Johann Sebastian' Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E flat
major, owes its nickname "St. Anne" to the close
similarity between the theme of the fugue itself, and
the eponymous hymn tune by William Croft (1678-1727),
to which the words of Isaac Watts' great hymn "O God
our help in ages past" is normally sung. There is,
however, no evidence whatever to suggest that Bach
might have known Croft's hymn tune "St. Anne," which
was not known to be sung outside of the British Isles.
This work was included in P...(+)
Johann Sebastian' Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E flat
major, owes its nickname "St. Anne" to the close
similarity between the theme of the fugue itself, and
the eponymous hymn tune by William Croft (1678-1727),
to which the words of Isaac Watts' great hymn "O God
our help in ages past" is normally sung. There is,
however, no evidence whatever to suggest that Bach
might have known Croft's hymn tune "St. Anne," which
was not known to be sung outside of the British Isles.
This work was included in Part III of Bach's
Clavier-Übung (literally "Keyboard-Practice") which
was first published in September 1739. It was Bach's
first major published edition devoted to new organ
pieces, and was issued with the rather cumbersome
subtitle of Dritter Theil der Clavier Übung bestehend
in verschieden Vorspielen über die Catechismus--und
andere Gesaenge, vor die Orgel (Third Part of the
Keyboard Studies Comprising Various Preludes on the
Catechism and other Hymns for Organ). The complete
volume was made up of multiple settings of the German
Kyrie and Gloria, pairs of settings of each of the six
catechism chorales, and four duets. Surmounting all
these was the superb and majestic E flat Prelude and
Fugue, the "St. Anne." It is not possible to determine
whether or not Bach wrote these pieces with any
particular occasion in mind, although some authorities
have suggested that he may well have played some or
perhaps all of the set in a recital he gave on the
newly installed organ of the Frauernkirche, in Dresden,
on December 1, 1736. Others have opined that the
occasion of the first performance may have been the
celebrations held throughout Lutheran Germany on August
12, 1739, to commemorate the bicentenary of the
Confession of Augsburg. However, possibly the most
likely impulse for these works was Bach's newly
rekindled interest in the church chorale, which had
been occasioned by his work for the Schemelli Hymnal
project of 1736. Gregory Butler, a noted authority on
the original manuscripts of Bach's organ works, has
written that "Clavier-Übung III represents a landmark
in Bach's oeuvre. In it are forecast many of the
preoccupations which dominate the works of his last
decade; a concentration on the techniques of fugue and
canon... an interest in highly abstract, recherché
musical thought; and a preoccupation with saying the
last word in a given genre with an attendant
monumentality of conception." The "St. Anne" Prelude
and Fugue attests powerfully to Bach's attainments in
each of these areas, and stands as one of the most
noble and eloquent utterances among his many organ
compositions.
PARTITION