The Clavier-Übung III, sometimes referred to as the
German Organ Mass, is a collection of compositions for
organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, started in 1735–36
and published in 1739. It is considered Bach's most
significant and extensive work for organ, containing
some of his musically most complex and technically most
demanding compositions for that instrument.
In its use of modal forms, motet-style and canons, it
looks back to the religious music of masters of the
stile antico, such ...(+)
The Clavier-Übung III, sometimes referred to as the
German Organ Mass, is a collection of compositions for
organ by Johann Sebastian Bach, started in 1735–36
and published in 1739. It is considered Bach's most
significant and extensive work for organ, containing
some of his musically most complex and technically most
demanding compositions for that instrument.
In its use of modal forms, motet-style and canons, it
looks back to the religious music of masters of the
stile antico, such as Frescobaldi, Palestrina, Lotti
and Caldara. At the same time, Bach was
forward-looking, incorporating and distilling modern
baroque musical forms, such as the French-style
chorale.
The work has the form of an Organ Mass: between its
opening and closing movements—the prelude and "St
Anne" fugue in E-flat, BWV 552—are 21 chorale
preludes, BWV 669–689, setting parts of the Lutheran
mass and catechisms, followed by four duets, BWV
802–805. The chorale preludes range from compositions
for single keyboard to a six-part fugal prelude with
two parts in the pedal.
The purpose of the collection was fourfold: an
idealized organ programme, taking as its starting point
the organ recitals given by Bach himself in Leipzig; a
practical translation of Lutheran doctrine into musical
terms for devotional use in the church or the home; a
compendium of organ music in all possible styles and
idioms, both ancient and modern, and properly
internationalised; and as a didactic work presenting
examples of all possible forms of contrapuntal
composition, going far beyond previous treatises on
musical theory.
The chorale prelude Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir
BWV 686 is a monumental chorale motet in the phrygian
mode of C. The climax of Clavier-Übung III, it is
composed in the strict polyphonic stile antico of
Palestrina using florid counterpoint. This is Bach's
unique six part composition for organ, if the Ricercar
a 6 from the Musical Offering BWV 1079 is discounted.
German organ writing for double pedal (doppio pedale)
can be traced back to Arnolt Schlick and Ludwig Senfl
in the 16th century; to Samuel Scheidt in two settings
from his Tabulatura Nova in the early 17th century; and
in the baroque period to Buxtehude, Reincken, Bruhns,
Tunder, Weckmann and Lübeck. In France, among the
composers to have written double pedal parts were
François Couperin, in his organ mass des paroisses,
and Louis Marchand.
The first verse of Luther's hymn had already been set
by Bach in the cantata Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu
dir, BWV 38 (1724). The fact that the setting in BWV
686 flows more easily, has more countersubjects, has
more novel features and has typically organ figurations
in the final section has suggested that in this case
the whole of Luther's text was taken into account and
that it is a purer version of the stile antico.
Following the huge scale of the opening, Bach highly
inventively incorporates motifs from the cantus firmus
into the countersubjects of the seven sections
(counting the repeat), resulting in a constantly
changing musical texture. The widest range in pitch
between upper and lower parts occurs exactly halfway
through at bar 27. At the end of each line the cantus
firmus is taken up in the left (lower) pedal, which,
without break, then plays the countersubject while
above the right (upper) pedal concludes the section by
playing the cantus firmus in the tenor register in
augmentation (i.e., with doubled note lengths). The
proliferation of dactyl "joy" motifs (a crotchet
followed by two quavers) in the last section of the
prelude reflects the optimism in the last verse.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavier-%C3%9Cbung_III).
Although originally created for Organ, I created this
Interpretation of the Chorale Prelude (BWV 686) "Aus
tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir" (Out of the depths I cry
to Thee) for Woodwind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, Bb
Clarinet, French Horn & Bassoon).
SHEET MUSIC