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BACH - Leipziger Choräle
gespielt von Daniel Bruun an der Orgel der Garnisonskirken Copenhagen
06.11.2022 - LETZTER TEIL
Vor deinen Thron tret' ich hiermit BWV 668

The three-part imitative accompaniment in the pedal and lower keyboard of this chorale prelude is based on figures derived from the 4 different lines of the melody and their inversions; each line of the cantus firmus itself is heard in the simple soprano line, stripped of any embellishment, after its pre-imitation in the ritornello parts.

23.10.2022
Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist, in Organo pleno con Pedale obligato BWV 667

This chorale prelude on Martin Luther's hymn for Pentecost "Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist" consists of two variations linked by a bridging interlude: the first is a miniature chorale prelude almost identical to BWV 631 in the Orgelbüchlein, with an uninterrupted cantus firmus in the soprano line; in the second, the four lines of the cantus firmus are heard in the pedal, beneath a flowing imitative ritornello accompaniment on the keyboard.

09.10.2022
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, alio modo BWV 666

This short chorale prelude for keyboard alone is a simple form of the chorale motet, with the cantus firmus again passed between parts and a different counter-subject for each of the four lines of the hymn

25.09.2022
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland [Jesus Christ, our Saviour], sub communione, Pedaliter, BWV 665

In this choral prelude, each of the four lines of the cantus firmus passes through the four different voices, accompanied by a counter-subject giving the musical colour appropriate to that line: the carrying of the Cross; God's anger; Christ's bitter suffering; and resurrection from the torment of Hell, for which Bach provides the longest and most elaborate pedal point of the whole collection.

11.09.2022
Trio super "Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr" a 2 Clav. e Pedale BWV 664

This is another chorale prelude similar to movements from the organ trio sonatas, inventive, scintillating, joyous and concerto-like; the two independent solo parts and the pedal continuo are based on elements from the cantus firmus, the first two phrases of which are only heard right at the end of the piece in the pedal before the final pedal point and coda. The chorale prelude is in three parts: six fugal statements of the ritornello; a series of brilliant violinistic episodes with suspensions, semiquavers and prolonged trills, punctuated twice by the ritornello in the minor mode; and a return of the ritornello over the cantus firmus ending in a long pedal point.

28.08.2022
Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr, a 2. Clav. e Pedale, Canto fermo in Tenore, BWV 663

The accompanying ritornello of this chorale prelude takes the form of a trio sonata, the two fantasia-like upper parts, with their lively constantly varying contrapuntal quaver figurations, matched by a solid pedal continuo; the aria-like ornamented cantus firmus is heard in the long tenor part, with its quaver melismas and sighs.

14.08.2022
Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr, a 2. Clav. e Pedale, Canto fermo in Soprano, BWV 662

This chorale prelude, unusually marked adagio, is based on "Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr", a German version of the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo. It has two ornate fugal inner parts over a continuo-like pedal, with a florid and melismatic cantus firmus in the soprano, its figurations reminiscent of those for obligato violin or oboe in the Weimar cantatas (e.g. the sinfonia of Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21).

31.07.2022
Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, in Organo Pleno, Canto fermo in Pedale BWV 661

Beneath a three-part keyboard fugue, typical of Bach's large scale free organ fugues, with an angular quaver theme derived from the melody, the cantus firmus is heard in the pedal; the fugal theme, its counter-subject and their inversions are combined in numerous ways in the course of the piece.

17.07.2022
Trio super Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, a due Bassi e canto fermo BWV 660

This chorale prelude is unusually scored as a two-part invention for pedal and bass, with the ornamented cantus firmus in the soprano line following the original hymn melody fairly closely. The opening ritornello, played imitatively in canon, contains the notes of the cantus firmus—g, g, f♯, b♭, a, g, a, g— distributed between the two bass parts.

03.07.2022
Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, a 2 Clav. e Pedale BWV 659

Over the quavers of the continuo-like "walking bass" in the pedal, the two inner parts move forward meditatively in canon, beneath the florid and melismatic cantus firmus of "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland". The beautiful melody, endlessly prolonged and never fully perceptible mid the freely spiraling arabesques, evokes the mystery of the incarnation; it is matched by the perfection of the accompaniment.

19.06.2022
Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, Canto fermo in Pedale BWV 658

The ornate three-part keyboard accompaniment is derived from the opening notes of the hymn and a separate "joy motif" that permeates the piece, exquisitely "winding above and around like a luxurious garland of amaranth.” Only four lines of the cantus firmus are heard in the tenor pedal, the chorale prelude closing with a seemingly timeless bell-like coda over a pedal point, perhaps illustrating the final lines of the hymn, "after death we will be buried deep in the earth; when we have slept, we will be awoken by God." In this "bell" coda, the note c1 sharp is heard 7 times consecutively, within a fourth voice, outside of the three accompaniment voices. This is indicative of the German funeral bell.

05.06.2022
Nun danket alle Gott, a 2 Clav e Pedale, canto fermo in Soprano, BWV 657

This chorale prelude closely follows the model of Pachelbel, with a diversity of imitative elements in the lower parts, beneath the unadorned cantus firmus of the soprano line.

22.05.2022
O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, 3 Versus

The first verse of this Good Friday hymn, is a subdued prelude in four parts based on the cantus firmus, which appears explicitly in the soprano line over the flowing quaver accompaniment; in the second verse the cantus firmus moves to the alto line and the quaver figures become more lively; in the final verse, the pedal finally appears to take up the cantus firmus, beneath a four-part fugal counter-subject in triplets, first in a forthright angular figuration, then in hammered repeated notes leading to an anguished chromatic passage, indicative of the crucifixion, and finally in peaceful flowing quavers.

08.05.2022
Trio super Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend, a 2 Clav. e Pedale

Dieses jubelnde und lebendige Choralvorspiel ähnelt in seiner Textur den Sätzen der Orgeltrio-Sonaten und wiederholt die „ewige Freude und das glückselige Licht“ der letzten Strophe. Des Choralvorspiels Fortschreiten durch die Tonarten G, D, e-Moll, h-Moll, D und schließlich G erinnert an Vivaldi Konzert. Die beiden manuellen Solostimmen und das Pedal continuo basieren auf Elementen des Cantus firmus, der vollständig im Pedalteil der Reprise zu hören ist.

24.04.2022
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, a 2 Clav. e Pedale

Der nüchtern verzierte, aber melismatische Choral Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele im Sopran wechselt mit den tänzerischen Ritornellen der beiden ineinander verschlungenen Unterstimmen über einem Pedalbass; der überirdische Kontrapunkt zwischen den vier verschiedenen Teilen schafft eine Atmosphäre großer Gelassenheit, a "verzückte Meditation" über den Ritus der Kommunion. Die Verzierung im Titel wird durch die illustriert Französische Verzierung der oberen Teile.


10.04.2022
An Wasserflüssen Babylon, a 2 Clav. e Pedale
Der Hymnus „An Wasserflüssen Babylon“ ist eine Paraphrase von Psalm 137, einer Klage im Exil in Babylon. Die sanften Ritornelle der Begleitstimmen in den beiden Oberstimmen und Pedal der Sarabande, antizipieren den verzierten Choral im Tenor, der den traurigen Ton der Hymne heraufbeschwört, die "Orgeln und Harfen, an Weiden aufgehängt", nach Psalm 137.
In einem berühmten Konzert 1720 auf der großen Orgel der Hamburger Katharinenkirche hatte Bach fast eine halbe Stunde lang improvisiert Stunde über die gleichen Hymne als Hommage an den Organisten der Kirche, Johann Adam Reinken und seine gefeierte Fantasia zum gleichen Thema.


27.03.2022
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, BWV 652



13.03.2022
Fantasia super Komm, Heiliger Geist, canto fermo in Pedale
Über das Pedal schwebt die Choralmelodie mit einer überschwänglichen Toccata, die den „rauschenden mächtigen Wind“ des Heiligen Geistes vermittelt; ein zweites verziertes Thema symbolisiert die Hallelujas am Höhepunkt des Hymne.



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