Registration suggestions (Arlesheim, BWV 639)

Despite owning HW for quite some time, I still am a very inexperienced organist: I am getting close to finish learning "Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ" from the orgelbuchlein (my first 'real' organ piece, meaning the first piece I would want to keep in my repertory forever) and I am trying to find a registration that works well on the Arlesheim sampleset: I would appreciate any suggestions from other more learned people here about how one in general would do this.

As much as the pedal registration seems fairly straightforward, how do you decide which manual to play what on? and where (as in, as written, or an octave lower with a different stop etc.)?

This is a huge topic!

Registration depends on many factors, in rough order some of these being:
1. School of composition (eg Bach vs French baroque vs French romantic to give just a few cases)
2. Organ being used
3. The piece itself
4. What the player is trying to convey (maybe this should even be first!)
5. The player's personal preferences (some like warm principals, others like beautiful flutes etc)

1. Being Bach, there aren't many prescribed registrations like there would be for the French baroque or romantic schools. So there's no registration formula, although some pieces are prescribed eg Pro organ pleno, but not for this particular piece.
2. Arlesheim is an organ somewhat between the "south German" and "French" baroque models. There are probably quite some quite vocal stops in this type of organ.
3. Ich ruf zu dir is described by Wikipedia as being "a supplication in time of despair." F-minor is a key often reserved for this sort of piece in baroque times.
The left hand reminds me of a violin or cello ("imitatio violistica"). The bass is "gently pulsating" in a style that could also be emulated by a cello or double-bass in a baroque orchestral or chamber piece.
4. I would try to convey this sense of supplication using some vocal registration.
5. I like vocal principals, so perhaps the solo on the Principal 8 of the HW with the left hand on another manual's 8' stop. Choose pedal stops to balance -- a somewhat vague phrase that I would use to mean 16+8, sometimes +4 or more stops including reeds so that the total volume and pitch doesn't interfere with what's going on in the manuals. In this piece just 16+8 flues would be appropriate.

Now, I mentioned that I like a vocal sound, which is especially applicable in this piece. Playing a principal or octave 4' an octave lower can work for this. On this organ, you could try this on the RP and then use the Pr 8 of the HW for the accompaniment. In the Church itself this might work because the RP is closer to the audience. Or you could draw Pr 4 and Flute 4 for the RH.

Then try any of the above registrations with the tremulant(s), also highly appropriate for this style of piece.

Other things you can try:
RH solo on RP flutes 8-4-2.2/3, LH HW Pr 8
RH solo on RP Cromorne 8 with tremulant, LH HW Pr 8

Good luck!

Cheers,

Colin

thanks, I am aware it's probably a large topic: it would be like somebody asking me in my field 'what language should I write this project in and what kind of libraries should I use', and can you tell me everything in a couple of paragraphs...

I have been using the voix humane + tremulant as the solo, but I really am not sure if that is "appropriate" or not. I will add the rest of the registration I am currently using tonight as I don't remember what I have on the left hand exactly (I am sure I have a 16+8 flue in the pedal, I think subbass 16 and octavbass 8 ).

It just is quite intimidating trying to figure out a registration without having years of study/lessons to lean on: I am definitely trying to "less is more" and to use my ears (I have been listening to organ music most of my life, after all) but it sometimes is difficult to apply what I hear in my head about how something should sound to the specific organ/piece. When I first received Arlesheim my first thought was 'why is there a bourdon 8 on every manual' which should give you an idea of how un-learned I am...

A registration that I didn't think of since I wasn't familiar with the organ

I do think that reeds can sometimes sound a little "lonely" when being used solo; while a tremulant may help, you could also combine them with other stops.

One famous registration in this regard is the Dutch trio of stops often found on the Bovenwerk, consisting of Baarpijp 8' (wide scaled flute), Quintadeen 8' (narrow scaled flute with a very prominent fifth) and the Vox humana 8'. To this trio the tremulant can be added making a quartet of stops.

However on this organ the reeds do tend a bit more to the French, in which school they can be used alone, whereas in German models you would be more likely to use them together with some other stops, probably at 8' or 4' pitch. I particularly like using flutes of 8 4 2.2/3 2 with a not-so-strong Dulican or Krumhorn. Tricks like this might also work with the Vox humana here, while the Cromorne is probably strong enough already.

Cheers,

Colin

thanks for the additional comments, yes, the Voix Humane 8 sounds fairly lonely to my ears and appropriate to the piece, I am not sure what else I could add to it but I can definitely experiment.

For the left hand on the RP I have a Bourdon 8 + Flute 4, I am not too satisfied on how it blends so I am still not 100% sure about it, I want something that can be heard if the listener decides to pay attention to it, but not so loud or distinctive that it takes away from the solo line.

(edit) After some more experimenting I think that I am enjoying more playing the melody on the Recit's Bassoon with a Bourdon 8 on the HW, no tremulant but it seems to work well.