The Orgelbüchlein ("Little Organ Book") BWV 599-644 is
a collection of 46 chorale preludes for organ written
by Johann Sebastian Bach. All but three of them were
composed during the period 1708–1717, while Bach was
court organist at the ducal court in Weimar. The
remaining three, along with a short two-bar fragment,
were added in 1726 or later, after Bach's appointment
as cantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig.
The collection was originally planned as a set of 164
chorale preludes spa...(+)
The Orgelbüchlein ("Little Organ Book") BWV 599-644 is
a collection of 46 chorale preludes for organ written
by Johann Sebastian Bach. All but three of them were
composed during the period 1708–1717, while Bach was
court organist at the ducal court in Weimar. The
remaining three, along with a short two-bar fragment,
were added in 1726 or later, after Bach's appointment
as cantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig.
The collection was originally planned as a set of 164
chorale preludes spanning the whole liturgical year.
The chorale preludes form the first of Bach's
masterpieces for organ with a mature compositional
style in marked contrast to his previous compositions
for the instrument. Although each of them takes a known
Lutheran chorale and adds a motivic accompaniment, Bach
explored a wide diversity of forms in the
Orgelbüchlein. Many of the chorale preludes are short
and in four parts, requiring only a single keyboard and
pedal, with an unadorned cantus firmus. Others involve
two keyboards and pedal: these include several canons,
four ornamental four-part preludes, with elaborately
decorated chorale lines, and a single chorale prelude
in trio sonata form. The Orgelbüchlein has a four-fold
purpose: it is a collection of organ music for church
services, a treatise on composition, a religious
statement, and an organ-playing manual.
Short-short-short-long is the rhythm of the ultra short
melodic fragment around which this chorale prelude is
constructed. They are the four opening notes of an
extremely cheerful New Year’s carol, which in turn is
based on a sixteenth-century balletto by Gastoldi in
triple time. This explains both the dance-like
character of the piece and its tempo. The rhythmical
motif keeps recurring on other notes in the hymn, which
is why the words, too, keep almost completely to the
rather breathless structure. But Bach sticks teasingly
to these four opening notes, of which two are even the
same note. It is only by degrees that we get to hear
the whole melody, but even then the little motif keeps
popping up. It is a joke that is well suited to the
irrepressibly cheerful festoons that decorate the
notes. It is supported in the bass by an ostinato with
features reminiscent of a carillon. This, too, endorses
the jubilant words – a hymn of praise to the coming
of Christ.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgelb%C3%BCchlein).
Although originally created for Organ, I created this
Interpretation of Choral Prelude (BWV 615) "In dir ist
Freude" (In you is joy) for Brass Quartet (Bb Trumpet,
Flugelhorn, French Horn & Tuba).