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 chorale prelude Jesus Christus, unser Heiland BWV
688 is a trio sonata with the upper voices in quavers
and semiquavers the manuals and the cantus firmus in
minims in the pedal in the Dorian mode of G, like a
Gregorian chant. The eccentric angularity of the
keyboard subject with its great widening or narrowing
leaps is derived from the melody. It has prompted much
speculation as to its iconographic significance.
"Unwavering faith" has been taken to be the underlying
theme by many commentators, including Spitta and
Schweitzer, who compared the unsteady theme to the
vision of a sailor seeking a firm foothold on a stormy
deck (un marin qui cherche un appui solide sur une
planche roulante). Others have interpreted the leaping
theme as representing Man's parting from and return to
God; or as the "great agony" (großer Arbeit) of the
sixth verse; or as the anger of God appeased by the
suffering of Christ (the theme followed by its
inversion); or as a reference to the treading of the
winepress in the passage.
Whatever the religious significance, the musical
development from the motifs is ingenious and subtle,
constantly varying. The material in the semiquaver
codetta (bar 6) of the fugue subject and of the
countersubject (bars 7–9) is used and developed
extensively throughout BWV 688, sometimes in inverted
form. The theme itself is transformed in all sorts of
ways, including inversion, reflection, reversal and
syncopation, the variety increased by how the two upper
voices combine together. Once started, the semiquaver
figures form a moto perpetuo. At some points, they
contain hidden versions of the quaver fugue subject;
but as the work progresses, they gradually simplify to
scale passages. Even the ending is unconventional, with
a simulated ritardando in the last bars with the pedal
silent. The chorale prelude is thus composed from a few
organic motifs heard already in the first few bars. The
unprecedented novelty and musical originality of such a
self-generated composition might have been Bach's main
intention.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavier-%C3%9Cbung_III).
I created this Transcription of the Chorale Prelude
(BWV 688) "Jesus Christus, unser Heiland" (Jesus Christ
our Saviour) for Pipe Organ.
PARTITION