Johann Sebastian Bach was a member of a family that had
for generations been occupied in music. His sons were
to continue the tradition, providing the foundation of
a new style of music that prevailed in the later part
of the eighteenth century. Johann Sebastian Bach
himself represented the end of an age, the culmination
of the Baroque in a magnificent synthesis of Italian
melodic invention, French rhythmic dance forms and
German contrapuntal mastery.
Born in Eisenach in 1685, Bach was ...(+)
Johann Sebastian Bach was a member of a family that had
for generations been occupied in music. His sons were
to continue the tradition, providing the foundation of
a new style of music that prevailed in the later part
of the eighteenth century. Johann Sebastian Bach
himself represented the end of an age, the culmination
of the Baroque in a magnificent synthesis of Italian
melodic invention, French rhythmic dance forms and
German contrapuntal mastery.
Born in Eisenach in 1685, 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 chorale prelude was written around the same time
as the identically titled one in Bach's Orgelbüchlein
(The Little Organ Book). There, the piece appears as
the tenth entry in the Christmas section. This BWV 696
chorale prelude is likewise based on the theme in the
chorale "Christum wir sollen loben schon" (Christ, we
now praise) and is a bit shorter than its two-minute
counterpart in the Orgelbüchlein. The title of both
works refers to the Christ child and can also be
translated as Christ, we already praise. BWV 696 is a
slow piece whose fugal writing and diminutive size
prompt a classification as a fugetta. It is not
technically challenging to the organist; neither is its
appeal immediate to the listener. Yet the work is
ultimately rewarding, owing to Bach's sense for
atmosphere and subtle development. The chorale theme is
initially treated solemnly, but as it emerges from the
barren writing of the opening it takes on greater color
and warmth, its textures thicken, and its contrapuntal
activity infuses the piece with a good measure of
expressive depth. Still, this work is not a major
effort by Bach, though it must be assessed as at least
a minor gem.
Although originally written for Pipe Organ, I created
this Interpretation of the Fughetta (BWV 696) "Christum
wir sollen loben schon" (We should already be praising
Christ) for Brass Quartet (Bb Trumpet, Flugelhorn,
French Horn & F Tuba).
PARTITION