Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend
Today I have for you a little chorale called 'Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'. Its text is a four-verse poem asking for the strength and the faith to render unceasing praise. First published in 1648, the chorale soon became a standard of the Lutheran liturgy, often preceding and preparing for the sermon. The melody is short and sweet: The first phrases climbs from do to sol; the second phrase wends downward again. The third phrase rises again to sol; and the fourth phrase settles back down to the starting note.
What makes the melody special is its combination of this clear, simple melodic structure and a snazzy 6/8-3/4 rhythmic feel, fun to sing and fun to hear.
Here's Bach's only vocal arrangement of the tune, one of the so-called independent chorales for which we know no certain source. As usual, Bach and his predecessors have gradually evened out the hemiolic metrical features. A score is attached so that you can sing along.
Bach wrote several more settings of our chorale, all for organ; scores are attached, links to recordings are below:
The tiny Orgelbüchlein setting BWV 632, in which the outer voices adumbrate the chorale each in its own way, while the middle voices provide the peanut-butter-and-jelly, made almost entirely from the triadic opening notes of the first phrase;
The decorated chorale BWV 709, in which Bach provides an excellent example of florid ornamentation of a chorale tune, here presented in the top voice;
And finally, BWV 655, a magnificent trio setting, in which infinite expansions and elaborations and permutations of the first phrase are presented until the bass finally takes over and lays down the chorale melody in toto, one phrase at a time.
Of this latter version, I offer two recordings, both excellent and rousing:
1) The piece played upon the organ as written; and
2) The piece transcribed as a wonderful string trio, with viola da gamba standing in for cello.
Once again we see how Bach, working with simple, seemingly straightforward materials, can create diverse and magnificent sound-worlds which carry the tune and its text straight to our hearts.
Carry on! Keep the faith! Love! Joy! Faith! Abundance! Victory! Beauty! And Mastery!
Today I have for you a little chorale called 'Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend'. Its text is a four-verse poem asking for the strength and the faith to render unceasing praise. First published in 1648, the chorale soon became a standard of the Lutheran liturgy, often preceding and preparing for the sermon. The melody is short and sweet: The first phrases climbs from do to sol; the second phrase wends downward again. The third phrase rises again to sol; and the fourth phrase settles back down to the starting note.
What makes the melody special is its combination of this clear, simple melodic structure and a snazzy 6/8-3/4 rhythmic feel, fun to sing and fun to hear.
Here's Bach's only vocal arrangement of the tune, one of the so-called independent chorales for which we know no certain source. As usual, Bach and his predecessors have gradually evened out the hemiolic metrical features. A score is attached so that you can sing along.
Bach wrote several more settings of our chorale, all for organ; scores are attached, links to recordings are below:
The tiny Orgelbüchlein setting BWV 632, in which the outer voices adumbrate the chorale each in its own way, while the middle voices provide the peanut-butter-and-jelly, made almost entirely from the triadic opening notes of the first phrase;
The decorated chorale BWV 709, in which Bach provides an excellent example of florid ornamentation of a chorale tune, here presented in the top voice;
And finally, BWV 655, a magnificent trio setting, in which infinite expansions and elaborations and permutations of the first phrase are presented until the bass finally takes over and lays down the chorale melody in toto, one phrase at a time.
Of this latter version, I offer two recordings, both excellent and rousing:
1) The piece played upon the organ as written; and
2) The piece transcribed as a wonderful string trio, with viola da gamba standing in for cello.
Once again we see how Bach, working with simple, seemingly straightforward materials, can create diverse and magnificent sound-worlds which carry the tune and its text straight to our hearts.
Carry on! Keep the faith! Love! Joy! Faith! Abundance! Victory! Beauty! And Mastery!