Born in Eisenach in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach was
educated largely by his eldest brother, after the early
death of his parents. At the age of eighteen he
embarked on his career as a musician, serving first as
a court musician at Weimar, before appointment as
organist at Arnstadt. Four years later he moved to
Mühlhausen as organist and the following year became
organist and chamber musician to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of
Weimar. Securing his release with difficulty, in 1717
he was appointed Kapellme...(+)
Born in Eisenach in 1685, Johann Sebastian Bach was
educated largely by his eldest brother, after the early
death of his parents. At the age of eighteen he
embarked on his career as a musician, serving first as
a court musician at Weimar, before appointment as
organist at Arnstadt. Four years later he moved to
Mühlhausen as organist and the following year became
organist and chamber musician to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of
Weimar. Securing his release with difficulty, in 1717
he was appointed Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold of
Anhalt-Cöthen and remained at Cöthen until 1723, when
he moved to Leipzig as Cantor at the School of
St.Thomas, with responsibility for the music of the
five principal city churches. Bach was to remain in
Leipzig until his death in 1750.
As a craftsman obliged to fulfil the terms of his
employment, Bach provided music suited to his various
appointments. It was natural that his earlier work as
an organist and something of an expert on the
construction of organs, should result in music for that
instrument. At Cöthen, where the Pietist leanings of
the court made church music unnecessary, he provided a
quantity of instrumental music for the court orchestra
and its players. In Leipzig he began by composing
series of cantatas for the church year, later turning
his attention to instrumental music for the Collegium
musicum of the University, and to the collection and
ordering of his own compositions.
The so-called Kirnberger Collection (BWV 690-713), a
title now generally ignored in recent editions, is a
collection of music by Bach copied by or for his pupil
Johann Philipp Kirnberger. The latter was born in
Saalfeld in 1721 and educated in Coburg and Cotha,
before, in 1739, travelling to Leipzig for lessons in
composition and performance with Bach. After a period
spent in Poland, he returned to Dresden, moving then to
Berlin as a violinist in the Prussian royal service. In
1754 he entered the service of Prince Heinrich of
Prussia and four years later that of Princess Anna
Amalia, remaining in this last position until his death
in Berlin in 1783. Kirnberger had the highest regard
for Bach, and did his utmost to bring about the
posthumous publication of the latter's four-part
chorale settings.
This work likely dates to Bach's years in Weimar and
was probably composed around the time he wrote another
chorale fantasia, "Christ lag in Todes Banden" (Christ
lay in the bonds of death). This one, "Jesu, meine
Freude" (Jesus, my joy), is the grander of the two
efforts, the music depicting the Nativity of Christ and
possibly foreshadowing the Passion and death. The work
is divided into two parts, the first exhibiting some of
Bach's finest and liveliest fugal writing for keyboard,
and the latter turns emotionally warmer, the tempo
slower and the mood gradually exhibiting a darker
sense. This brilliant fantasia opens with the chorale
theme played in single notes, seeming almost to
playfully hop about. Soon, it takes on contrapuntal
features and the music sprouts much inner detail. As
with many Bach keyboard works, there are many voices at
work here, the whole seeming to proclaim a sense of
joy. Just past the midpoint, the music suddenly turns
serene and tender. While it maintains a relatively
tranquil manner alongside the joy from the first half,
it comes across as a portent of the aforementioned
Passion. Still, the mood of the work is generally
joyous, or at least peaceful and serene.
Although originally written for 2 Manual Pipe Organ, I
created this Arrangement of the Fantasia (BWV 713)
"Jesu, meine Freude" (Jesus, my joy) for 2 Manual Pipe
Organ w/Pedals.
PARTITION