latin form well into our times. It might have been the song line "Trahe me post te" that inspired Bach to the canonical treatment of this Christmas song. Much of the joy is expressed in the figuration of triplets.
Erschienen ist der herrliche Tag BWV 629:
Christ seems to hold his enemies ("seine Feind") captive ("gefangen") in the cantus-firmus canon of the outer voices. The anapaestic, arrogant motif in the two middle parts appears as a celebration of triumph. Mostly held in parallel thirds and sixths it emphasizes the joy at Christ's resurrection. © 2001 Franz Hauk · Iris Winkler Translation by Regina Piskorsch-Feick Page revised 27.06.03 |
