Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–1750 Complete Organ Music – Volume 4 Compact Disc 1
1 2
Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV549 Prelude Fugue
78’03
19 20 21 22 23 24
Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten BWV691 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten BWV690 Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich BWV732 Fantasia super Jesu, meine Freude BWV713 Concerto in C BWV595 after the first movement of a concerto by Johann Ernst von Sachsen-Weimar Fantasia in C minor BWV562
2
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Fantasia in C BWV570 Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich BWV719 (or: Ein Kindelein so löbelich) Wir Christenleut’ BWV1090 Das alte Jahr vergangen ist BWV1091 Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf BWV1092 Alla breve in D BWV589 Canzona in D minor BWV588 Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen BWV1093 O Jesu, wie ist dein Gestalt BWV1094 O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig BWV1095 Ehre sei dir, Christe, der du leidest Not BWV1097 Fantasia in B minor BWV563 Wir glauben all’ an einen Gott BWV1098 Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir BWV1099
17 18
Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV533 Prelude Fugue
5’42
2’07 3’55 Compact Disc 2
3 4
2’15 2’22 1’23 4’32 4’29
3’00 2’08 1’55 3’11 2’24 5’49 5’24 2’56 4’08 2’20 2’21 5’34 2’40 2’24
2’12 2’39
75’19
1 2
Prelude (Toccata) and Fugue in E BWV566a (Version in C) Prelude Fugue
2’20 9’00
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Partite diverse sopra Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen BWV770 Partita I Partita II Partita III Partita IV Partita V Partita VI Partita VII Partita VIII Partita IX: Adagio Partita X
1’11 0’50 1’02 1’10 0’44 0’57 0’49 0’47 3’19 3’47
13 14
Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend BWV726 Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern BWV739
1’06 4’51
3
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Pastorella in F BWV590 Nun komm der Heiden Heiland BWV699 Christum wir sollen loben schon BWV696 (or: Was fürchtest du Feind, Herodes, sehr) Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ BWV697 Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn BWV698 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her BWV700 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her BWV701 Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost BWV702 Gottes Sohn ist kommen BWV703 Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott BWV704 Fugue in C minor on a theme by Legrenzi BWV574 Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV730
27 28
Prelude and Fugue in C BWV531 Prelude Fugue
Compact Disc 3
4
12’53 1’11 1’50 0’55 1’17 3’19 1’30 1’32 0’56 1’09 7’35 2’01
2’30 4’32
79’32
1 2
Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565 Toccata Fugue
2’22 6’22
3 4 5
Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn BWVAnh.55 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her BWV738 Fugue in C minor BWV575
2’06 1’27 4’44
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Partite diverse sopra Christ, der du bist der helle Tag BWV766 Partita I Partita II: Largo Partita III Partita IV Partita V Partita VI Partita VII
0’57 3’16 1’09 1’13 1’45 1’11 1’40
13 14
Prelude and Fugue in F minor BWV534 Prelude Fugue
3’46 5’43
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ BWV1100 Ach Gott und Herr BWV714 Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder BWV742 (or: Herzlich tut mich verlangen) Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt BWV1101 Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ BWV1102 Vater unser im Himmelreich BWV737 Jesu, meine Freude BWV1105 Gott ist mein Heil, mein Hilf und Trost BWV1106 Jesu, meines Lebens Leben BWV1107 Als Jesus Christus in der Nacht BWV1108 O Herre Gott, dein göttlich Wort BWV1110
2’28 3’30 2’56 3’03 2’29 2’30 2’12 2’03 1’57 3’27 2’33
26 27 28
Fantasia in G BWV571 I. (Allegro) II. Adagio III. Allegro
3’43 2’08 2’02
5
29
Meine Seele erhebt den Herren (Fuge über das Magnificat) BWV733 4’36
Compact Disc 4
20 21
Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV731 Passacaglia in C minor BWV582
2’47 14’18
77’13
Stefano Molardi
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Thielemann organ, Dreifaltigkeitskirche, Gräfenhein, Thuringia
1 2
Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV546 Prelude Fugue
7’03 6’41
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Nun lasst uns den Leib begraben BWV1111 Christus, der ist mein Leben BWV1112 Ich hab mein Sach Gott heimgestellt BWV1113 Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut BWV1114 Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr BWV1115 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan BWV1116 Alle Menschen müssen sterben BWV1117 Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt BWV957 Werde munter, mein Gemüte BWV1118 Wie nach einer Wasserquelle BWV1119 Christ, der du bist der helle Tag BWV1120
2’49 2’15 3’03 4’55 3’03 2’18 2’14 2’30 2’05 2’07 2’06
14 15
Prelude and Fugue in D minor BWV539 Prelude Fugue
2’16 5’27
16 17 18 19
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr BWV715 Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein BWV734 Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend BWV749 Wir glauben all’ an einen Gott BWV765
2’00 3’02 0’58 3’06
With thanks to Gert Weber and the Freundekreis Thielemann, Felix Friedrich, Paolo Crivellaro, Michael Radulescu, Anna Maria Carla Proietto, Giuseppe Placentino and Enrico Gianella.
Recording: 25–28 September 2013, Gräfenhein, Thuringia Sound engineer & art direction: Simone Bellucci 2014 & 2015 Brilliant Classics
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Johann Sebastian Bach: Complete Organ Music – Volume 4 CD1 The Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV549 is an early work that embodies stylistic elements deriving from Böhm, Buxtehude and Bruhns. Distinctly static in nature, the fugue is reminiscent of the Thuringia style (Buttstett), and is largely manualiter, although the last entry of the subject is entrusted to the pedals. BWV570 is a short, simple fantasia (c.1699, Ohrdruf) featuring the figura corta form. Alongside passages typical of the Froberger style, it reveals the influence of Johann Christoph Bach, the composer’s cousin, who was a colleague of Pachelbel and was described by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach as a ‘great composer’. Most of the pieces recorded in Gräfenhain are chorales belonging to the so-called Neumeister Collection (named after their compiler), which consists of 82 works attributable to Bach’s circle, edited between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. Of these works, 36 are attributed to Johann Sebastian and were composed between 1703 and 1707, when he was resident in Arnstadt. BWV719 is in the form of a ricercare, with a passaggio linking it to the last part of the chorale; BWV1090 is a lively piece in three different sections respectively featuring a semiquaver moto perpetuo, an Italian-style corrente and dotted rhythms; BWV 1091 and 1095 are for four voices in the style of Johann Michael Bach, with few imitations and the use of the figura corta; in BWV1092 the subject is fragmented in the first and the last verses by means of pauses and repetition in the bass part of the opening passage, creating an interesting emphatic link with the plea to God in the text. BWV1093 is cantabile, with an initial chromatic motif that is developed to intensify the harmonic form by means of figura corta and a rapid semiquaver passage; BWV1094 is a melodious Adagio that expresses a meditation on the mystery of the cross through the use of descending figures in the lower voices and chromaticism in the last bar; BWV1097 contains both chorale and fugue elements, with each chorale entry in the soprano voice preceded by a proper three-voice fugue on the theme of the chorale itself. BWV1098 features four voices, in the style of Pachelbel, with a development that reconciles elegant simplicity with invention; by contrast, BWV1099 is more varied, with the cantus firmus first developed in chords, then in a canon between soprano and bass, with the middle voices creating figures derived from the subject; this is followed
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by a section in 12/8 with a surprising ‘cuckoo’ effect reminiscent of Kerll, which in its turn gives way to an Adagio with figurae suspirans that imitate the idea of sin and the plea expressed in the last verse of the text. The Fantasia BWV563 is also close to the tradition of central Germany, along the lines of Kuhnau – especially in the second part, an imitatio in which the subject is variously echoed by the different voices, with inversion and elision. By contrast the beginning is free in form, with elegant, expressive use of figura corta (as in BWV570) through to the recitative-style finale, where the youthful Bach experiments with ‘affective’ rhetorical figures. In all likelihood an early work, BWV589 is a ricercare in vocal style with a subject that was later developed in the ‘Gratias agimus tibi’ of the Mass in B minor, with which it also shares the idea of constant intensification through to the conclusion (alla breve) by means of a chromatic sequence resolved in a tonic pedal point at the end of the work. The Canzona BWV588 is close to the Frescobaldi tradition, which accounts for the title and the two-part structure: in the second part it develops the lively subject in ternary metre, bringing it to a sudden halt before the end by means of a general pause used to impressive rhetorical effect. Composed around 1704, the Prelude and Fugue BWV533 reveals elements typical of the stylus phantasticus: the incipit with the solo on the manual, tremolos, tirata, pedal solos, harmonic ostinato and broken chords. Despite its brevity, the fugue acquires elegance through the use of repetition of the subject and countersubject, growing in intensity towards the end, where the tessitura calls for five voices. BWV 690 and 691 are short ‘domestic’ chorales: the former in the ‘di partita’ style of Böhm, and the latter with a richly embellished soprano voice. Dating from the Weimar period, BWV713 consists of a first part in the form of a two-voice fugue, with a third voice creating the cantus firmus that also appears in the other voices, and a second dolce part in which a sudden change of character draws attention to the words of the text: ‘Gottes Lamm’. Also transcribed for the harpsichord (BWV984), BWV595 is attributed by one source to an unknown concerto by Prince Johann Ernst of Sachsen-Weimar. It comprises one movement, an Allegro, which reflects the style typical of Vivaldi’s concertos, with repetitions of the refrains in various keys. Bach’s version of the piece contains original indications for changes of keyboard. The manuscript of the Fantasia BWV562, which probably dates back to the 1740s, comprises a fragment of an unfinished fugue. With frequent Orgelpunkt and a great deal of counterpoint, it is
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reminiscent of the toccatas of central Germany by the likes of Pachelbel, though it also reveals elements close to the style of De Grigny, whose Livre d’orgue Bach would have got to know during his years in Ohrdruf. The main subject is developed within a rich tapestry of countersubjects, sequences and cadenzas through to the coda, in which a pause on a diminished chord gives way to an elegant passage in the soprano voice that leads to the conclusion, where the initial subject returns on the last chord. Highly dramatic in impact, the gesture acquires particular expressive effect thanks to the C minor tonality and the unequal temperament of the Thielemann organ. Stefano Molardi CD2 Written during the period of Bach’s visit to Buxtehude in Lübeck (1705–6), the first piece on this disc, BWV566a, bears witness to the composer’s impressive skill in developing the northern toccata form to the highest possible level. The original version in E major (BWV566) appears in the Johann Tobias Krebs edition transposed into C major, possibly by Krebs himself, to suit the temperament of the organ. In keeping with northern practice, it consists of various sections, beginning with generous solos on the manual and pedal, followed by developments leading to the fugue with the ribattuto subject, the recitative, a second fugue in which the subject of the first fugue is reworked in ternary rhythm (as in Froberger, Buxtehude, Bruhns and in the Canzona BWV588), and a toccata-style coda. The harpsichord-like BWV770 is a slightly earlier work featuring solutions typical of the chorale variations of central Germany, especially the work of Böhm. The first variation in chords is followed by a further nine in which the subject is developed in various forms: from the Bicinium (II) to the luthé style (IV); the basso andante (V); a virtuoso dialogue between two voices (VIII); the Sarabande with echo (IX); and the inventive Variation X with its wealth of figuration, passaggi (similar to the beginning of BWV566a), toccata-like episodes and rhythm changes. Continuing within the Sangerhausen perspective (BWV 722, 729), the works chosen for the Gräfenhain organ comprise a series of chorales made up of harmonisations, some of them highly dissonant and unusual, accompanied by improvisational flourish. In all likelihood BWV 715, 726, 732 and 738 date back to the Arnstadt period (or just after), and were conceived for the congregation of the faithful. Some of the harmonies are distinctly experimental, which probably accounts for the complaints of Bach’s superiors, who believed the young composer was distracting
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his listeners. Various combinations of ripieno have been used for these pieces, along with the doubling of the pedal ad libitum. Based on the model of the chorale fantasies of northern Germany, BWV739 probably dates back to the same period. It features highly diversified elements, including pre-imitations reminiscent of early Pachelbel, sections with cantus firmus in the pedal, dialogue between the manuals, rapid flourish, style luthé and ‘broken’ chords. The elements borrowed from Pachelbel and from the Bach family (Johann Christoph and Johann Michael) are distinctly evident in the Arnstadt period, which followed Bach’s apprenticeship with his brother, Johann Christoph, in Ohrdruf. BWV739 to BWV704 (tracks 14–24) constitute a small section devoted to Christmas, of which the most interesting piece is unquestionably the Pastorella BWV590. It is made up of four movements in the manner of an Italian sonata, beginning with features typical of the pastorale (Frescobaldi, Corelli, Zipoli), with a siciliano rhythm and chromaticism that imitates the precarious intonation of bagpipes. Next come an allemande, an aria with ornamented soprano, and lastly a gigue (as in the finale of the fourth Brandenburg Concerto). In the form of fughettas on the Advent and Christmas chorales, BWV 696–704 belong to what is known as the Kirnberger Collection, named after Bach’s pupil who purchased from Breitkopf, the Leipzig publisher, a manuscript containing 24 chorales of various origins in 1777. The styles vary considerably, ranging from the rich ornamentation of BWV696 to the canzone model of Buxtehude or the Magnificat by Pachelbel (BWV697), from the freshness of rhythm and melody of BWV698 to the cantabile elegance of the works for three voices BWV 699 and 704. Also worthy of note are the fughettas BWV 700 and 701: for four voices and double pedal, the former, as in Pachelbel and Böhm, is for four voices and double pedal (perhaps written in the Arnstadt years, with details reminiscent of Neumeister’s chorales); the latter, highly ingenious and lively, is characterised by elements that are variously combined in a constant flow of semiquavers. As with BWV703, the Christmas ‘carillon’ effect is achieved on the Thielemann organ with the Glockenspiel stop. BWV730, which recalls the style of the chorales of the same name in the Orgelbüchlein, is followed by BWV574, a fugue based on two distinct subjects that are first developed one after the other and then superimposed, with an ample final section in stylus phantasticus in the manner of Buxtehude and Bruhns (featuring frequent parallel sixths). While there is no explicit reference to a specific Legrenzi motif, the work shows a certain similarity to the Italian composer’s Sonata Op.2
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No.11 and to his sonata La cetra Op.10 (1673). BWV531 is an early work that may have been written following Bach’s stay in Lüneburg in 1700–03, not least in view of the fact that the source of inspiration is clearly Böhm’s Prelude in C. It begins with an impressive pedal solo, like a fanfare, which is then taken up by the manual and developed by means of scales, arpeggios, triplets and toccata passages, like a joyful improvisation. The fugue is exuberant, with the subject in octave intervals and boundless interwoven semiquavers that lead to the brilliant recitative-style conclusion. Stefano Molardi CD3 The famous Toccata and Fugue BWV565 is a fascinating work that has elicited a great deal of critical attention. It comes across as a sort of puzzle made up of contrasting elements, many of them unique to this particular work: for instance the doubling at the octave in the first three bars, the frequent tempi indications, the pauses, the arpeggios in the diminished seventh, the movement of parallel thirds and sixths before the fugue, the sudden key changes (final part of the fugue) etc. The astonishing, rhapsodic Toccata is reminiscent of the northern stylus phantasticus as well as certain features of Buttstett (cf. BWV 549, 531 and 578). The Fugue contains many long improvisational sections, especially towards the end, which greatly emphasise the prelude-fugue-postlude structure then fashionable in northern Germany. The form of the subject, and that of whole sections with echo effects, arpeggios, flourishes, and parallel thirds and sixths, suggests that the motif, or indeed perhaps the entire piece, was originally conceived for the violin. Could it perhaps have been a transcription of an original work that has been lost? Such elements suggest that the work probably pertains to the Arnstadt or Weimar period, or thereabouts. Yet other factors, including the copy made by Johannes Ringk (1717–1778), a famous improviser of fugues and performer of Bach’s works, could imply that the work might be by Ringk himself, or by one of the circle of the generation of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. The chorales BWVAnh.55 and BWV738 respectively refer to the Christmas and Advent periods. The former is a trio with the cantus firmus in the tenor, the pedal playing the basso continuo and the soprano improvisational figurations. The Fugue BWV575 is an early work along the lines of the fuga-canzonetta, a sort of rondo that also featured in Buxtehude. As with BWV 547 and 549, the
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pedal only appears in the final section, where it introduces a coda that also reveals Buxtehude-like elements, with certain traits reminiscent of the harpsichord, such as the style brisé. A further example of the influence of Böhm is to be found in the Partita BWV766, which embodies certain performance characteristics (for instance, the frequent legato in the phrasing) that suggest a cantabile mood. Although it makes use of elements that also feature in the slightly earlier Partita BWV770 (bicinium, echo, figura corta, ternary rhythm, style luthé), as a whole it comes across as a more mature work, revealing greater extension of the voices on the keyboard. Variation VII is unique among Bach’s compositions, with the indication ‘con pedale se piace’, along the lines of Pachelbel and Johann Michael Bach. BWV534 contains some rather naïve counterpoint, especially in the fugue, which has undermined the certainty of its attribution. With its sections based on the Orgelpunkt, as in Pachelbel, various details of the prelude are reminiscent of the early Toccata in E minor for harpsichord BWV914. The five-voice fugue ends with an improvisational coda, as in the prelude. The disc then continues with some of the early Neumeister chorales: the three-voice BWV1100 with the cantus firmus in the soprano follows the Thuringia model, with ribattuta notes, as in Buttstett and Vetter; the first part of BWV714 reveals the meditative, expressive qualities of the durezze e ligature style typical of 17th-century Italian composers, brought magnificently to the fore by the unequal temperament of the Thielemann organ, while the second part features imitations between the contralto, bass and chorale, in canon between soprano and tenor. BWV742 is cantabile, with suspirans, an initial recitative and original indications for the two keyboards. BWV1101 is made up of a number of different elements, with chromatic motifs, ribattuta notes, and lively – though as yet little developed – figurations. BWV1102 is a sort of aria with basso andante (almost an ostinato refrain) that turns into an Allegro in which Bach displays various figurations in style luthé and rapid triplets in semiquavers. BWV737 is in the early style with free counterpoint (the Walther copy has been used here), whereas BWV1105 reveals plentiful ideas derived from Böhm and the Thuringian school, such as fragmentation, the subject in chords with the cantus firmus moving between the soprano, tenor and bass, and rhetorical pauses with dissonant chords (the words of the chorale describe the ‘ancient serpent’ and overthrowing the powers of evil). BWV 1106 and 1107 are both highly inventive, flowing works in the form of short partitas, with the cantus firmus moving among the voices, and counterpoint that varies in manner (scales, figures in
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style luthé, and an echo in BWV1106; figura corta, style luthé, a chordal section and a section in 12/8 in BWV1107). BWV1108 consists of two contrasting parts: in the first, the subject of the chorale is developed in the soprano voice, accompanied by slow quavers rising and falling in steps, whereas in the second part, which is livelier, the subject appears in the soprano, the contralto and the bass (pedal). This latter idea also features in BWV1110, where a gentle cradling motif in triplets turns into a gigue with the introduction of more rapid figurations. Different forms and moods are also evident in the last two pieces. The first movement of BWV571 reflects the Italianate concertato style of Kuhnau (like the Preludio in C of the Suite No.1 from 1689). It is followed by a recitative and an Adagio featuring the usual figura corta, while the third movement consists of a brilliant fantasy on a basso ostinato. BWV733, which was probably written in Weimar, is based on the early Gregorian chant of the Magnificat in tonus peregrinus. Positioned between a fugue and an invention, it involves two, three, four and up to five voices, with the cantus firmus in the pedal. Anna Maria Carla Proietto CD4 The first piece, BWV546, is one of the most majestic of the Cantor. Its concerto structure, rhetorical impact and the rich development of the constituent parts suggest that it was completed in Leipzig. The initial dialogue in chords between the right and left hand represents a dramatic exclamatio, followed by quavers, triplets and semiquavers that speed up the movement and heighten the tension. Imposing and severe, the fugue is full of powerful energy that contributes to the growing intensity of expression. Though intrinsically different, the elements that underlie this development all derive from the same nucleus. Tracks 3–13 conclude the cycle of Neumeister chorales. BWV1111 is a ricercare in which the subject is first imitated in all the voices, and then gains in vivacity with imitations in the livelier stretto and the countersubject. The overall effect is a sense of acceleration with the voices rising to the top end of the keyboard. Cantabile in mood, BWV1112 reveals the influence of Thuringia, especially the works of Bach’s cousin Johann Michael, with free handling of counterpoint and the use of figura corta. BWV1113, on the other hand, is chord-based and simple in structure, with echo effects in the second part. In BWV1114 the first verses of the cantus firmus are ornate in the
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manner of Böhm, followed by a section with ascending figures, and lastly by a return to the initial motif, with suspirans figures. BWV1115 is divided into several sections, the first of which displays a basso quasi ostinato with the subject in the soprano. A sudden change of mood comes about with 12/8 dance-like rhythms, followed by a toccata-style coda in six voices. BWV1116 consists of a wide range of different elements, many of them merely outlined: for instance, the initial soprano/contralto canon, the ‘migrating’ subject, stretto, imitation, figura corta and chromaticism. BWV1117 is partita-like in style, with the subject developed in style luthé, embellishment in the bass and soprano, demisemiquavers, and chord figures whose overall effect is to create the sensation of acceleration. BWV957 is a lively little fugue with a finale featuring harmonisation of the complete chorale and intermediate figures in quavers, along the lines of Pachelbel. As in BWV1116, BWV1118 is made up of various elements, such as style luthé, ternary rhythm, brilliant figuration and a migrating cantus firmus. Akin to the style of Johann Michael, the three-voice BWV1119 flows gently, with use of figura corta to express simple joy, the divine ‘source of water’. The reference model for BWV1120, which features echoes, small imitations, figura corta and cantus firmus in the pedal, is the motet as developed by the Bach family, especially the cousins Johann Christoph and Johann Michael. The Prelude and Fugue BWV5391, which were only placed together in the 19th century, contrast with each other considerably, to the extent that their authorship is still uncertain, especially the Prelude. The Fugue, on the other hand, would seem to be a version for the organ of the Fugue in G minor from the Sonata for solo violin BWV1001, transcribed by Bach himself, or possibly by one of his pupils. The refrain-form, interposed with episodes in semiquavers deriving from the subject in ribattuta notes and by a simple countersubject in staccato quavers, comes across as much richer in harmony and depth on the organ than on the violin, not least thanks to the five-voice tessitura, where the stretto imitations create a complex tapestry of sound. The ensuing chorales do not belong to specific collections. BWV734 is based on an Advent text that relates to the figure of Christ portrayed as the mediator, which explains the cantus firmus in the tenor, while the soprano is entrusted with free figurations. BWV765 is in the stile antico, with free counterpoint in the middle voices that support the subject in the soprano. Lastly comes the little fugue BWV749 and the ornate chorale in the soprano BWV731. One of the most grandiose and important works in the organ repertoire, the famous Passacaglia
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BWV582 is a majestic piece rich in tension. It was included in the Andreas Bach Buch, a manuscript version edited by Bach’s brother Johann Christoph in Ohrdruf around the years 1705–15, which places the composition in the Weimar period, and is largely coeval with the Orgelbüchlein, even though its highly varied and extended form would seem to be features of the composer’s maturity. The subject, in the pedal as basso ostinato, comes from the ‘Christe’ of the second Mass by the French composer André Raison (Premier Livre d’orgue, Paris 1688), while the numerous examples of figura corta in the first variations derive from the Thuringian school, especially Pachelbel (his Chaconne in D). The composition is full of invention and technical brilliance: polyphony, homophony, ascending and descending scales, figured arpeggios, triplets, the subject in the soprano without pedals etc. The final part, just before the fugue, is extremely dramatic, thanks to the tension created by the use of constant repetition of quavers, along the lines of both Buxtehude and in particular Frescobaldi (Cento partite sopra passacagli). With its skilful handling of proportion, the entire structure reveals an astounding flurry of ideas. Of particular note is the sectio aurea in the 13th variation (21 variations; 13:8 = 1.6). The 21 variations are grouped together as follows, according to the elements and styles involved: _1:1_ | | 6 4 3 3 2 3 |________| |________| |________________| |________________| 13 8 |________________________________________| 2:1 |________________________| 2:1 1:1 = Proportio equalis 2:1 = Proportio dupla 3:2 = Proportio sesquialtera 4:3 = Proportio sesquitertia 13:8 = Proportio aurea
Bibliography – Felix Friedrich-Eberhard Kneipel, Orgel in Thüringen – Ein Reiseführer (Altenburg: Verlag Klaus Jürgen Kamprad, 2010) – Christoph Wolff & Markus Zepf, The Organs of J.S. Bach: A Handbook (University of Illinois Press, 2012) – Christoph Wolff, Johann Sebastian Bach. La scienza della musica (Milan: Bompiani, 2003) – Peter Williams, The Organ Music of J.S. Bach (2nd edition) (Cambridge University Press, 2003) – Michael Radulescu, Le opere organistiche di J.S. Bach: Orgelbüchlein (New edition edited by Marco Ruggeri, Scuola Diocesana di Musica Sacra ‘D. Caifa’) (Cremona: Nuova Editrice Cremonese, 2011) – Jean-Claude Zehnder, Die frühen Werke Johann Sebastian Bachs: Stil – Chronologie – Satztechnik (2 vols) (Basel: Schwabe Verlag, 2009) – Alberto Basso, Frau Musika: la vita e le opere di J.S. Bach (2 vols) (Turin: EDT, 1998) 1Concerning
scores of doubtful authenticity, cf. Zehnder, J.-C. (ed. Bärenreiter) Urtext der Neuen Bach-Ausgabe Vol.2, pp. 527–9, and the preface to Vols. 10 & 11.
Stefano Molardi Translation: Kate Singleton
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Stefano Molardi
Johann Christoph Thielemann Organ (1728–1731) Dreifaltigkeitskirche, Gräfenhain, Thuringia
Born in Cremona, Stefano Molardi is an organist, musicologist, harpsichordist and conductor. His musical training was supported by renowned musicians such as Ewald Kooiman, Christopher Stembridge, Harald Vogel, Luigi Tagliavini and especially Michael Radulescu, with whom he studied in Vienna and for whom he played continuo in the Académie Bach of Porrentruy (Switzerland). Having received awards at several organ competitions, including Paisan di Prato (Udine) in 1998, Viterbo in 1996, Bruges and the Paul Hofhaimer in Innsbruck, Molardi now pursues a busy career as a soloist and in chamber ensembles, playing in prestigious concert venues (including Disney Hall in Los Angeles, the Sala São Paulo in Brazil, the Musikverein and Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Carnegie Hall in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, among others) and at many international festivals, including Musica e Poesia a S. Maurizio in Milan, the Festival Organistico Internazionale of Treviso, the Festival di Musica Antica in Valvasone, the International Festival of Maastricht, the Wiener Orgelkonzerte, the Historic Organs Festival in Arnstadt, the Organ Festival of Nürnberg and the Festival of Magadino. In 2009 he performed the complete organ works of Liszt and Franck in Lugano. He is professor of organ at conservatoires in Lugano and Trapani, and holds international masterclasses and conferences on Baroque performance practice. He has made recordings for Tactus, Christophorus, Deutsche Grammophon, SWR, MEZZO, Radio France and Radio Suisse Romande; between 2003 and 2010 he recorded the organ music of Merula on four CDs for Divox, and for the same label he made various recordings as conductor of the Baroque orchestra I Virtuosi delle Muse, receiving warm reviews and international recognition. As a conductor, Molardi has performed throughout Europe and the US, with notable performances including J.S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion, St John Passion and Magnificat (Ferrara), Mozart’s Requiem (Crotone), and operas such as Luchesi’s Ademira (Teatro Dovizi in Bibbiena), Porpora’s Mitridate (Teatro Caldéron in Valladolid) and Farnace and Giustino by Vivaldi (both at the Theater an der Wien and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris). In 2013 he became conductor of the Accademia Barocca Italiana, a period-instrument ensemble specialising in Italian and German music of the 17th and 18th centuries.
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Hauptwerk (II Manual) (C, D–c3) 3 Quintatön 16’ 18 Principal 8’ 20 Gedackt 8’ 5 Octava 4’ 22 Spielflaute 4’ 7 Quinta 3’ 24 Octava 2’ 26 Tertia 1 3/5’ 9 Mixtur 6fach 11 Trombetta 8’
Brustwerk (I Manual) (C, D–c3) 4 Quintatön 16’ 19 Principal 4’ 21 Gedackt 8’ 6 Gedackt 4’ 23 Octava 2’ 8 Quinta 1 1/3’ 25 Octava 1’ 10 Mixtur 4fach
Schiebekoppel Brustwerk/Hauptwerk 15 Windkoppel HW/P 16 Cymbelstern 13 Glockenspiel 28 Tremulant
Modified meantone temperament Pitch: G#=447 Hz Wind pressure: 73mm WS
Pedal (C, D–c1) 27 Subbaß 16’ 12 Violonbaß 16’ 29 Octavenbaß 8’ 14 Posaunenbaß
The registration for each work is available at www.brilliantclassics.com
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