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 prelude is in the mixolydian mode of G, ending on a
plagal cadence in G minor. The ritornello is in the
upper parts and bass on the upper manual and pedal,
with the cantus firmus in canon at the octave on the
lower manual. There are ritornello episodes and five
entries of the Cantus firmus, yielding the number of
commandments. The distribution of parts, two parts in
each keyboard and one in the pedal is similar to that
of the de Grigny Livre d'Orgue, although Bach makes
much greater technical demands on the right hand
part.
Commentators have seen the canon as representing order,
with the pun on canon as "law". As also expressed in
Luther's verses, the two voices of the canon have been
seen as symbolising the new law of Christ and the old
law of Moses, which it echoes. The pastoral quality in
the organ writing for the upper voices at the opening
has been interpreted as representing the serenity
before the Fall of Man; it is followed by the disorder
of sinful waywardness; and finally order is restored in
the closing bars with the calm of salvation.
The writing for the two upper voices is similar to that
for obligato instruments in a cantata: their musical
material is independent of the chorale, The opening
pedal G on the other hand can be heard as a foretaste
of the repeated Gs in the cantus firmus. In between the
cantus firmus is sung in canon at the octave on the
second manual. The fifth and final entry of the cantus
firmus is in the distant key of B flat (G minor): it
expresses the purity of the "kyrie eleison" at the end
of the first verse, which brings the prelude to a
harmonious close.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavier-%C3%9Cbung_III).
I created this transcription of the Chorale Prelude
(BWV 678) "Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot" (These
are the holy Ten Commandments) for Pipe Organ.