YOUR Favorite Chorales -- Bach, Buxtehude, et al

If I go back to my few organ lessons, I find some chorale preludes I really love. The first is BWV 727, Herzlich tut mich verlangen. This prelude taught me much about registration. I was introduced to the Sesquialtera by my teacher with it. He also showed me about figure or motif with Vater unser im Himmelreich from the Orgelbüchlein (BWV636). It's a dear little prelude. Another from the Orgelbüchlein (BWV 643) is Alle Menschen müssen sterben. This one allows for many different kinds of registration. I rather like it in a quasi-trio style. It's also quite fun when someone asks what the title means in English. I just love to say, "All people must die!"

Of course, my all-time favorite is Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele BWV 654. The way I have learned to love it is E. Power Biggs's interpretation on the Flentrop at the Busch Museum at Harvard University in the U.S. His execution of the many ornaments seems to go with the theology and serenity of the prelude. Whether Biggs is authentic or not matters not. It sounds good.

You've added to my list, Cole. Thanks very much. "Herzlich..." 727 was there, just beginning to explore it, but really taken with it in just a couple of play-throughs. "Schmücke dich..." 654 is a favorite already, and making some progress with it. Am adding your other two suggestions to my growing stack to try playing. I've learned enough from all the help on this thread to finally have my own current favorite, "O Mensch..." 622, partly because I'm close to playing it without complete embarrassment!

I'll see if I can find the performance you cite by Biggs. I think hearing performances that you and others who have the knowledge and experience will help me better and more quickly understand how I should approach some of these pieces -- until "It sounds good." to me, which is, I think, the ultimate goal.

By the way, I took a quick look at your website and found my all-time favorite old hymn, "A Mighty Fortress". I planned just to sample your playing, but enjoyed the entire performance very much. You have the right pace and "authority" to it, and I enjoyed all the variations!

If you have any references or starting suggestions on registration for any of these chorales, I'd be greatful -- just learning where to start on that remains a challenge for me.

Barry Gerken

Just to reiterate, Barry, the MP3s on my site are "virtual" performances, and they were accomplished with the Hauptwerk 1 software! I am slowly gathering more virtual performances using the latest version of Hauptwerk.

BTW, several of the selections are ones that I used when I was active as a church organist. The Ein' feste Burg is my own simple arrangement as are a few others. Most of my arrangements came from listening to Biggs or Fox. The Ein' feste Burg had elements from Fred Swann on a demo album for the old Saville electronic organ. Any modulations you may have heard are my own. Those who have studied music theory will probably tell you that they aren't kosher, but they work for me.

My suggestions ( I love to play these, too), from Orgelbuchlein: "Herzlich thut mich verlangen" with c.f., "Jesu meine Freude", without c.f., "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier" - Peters, V. book, with coloured c.f., at the end of the book, "

Imho, neither "Nun komm" nor "Schmucke dich.." are suitable for beginners.

When playing "Nun komm", imagine that the pedal part is resembling steps of a coming Savior (as the name of the chorale indicates) and what I was taught that it should not be played legato.


"O schmucke dich" - it is a rather demanding piece, with lots of attention to be paid to articulation, phrasing, rhythm and requires a very thoroughful studying and practicing. It took me quite a time to make my left hand sing (especially at the start of the chorale), to make trills sound simultaneously and not in a rush or nervous way. One should also notice the different 'feel' of rhythm in the right and left hand (similar 'feel' as in the chorale: "Allein Gott...). The very end of the chorale is beautiful and needs special attention to be performed in a 'musical' way.

Just my 2 cents.

Thank you, Vladimir. Your "2 cents" is quite helpful.

A couple of these were already in my list, and I've added the rest to take a run through.

I'm fairly new to the organ, but am an OK pianist -- although amateur level -- so I think many of these pieces will be ultimately playable. I'm making good progress on Nun komm', BWV 659, after converting the C-clef portions to G- and F-clef notation. Your suggestion on the walking pedal line is very interesting, and I'll try it tomorrow; until now I've played it legato. I'll also listen more carefully for this on others' performances.

Schmucke dich is more problematic, for the reasons you point out; it's deceptively difficult to play well -- I've moved it more toward "future", though I love the music.

I'm finding that bringing out the emotions of these chorales is a challenge. With the piano, I can sort of caress the keys to vary what comes out -- not so easy on the organ.

Again, thanks for your help.

Barry Gerken

I'm finding that bringing out the emotions of these chorales is a challenge. With the piano, I can sort of caress the keys to vary what comes out -- not so easy on the organ.

If all else fails ...

Buy a cello. Play everything except the melody with your feet, as if you were Cameron Carpenter, and play the melody on the cello with your remaining limbs (taking care not to stab your feet).

Alternatively, get to know a cellist, and play together like this, which I've just recently come across: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApN31QRqgIk

(Well, I can't help really liking that performance. And there's something comforting about all the clicks and pops from the record.)

Or just give up trying and settle for that awful kind of mechanical (and too fast) performances by some below-par organists that I've seen on YouTube.

Yes, I agree that Nun Komm is an easy ARCO option from a technical standpoint, but I do wonder if the examiners would be looking for something very special musically? I.e., that it's difficult from a musical standpoint? I don't know.

David.

It is technically not difficult, but musically another question. It's something I've played since I was taking lessons as a teenager (and was too young and stupid to appreciate it). I think every time I play it I do something a little different with it, plus I find that the interpretation du jour is colored a great deal by the characteristics of the instrument. If I play it on the Hinsz it comes out considerably differently (and at a much slower tempo) than, for example, the Freiberg or most recently the Trost.

I've also heard piano (and violin/piano) interpretations of this "little piece of music" which are astonishingly moving. Sort of proof that besides being just a great architect, the man had "soul"